About Terry Lee Nichols
About Terry Lee Nichols
In the contemporary New Age and Ambient music landscape, Terry Nichols has emerged as one of the genre’s most expressive and emotionally resonant composer-pianists. His music sits at the intersection of cinematic storytelling, modern classical lyricism, and deeply personal reflection — a blend that has earned him respect from peers, industry reviewers, and a growing global audience.
A Modern Storyteller in a Timeless Genre
Nichols is widely recognized for creating concept-driven albums that move beyond traditional instrumental forms. Each project is crafted as a narrative journey — emotional, historical, or spiritual — inviting listeners into a world that feels both intimate and expansive.
Respected by Peers, Collaborators, and Critics
Across the New Age community, Nichols has become known as a thoughtful collaborator, working with a distinguished roster of vocalists, instrumentalists, and engineers. His work is frequently described as cinematic, heartfelt, meticulously arranged, and emotionally immersive.
A Rising Force in Award Circles
With his 2025 flagship album Love is…, Nichols has stepped into a new level of visibility. As he continues to expand his reach through GRAMMY® consideration, World Entertainment Award nominations, and extensive peer engagement, he is increasingly viewed as a serious and enduring voice in modern New Age and Ambient composition.
A Distinctive Artistic Signature
Terry Nichols’ standing in the genre is defined by authenticity, craftsmanship, collaborative excellence, emotional honesty, and a bridge between worlds — part composer, part storyteller, part historian.
A Voice Growing Stronger Each Year
As the New Age and Ambient genres continue evolving, Terry Nichols stands out as an artist whose work is both deeply human and musically sophisticated.
Currently, Terry lives near the ocean in Florida. Nichols refers to his music style as "a mixture of cinematic, new age, and minimalist classical," and he names Philip Glass, John Adams, Nils Frahm, George Crumb and Hal Budd as influences, as well as soundtrack composers Hans Zimmer, Ennio Morricone, and John Barry. Terry's first album, At Peace Beneath the Shade of My Father's Tree, was nominated for Best Neo-Classical Album in 2016 by Zone Music Reporter and Best Piano With Instrumentation by One World Radio. His 2017 release, the concept album We Have Only Come To Dream (featuring guest vocalist Rebekah Eden) was born out of Terry's interests in political activism, anthropology, and history. The theme of the album is to portray, musically, the assorted peoples who have journeyed to the Americas through time, from the ancient to the early 20th century. Of the album, Dyan Garris of NewAgeCD.com wrote "We Have Only Come To Dream. . . a collaboration between Terry Lee Nichols and Rebekah Eden, is ultra-rich, deep, wide, vast, and an utterly gorgeous album through and through. It is easily imagined as an epic film score. The arrangements, including the vocal arrangements by Eden, are spectacular. "
Terry's third album, The Pale Blue Dot, was released in August , 2020. The highly-cinematic tracks reflect Terry’s interest in music, history, anthropology, and astrophysics. It charted at number one for the months of September and October and won the 8th annual One World Music international award for 'Best Piano With Instrumentation Album' and was co-winner of the 18th annual Zone Music Reporter award for 'Best Neo-Classical Album.'
Terry's latest album, Love is..., has charted at #1 for three months on New Age Notes Radio and named Best Album for July 2025 by One World Music. It is also nominated for Best New Age Album and Best New Age Song for the 2026 World Entertainment Awards.
When asked how he views himself as an artist, Terry states "I sense the world through sound. I communicate best through sound, compositions, and performances. Sound and music [are] the most powerful emotional forces in my life. I will work to be the best I can be at communicating my thoughts and opinions through music. Success, failure, or anything in between, this is my legacy."
