Nicholas appears on Show 459.

Nicholas Kim (cello), 17, first began his studies at the Pre-College Division of the Manhattan School of Music in 2015 at 8 years old. He is currently under the tutelage of Marion Feldman since 2020 and additional studies have been with Madeleine Golz, Sondra Tammam, and Adam Kent.

Nicholas made his debut as a soloist at the Neidorff-Karpati Hall of the Manhattan School of Music at just eleven years old under conductor Felipe Tristan as the First Prize winner of the schools concerto competition. Kim was named a finalist at the XI Camerata Artists International Competition and will be playing alongside the Camerata Orchestra of NJ this coming March. He was also named a 2024 From the Top Fellow/Finalist and was broadcast on National Public Radio. Following his debut, some of his most prestigious accolades include being a recipient of the 2025 Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Artist Award, being named a 2025 YoungArts Winner by the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists, advancing to the semi-finals of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Program, winning the Aaron Rosand Memorial First Prize at the NYYPP, among others. Last year he was awarded First Prize of the Manhattan School of Music Philharmonic Competition with his performance of the Dvorak Cello Concerto with the MSM Philharmonic under Nathan Hetherington.

Nicholas has appeared with various orchestras including the Camerata Orchestra of NJ, the New Sussex Symphony, the Summit Symphony, the MSM Repertory, and the MSM Philharmonic. His recent performances have spanned distinguished venues, including Stern and Weill Halls at Carnegie Hall, National Sawdust, the United Palace Theatre, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Nicholas has appeared on broadcasting stations WQXR, National Public Radio, and From The Top. Also this past year, Nicholas participated in masterclasses led by renowned musicians such as Hayoung Choi, Laurence Lesser, Clara Minhye Kim, Brannon Cho, David Ying, and Amit Peled.

As a result of his efforts, Nicholas was awarded numerous scholarships, including the Phillip Kawin Scholarship, the Alex Association Music Project Endowed Scholarship, the Cuker/Stern Endowed Scholarship, the Dianne Danes Flagello Scholarship, and the Marion Feldman Scholarship, of which he is a two-time recipient. As a member of the Grammy-winning New York Youth Symphony, Nicholas was awarded the 2024 Vargas-Vetter/Ukena Fellowship as well. As a member of the New York Youth Symphony, he has collaborated with musicians Augustin Hadelich, Zhu Wang, Clayton Stephenson, and Alexa Jarvis. Nicholas will play on a Lucchi cello bow generously on loan from The Maestro Foundation in March of 2025.

Receiving the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award will allow Nicholas to continue his education at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Program, and continue with private lessons in both cello and piano. The funds will also cover recording studio fees for his college audition recordings as well as important instrument repair needs.

Peter was named Host of From the Top in January 2020.

Peter Dugan’s position is sponsored by Susan and Gerald Slavet.

Peter first appeared on From the Top Show 158, recorded in April 2007, at age 18.

Prizing versatility as the key to the future of classical music, pianist Peter Dugan is equally at home in classical, jazz, and pop idioms.

He is heard nationwide as the  host of NPR’s beloved program From the Top.  He has appeared as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician across North America and abroad. 

In 2020, Mr Dugan performed with Joshua Bell on a PBS Broadcast “At Home with Music” and appeared on  the album of the same name on Sony Classical. He was also featured on PBS Great Performances with mezzo-soprano Kara Dugan for the series “Now Hear This”.

A sought-after multi-genre artist, Mr. Dugan has performed in duos and trios with artists ranging from Itzhak Perlman and Renee Fleming to Jesse Colin Young and Glenn Close. Mr Dugan’s debut performances with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony were described by the Los Angeles Times as “stunning” and by the SF Chronicle as “fearlessly athletic.” The Wall Street Journal described Mr. Dugan’s collaboration with violinist Charles Yang as a “classical-meets-rockstar duo.” Mr. Dugan has been presented in chamber music recitals by Carnegie Hall, Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach, Music at Menlo, Moab Music Festival, and recently in recital with Joshua Bell at the Minnesota Beethoven Festival.  He was the 2019 featured recitalist for the California Association of Professional Music Teachers, and has soloed with the San Francisco Symphony, Houston Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, New World Symphony, and Mid-Texas Symphony.

His album with baritone John Brancy –  A Silent Night: A WWI Memorial in Song – pays homage to composers who lived through, fought in, and died in the Great War. Brancy and Dugan toured this program across North America in commemoration of the centennial of WWI, including performances at The Kennedy Center, Alice Tully Hall, Stanford University, the United States Naval Academy, and the Smithsonian Institute.  Together Brancy and Dugan won first prize at the 2018 Montreal International Music Competition and second prize at the 2017 Wigmore Hall International Song Competition. He can also be heard as the piano soloist on a recording of Ives’ Fourth Symphony from Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, a recording which the New York Times named one of the top classical albums of 2019. 

Mr. Dugan advocates the importance of music in the community and at all levels of society.  As a founding creator of Operation Superpower, a superhero opera for children, he has traveled to dozens of schools in the greater New York area, performing for students and encouraging them to use their talents – their superpowers – for good.

Mr. Dugan holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from The Juilliard School, where he studied under Matti Raekallio. He was a recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Young Scholar, College Scholar, and Graduate Scholar awards.

He resides in New York City with his wife, mezzo-soprano Kara Dugan, and serves on the piano faculty at the Juilliard School Evening Division. Mr. Dugan is a Yamaha Artist.