An Afternoon of Jazz with Leon Lewis-Nicol

• Event Date: Sunday, March 30, 2025
• Time: 2:00 pm (CDT)
• Location: Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St., Urbana, IL

• Performance

Blending Thelonious Monk’s compositions with Sierra Leonean music, Leon Lewis-Nicol’s performance acts as a tool to mend the gap between African Diaspora musical culture. Lewis-Nicol aims to illustrate how jazz can be a medium through which two different cultures can co-exist and serve as a form of healing for the African diaspora.

This lecture-styled performance connects Monk and Sierra Leon through audio recordings and demonstrations from a traditional jazz quartet and original Sierra Leone instruments. The audience is encouraged to interact with the music, helping to create a truly immersive experience.

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About Leon Lewis-Nicol

A native of Sierra Leone, Leon Lewis-Nicol is a jazz pianist whose musical inspiration, compositions and improvisational voice are deeply rooted in his West African Heritage and Christian beliefs.

He studied classical piano with Dr. Silvan Negrutiu at Millikin University, where he pursued a commercial music degree and debuted with the Millikin Decatur Symphony Orchestra (MDSO) as a soloist (2019). Prior to enrolling at Millikin in August 2017, he attended Parkland College for one year following his pre-college education in Sierra Leone and Ghana as a self-taught musician. He is currently studying with Prof. John Stephens at the University of Illinois where he is pursuing his Doctorate in Jazz Piano Performance degree.

Leon is an active performing/touring artist who leads his own group and has made numerous appearances with other groups including the New York-based band ‘Michael Mwenso and the Shakes’ whom he made his debut performance with at The Lincoln Center in New York City.

Beyond music he enjoys working out, drawing, watching/playing soccer and outdoor activities.