Nigel Clark is one of the UK’s top acoustic guitarists. Born in Scotland he began his professional career at the age of eighteen in London.
In the late eighties Nigel joined the Glasgow band Hue & Cry. He recorded and toured with them in the UK, Europe and in the U.S. and he also contributed arrangements to the band’s top ten singles and albums.
High profile collaborations followed with Moya Brennan, (lead singer with Clannad), and with jazz vocalist Carol Kidd. He also worked on BBC TV as musical director and guitarist for soul superstar Gloria Gaynor.
Nigel’s first recording as a band leader, “Worldwide Sound” featured some of the UK’s top instrumentalists, including multi award-winning pianist Brian Kellock, saxophonist Tim Garland, (now with Chick Corea’s Origins Band) Ewen Vernal on bass and Mike Bradley on drums. The album wowed the critics, showcasing Nigel’s highly eclectic compositional style, and it reached the top ten in the UK jazz charts.
Following the recording Nigel appeared at the North Sea Jazz Festival at the invitation of his boyhood hero, guitarist Jan Akkerman. In Cannes the same year he performed with Akkerman, Terje Rypdal and Wolfgang Muthspiel in a band featuring eleven of Europe’s elite guitarists. The performance was witnessed by Bob Karcy, CEO of Grammy-winning New York label Arkadia Records who invited Nigel to sign an exclusive five-album recording deal.
“Grand Hotel Europa” Nigel’s first CD release in the U.S. featured five of his trademark compositions and marked a permanent switch to nylon-strung acoustic guitar.
In 2012 Nigel recorded his first album of solo guitar arrangements titled “Under The Stars” for the Edinburgh based Circular Records and began touring as a solo concert guitarist in the UK and Ireland.
Nigel has recorded and toured for ten years with Dutch jazz violinist Tim Kliphuis’ groundbreaking classical/folk/jazz trio. Described as “the most breathtaking show you’ll hear this year” the trio’s performances have blazed a trail across Europe, delighting audiences with their “total music” where improvisation is set at the core of a myriad of music styles. In May 2015 in Amsterdam the Tim Kliphuis Trio performed a specially arranged version of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and classical violin virtuoso Gordan Nikolic.
Other high profile projects for Nigel have included a duo concert performance with the Belgian guitar legend Philip Catherine. Back in his native Scotland Nigel co-founded the Scottish Guitar Quartet, performing across the UK, Ireland and at major European festivals including the Vienna Guitar Festival.
With Russian Gypsy violinist Oleg Ponomarev Nigel formed the trio “Koshka” and performed in Russia, Germany and across the UK. In January 2015 Koshka appeared at the prestigious Sundsvall Music Festival, Sweden, with the Nordic Chamber Orchestra under the direction of conductor Maria Eklund.
Nigel now lives in Dublin where he has embarked on exciting, new projects with some of the best Irish musicians including guitarist Hugh Buckley and vocalist/songwriter Colette Cassidy