Nicholas Olsen is a Welsh composer whose music is rooted in the human experience. His work is shaped by a curiosity about how music can act as a vessel for exploring the world around us, with a particular focus on social and political observation, personal reflection, and storytelling.

Nicholas’s music has been performed by a range of leading ensembles and organisations, including BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and Ensemble Modern. His music has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and his recorded output includes a recent release on the Birmingham Record Company label.

From professional commissions to projects with amateur ensembles, his creative process is built on close collaboration. His experience with Adopt a Composer (Making Music/Sound and Music) was formative for this approach, reinforcing his belief that contemporary music can be inclusive, ambitious, and widely accessible.

Nicholas studied composition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with Gordon McPherson and Stuart MacRae. On graduating, he was awarded the Principal’s Prize for All-Round Excellence, recognising both his creative work and his wider contribution to conservatoire life. He later completed doctoral research at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire under the supervision of Joe Cutler and Christopher Dingle, graduating in 2025. His research explored socio-political composition, and this continues to shape his creative practice, informing an approach to composition that explores how political ideas can be communicated through music.

Alongside composing, Nicholas is an experienced educator. He has taught composition, musicianship, and music theory in a variety of settings, including at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, RCS Junior Conservatoire, and UWC Atlantic. Nicholas is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is also an experienced copyist, producer, and arts administrator.

Nicholas is published by Composers Edition.