Dr. Richard Nickerson will become the new artistic director for the 2020-21 season of the Maine Music Society. Submitted photo

Dr. Richard Nickerson will become the new artistic director for the 2020-21 season of the Maine Music Society. Outgoing artistic director John Corrie has served for the last 14 years and is retiring at the end of the current season. “Rick,” as he prefers to be called, will assume this role in July 2020 and is already planning a variety of stirring performances for next year’s concert season. The singers and instrumentalists of the Maine Music Society welcome Nickerson as their new artistic director and are excited to begin a new chapter in the Society’s long history of performing classical and pop works of the highest quality and interest to our community.

Nickerson presently serves as director of choral activities at Windham High School and as minister of music at North Windham Union Church. He is a highly-qualified musician with degrees in choral conducting as well as experience in orchestral conducting. A frequent guest conductor and clinician, he has made numerous guest appearances in the United States, Canada and Europe. Nickerson has served as the artistic director of the Boy Singers of Maine (2001-2009) and as chorus conductor for the “Magic of Christmas” with the Portland Symphony Orchestra (2007-2014). His choirs have performed for many dignitaries – including three U.S. presidents. He has received numerous awards including Maine Music Educator of the Year, Maine Distinguished Choral Director of the Year and runner up for Maine Teacher of the Year. In January 2009, he was recognized by Choral Director magazine as one of its “Choral Directors of Note”. In December 2016, he was named as a Top-10 finalist for the Music Educator Grammy Award. He has held many professional offices including two terms as president of the Maine chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. He and his wife, Linda, reside in Windham and have four grown children.

Nickerson’s opening concert will be the “Heritage Holidays” on Dec. 12 and 13.