The NYBBGB Youth Band Easter residential course 2026 will be held at Duchy College, Harrogate (formerly Harrogate Ladies’ College) under the direction of Guest Conductor Professor Nicholas Childs.
Heralded as a leading figure in the worldwide brass community, Professor Nicholas Childs (DMA – Conducting, University of Salford) has rightfully achieved the highest international reputation as a performer, teacher-clinician, conductor, interpreter and advocate of new music, and producer of pacesetting recordings.
Initial success came as a euphonium soloist and partner with his talented brother, Dr Robert Childs, who together have literally toured the world as The Childs Brothers, performing in many of the world’s most famous concert halls with the most prestigious bands and orchestras.
Taking up the baton as a brass band conductor, Nicholas has had phenomenal success with many brass bands, including highly acclaimed performances at regional and national championships.
His current tenure as Principal Conductor and Music Director of the famous Black Dyke Band has been marked with significant contest success, as well as a series of innovative concerts, world premières and recordings of major works for brass band with a variety of soloists and musical combinations. He continues his advocacy of new music within the outstanding catalogue of brass and wind band recordings he has recorded and produced. Not content with these activities, Professor Childs is in great demand as a teacher, clinician and consultant throughout the academic community.
In the brass band contest scene, he has reached the pinnacle of success with six wins at the National Championships of Great Britain; 2001, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2023 with Black Dyke Band and 1999 with Foden’s Courtois. With Black Dyke he has also won the coveted British Open in 2005, 2006 and 2014, and the European Championship in 2005, 2012 and 2015, being awarded the Harry Mortimer Maestro award for his outstanding ability as a conductor, and being named the 2014 Conductor of the Year by 4br.com and Brass Band World (magazine).
He won his first English National Championship with Black Dyke in June 2009, and again in 2011, 2012 and 2013. In 2006 Professor Childs received an honorary doctorate and in 2008 he accepted a Professorship from Leeds Metropolitan University.
Further acclaim has come for his many innovative concerts and world premieres featuring a variety of soloists and musical combinations. In 2007 Nicholas Childs received the Iles Medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the brass band movement. A year later, in 2008, he was awarded the title Freeman of the City of London. In 2014 Nicholas was awarded a Professorship at the Royal Northern College of Music. College Principal, Professor Linda Merrick, revealed that “We are very proud to be able to honour Nicholas Childs’ outstanding contribution to the music profession with a professorial title and I look forward to working with him as we enhance our brass band offer at the Royal Northern College of Music under the aegis of the new Philip Jones Centre of Brass,” and in 2024 Nicholas received a Fellowship from the Royal Northern College of Music.
As one of the world’s most recognized masters of the euphonium and brass specialist, Nicholas has performed and taught throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, Africa, the Far East, Canada and the United States. He has appeared with such groups as the BBC Philharmonic, Hallé Orchestra, United States Marine Band (“The President’s Own”), the London Symphony Brass and the Canadian Brass. In addition, he has been featured with nearly every major brass band throughout the world and many wind bands, especially in university settings within the United States, where he has been equally acclaimed for his teaching and clinic work.
With his roots in the British brass band tradition, having first been trained in the Tredegar (Wales) Youth Band, Professor Childs continues to give important emphasis to the development of the brass band movement. This comes through his commitment to the training of outstanding young musicians both at the collegiate level and within The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. He has taken his teaching and conducting skills to a variety of outstanding brass bands outside the UK.
Nicholas Childs is the current Artistic Director and founder of the Yorkshire Youth Brass Band and a past Music Director for The National Children’s Brass Band of Great Britain. He has served as the Director of The National Youth Brass Band of Denmark and Associate Conductor of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, and has gained national championship titles in England, Wales, Scotland, France, Sweden and Norway.
Nick is married to Alison who plays tenor horn with Black Dyke and his daughter Rebecca plays baritone with Black Dyke, studied Performance and Conducting at the University of Salford, gaining a First Class Honours Degree, and is now a Primary School teacher.
