Nicolas Brown was born in Illinois and raised in Ontario, and first started playing Irish music when he was in his late teens. A friend lent him a practice set of uilleann pipes, with which he proceeded to torture his extremely patient and understanding parents. Norman Stiff (a student of Dublin born Chris Langan) started teaching him and gave him two CDs: one of Willie Clancy and one of Seamus Ennis. Nicolas proceeded to listen to these two recordings on repeat for the next year. Eventually, he got his own set of pipes and a flute (and some more CDs!) and set out on his journey down the Irish music rabbit hole.

In the decades since he first picked up a tin whistle at the Fergus Highland Games, Nicolas has not only become a very proficient musician, but has also developed a vast knowledge of Irish music history, about the old musicians, tune histories, Irish music in America, and more. In 2025, Nicolas released a solo album of Irish traditional flute music, Not So Good As The Flute. In 2020, he released his first solo album on an antique set of Union pipes, Good Enough Music For Them Who Love It. In 2016, Nicolas released a duet album with fiddler Alison Perkins, All Covered With Moss.

Nicolas has performed, taught workshops, given lectures, and played at venues and festivals throughout Canada, the United States, and Ireland. He plays a Koehler & Quinn concert pitch “D” set of uilleann pipes, a Joe Kennedy flat pitch “B” set of union pipes, an antique set of Union pipes pitched close to “D”, John Gallagher flutes in F, D, and B, an antique Wylde in Eb, as well as other flutes and whistles in various keys, and Nicolas also sings!

https://nicolasbrownmusic.com/