Nickolas Carlson is a conductor, organist, and collaborative pianist from Lindsborg, KS. Nickolas is the music director and conductor of the Olympia Chamber Orchestra. In addition, he is currently the Director of Music Ministries at The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Olympia, Music Director for Olympia Opera Theatre, and works with Pacific Northwest Theater.   

Nickolas received his Masters of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Wichita State University under Dr. Mark Laycock in the spring of 2016. He received his Bachelors of Music in Organ Performance from Bethany College in Lindsborg, KS under Dr. Melody Steed. 

In addition to his studies at Wichita State, Nickolas has also studied or participated in masterclasses with Dianne Wittry, Anna Edwards, and Roupen Shakarian.

He was the music director for WSU's production of J.P. Rameau's Les Indes Galantes, a collaboration between the Opera and Dance departments, in the spring of 2016. In the summer of 2018, he conducted Handel’s Rinaldo with Chicago Summer Opera.