Violist Nicholaus Yee completed his doctoral studies at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, where he was the teaching assistant to Dr. Pamela Goldsmith and Professor Donald McInnes, and attended as a full fellowship recipient. In addition to his viola studies, he is trained as an instrumental conductor, early music specialist, and music educator, topics he studied as part of the rigorous and multi-faceted program at USC. An avid chamber musician, he was honored to perform with the renowned violinist Midori Goto shortly after her faculty appointment at USC. Nick has been heard in broadcast on KUSC 91.5 both in chamber and orchestral music performances.
Ensembles he has been a member of include the USC Symphony and Chamber orchestras, the USC Early Music Ensemble, and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra. Nick has performed with such musical legends as Yo-Yo Ma, Bobby Mcferrin, Lynn Harrell, Doc Severinsen, Gary Graffmann, and David Shifrin. Conductors he has worked with include Carl St. Clair, John Williams, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Sergiu Commissiona, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, and Lucinda Carver. Nick is a member of the San Bernardino and the Redlands Symphony Orchestras.
As principal viola of Del Gesu Strings, Nick toured South America, playing concerts in Panama City (Panama), San Salvador (El Salvador), Quito (Ecuador), and Santiago (Chile). Locally, he has collaborated with various musicians presenting chamber music concerts, and is a member of the Chamber Players of Los Angeles.
A dedicated educator, Nick has taught privately for over 20 years and in various capacities at public and private schools and youth orchestras since 1995. His teaching philosophy centers on the love of music, fostering achievement through discipline and methodical practice, and he encourages a close partnership in teaching and learning music with his students. From 2008 to 2011, he was a conductor for the Irvine Young Concert Artists orchestra. Nick was recently appointed to the faculty for Junior Chamber Music in Orange County.
Nick is an avid sports fan who follows college football and major league baseball, and other interests include billiards, bicycling, tennis, softball, going to concerts, reading, and trying various cuisines.