Assistant Principal Bass
Nicholas Jones was appointed assistant principal bass of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in 2026, eleven years after he joined the BPO as a section bass player. A Western NY native, Nicholas first performed with the BPO in high school as a member of the Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra during a side by side concert.
Prior to joining the Buffalo Philharmonic, Nicholas played two seasons with the Rochester Philharmonic and has performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He was formerly principal bass of the Summer Opera Theater Company in Washington, D.C. and is the principal bass of the Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra where he has been a featured soloist. As a chamber musician, he has performed with the Marlboro Music Festival, the Friends of Vienna, Buffalo Chamber Players, and the Los Angeles Piano Quartet.
Nicholas earned a bachelor’s degree from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and graduate degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and the Yale School of Music. His principal teachers and mentors have been Paul Johnson, Jeffrey Turner, and Donald Palma. As a student, enjoyed summers at the National Orchestral Institute, Pacific Music Festival, Chautauqua Music Festival, Castleton Festival, Kent Blossom Music Festival, and Lucerne Festival Academy.
Nicholas lives in Amherst with his wife and three daughters. He teaches privately and enjoys coaching the bassists of the Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra and Southtowns Youth Orchestra. While not performing, his interests include golfing with his BPO colleagues, reading, and gardening.