Tenor and five-time Grammy nominee Nicholas Phan ‘97 took home his first win at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards for his work on “Saariaho: Adriana Mater,” which won Best Opera Recording. He was also nominated in the Best Classical Solo Vocal Album category for his album “A Change Is Gonna Come.” I spoke with Phan about his journey from Greenhills to the Grammys, his advice for students who want to pursue careers in the arts, and what he has been listening to recently.
Eva Bernstein: “How did your time at Greenhills foster your passion for the arts?”
Nicholas Phan ‘97: “I was at Greenhills from sixth through 12th-grade, so all seven years. I started out playing in the orchestra as a violinist in sixth grade and that’s when I realized I wanted to be a musician. I didn’t really like playing the violin so much before then, but my parents made me join orchestra, and then I was like, ‘oh, wow, this is really cool.’. It sort of gave me a path that really resonated, and I just got bitten by the bug. I played in orchestra through middle school, and I think I sang in choir one year of those middle school years. Then, when I was a freshman, I auditioned for the spring musical, which was ‘The Music Man’ that year. I didn’t know what that was going to be like, but they needed a tenor who could sing really high notes and I had those naturally, which I didn’t realize was a special thing. I got cast in the spring musical and then that ignited a passion for theater in me. I sang in choir and played in orchestra after that at Greenhills, and I started playing in youth orchestras and do summer programs, like MPulse, which used to be at Interlochen when I was a teenager. I found out about all of these programs through the orchestra and choir programs at Greenhills because they would put their posters on the wall. The theater teacher, the orchestra conductor, and the choir conductor were all really, really supportive of my passion for music and theater. I did a couple of summers as a musical theater major at Interlochen in high school, and during those summers is when I decided that I would be a singer rather than a player, because it was really obvious to me that singing was the path forward, but I loved classical music, so I pursued that instead of musical theater. I did all the musicals when I was there [at Greenhills], I would do the fall plays, I played in the orchestra, and I sang in choir. I also did the Metropolitan Youth Symphony out in Birmingham, played in the University of Michigan Youth Symphony, and sang in the University of Michigan Youth Choir. All of these programs were things that I found out about through my teachers at Greenhills.”
EB: “You said that you were interested in classical music, which, at least in my experience, most kids are more interested in pop and rock, and forming bands in those genres. Do you think that you found that passion for classical music because of your experience in orchestra? What drew you to classical music?
NP: “I don’t really know. I’d grown up playing it as a kid because that’s what you study when you’re studying the violin, and my parents played it a lot. My dad in particular played a lot of classical music around the house. He was a huge classical music fan. There was a jazz band back then, but it just didn’t involve the instrument that I played. I didn’t play the guitar, I didn’t play piano, I didn’t play the sax. I was a string player, so I think that’s part of it. I love pop music, but it [classical music] just felt like the thing that was for me.”
EB: “In addition to being a former student at Greenhills, you’re also an educator now. What advice do you have for current students who are interested in pursuing a career in the arts after school?
NP: “When pursuing any career in the arts, you’ve got to practice your craft, and there are all sorts of things that go alongside that, but the most important thing at the end of the day, especially to have a sustainable career in the arts, is being an expert at your craft, whatever that craft is. If you’re a writer, you’ve got to keep writing every day, if you’re a musician, you have to practice every day. That’s always really the thing that has to come first, because without it, you don’t really have much of a foundation, and that can be a really anxiety-inducing existence.”
EB: “Are there any things or lessons that you took away from those times in orchestra or in the musicals that you still carry with you today?”
NP: “I think the biggest thing that I took away from Greenhills was bringing an intellectual curiosity to every single thing that I do. I always want to sort of unpack the layers of why we’re doing the things that we’re doing, like ‘why are we singing whatever songs we’re singing?’ The oth-
er thing that I’ve taken away from it is from the community service requirement. Part of the thing that I really took away from that time was that to whom much is given, much is required. As a performing musician, I really feel strongly that my job is an act of service. The arts have the power to bring communities together and to bring comfort and to bridge divides. I view all of my art making as an act of service, and that’s something that I really think comes from my time at Greenhills and those values that were instilled in me when I was there.”
EB: “Now, to shift to what you’ve been up to recently with your Grammy nominations and your big win, did you have any highlights from that experience and a favorite performance from the night?”
NP: “I’ve got to say, I thought that Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars were great singing ‘California Dreaming.’ Because our category was announced at the end of the premier ceremony, which was before the telecast, I ended up backstage for the first hour, so I missed a big portion of the ceremony, doing press interviews and getting official portraits taken, which was cool. This year was my fourth and fifth nominations and the second time I’ve been to the awards and it’s a really incredible experience. I feel really lucky to have been able to go. When you’re nominated, you’re so happy just to be nominated, and you have no idea how the voters are going to vote, no matter how hard you try and campaign, so I was just really grateful. In terms of the opera album, it’s really meaningful because the composer who wrote the opera died a week before we recorded it, so the win feels like a really important tribute to remember her.”
EB: “Do you have any music recommendations, or what have you been listening to?”
NP: “One thing I would recommend everybody have a listen to is the John Elliot Gardiner recording of Bach’s ‘Mass in B minor,’ just for some classical music. Also, Peter Yarrow died a few weeks ago, so I’ve actually been listening to Peter, Paul and Mary a fair amount. Also some John Baez. I think the political climate has me listening to protest music, and in that spirit, I would recommend everybody listen to my album that was nominated. It’s called ‘A Change Is Gonna Come,’ and it’s all about protest music, and considering the times in which we live, I feel like it’s worth a listen.”
