Carlo Nicolau
- Composer
- Music Department
Carlo is a New York City based composer & producer, with more than 35 years of professional experience in the music industry. In 2017, his solo album of original music, tilted Music For The Moving Imagination, described by David Shire as "rich and varied compositions that express a wide range of emotions, and cover different styles, from orchestral compositions, to global music", was released on vinyl by Discos Mono, and independently on several digital platforms.
At age nine Carlo began studying classical violin and intuitively improvising on the family's living room piano. Four years later he continued his studies at the National Conservatory in Tours, France. Upon returning to Mexico City he played the violin professionally in some of the top orchestras and founded the legendary chamber rock ensemble Nazca, releasing two studio albums and one live album. Carlo moved to New York City in 1988 and formed the progressive rock band Devil's Breakfast, performing in many NY venues including monthly sold out shows at the Knitting Factory. Around this time he began his work in advertising and in 1994 received a Clio award for music written for a Budweiser campaign that aired during the USA Soccer World Cup. This gave him big national attention and led him to open two music houses: Big Rumble Music in 1995 and then Razorhead Music, from 2001 to 2016. Some of the companies' many clients included Coca Cola, Budweiser, Ford, Heineken, Corona , ESPN, Mars Chocolates, History Channel, Chrysler,, AT&T, and Sesame Street/Children's Television Workshop, for which Carlo won a New York Film Festival Award and an Aurora Gold Award in 1999, for the project "A Is For Asthma". Carlo also won a Telly Award in 2017, for his work on a N.H.T.S.A. television public service announcement. For modern dance, Nicolau has also composed music for renowned choreographers such as Stephen Petronio and Sondra Loring. As a guest musician on the violin, Carlo performs with a wide variety of global music, Latin and Indie rock bands.