Nicholas Downs – Musical Director & Founder
Nicholas Downs was born in Kent in 1974 and educated at Chatham House Grammar School for Boys, Ramsgate. A multi-instrumentalist from an early age, he became proficient in bassoon, recorder, piano, viola, drums and percussion, and performed with both the Kent Youth Wind Orchestra and Kent County Youth Orchestra. In 1990 he toured Singapore with the Kent Youth Wind Orchestra, playing bassoon and contrabassoon.
Nicholas studied at Trinity College of Music, where he specialised in bassoon under Stephen Maw and piano with Philip Coleman, graduating with a GTCL (2:1). He continued his studies on Trinity’s Postgraduate Performance course, focusing on bassoon.
Following his studies, Nicholas worked for Kent County Youth Service at 3D Studios in Northfleet, delivering a wide range of music projects for young people. These included Battle of the Bands competitions, junk orchestras, discos and the creation of an in-centre radio station. During this time, he also co-developed and tutored the East Meets West project with Kent Music School, exploring musical collaboration between Western wind instruments and Eastern percussion traditions.
A committed advocate for community music, Nicholas served on the Gravesham Arts Council Executive Committee between 1999 and 2004, contributing to grant and sponsorship decisions and supporting local arts organisations and festivals. He is a member of the Musicians’ Union, the British Double Reed Society, and the Clarinet & Saxophone Society of Great Britain.
Alongside his instrumental work, Nicholas has extensive experience as a conductor and musical director. He founded and conducted the London South-East Methodist Youth Choir (1996–1998), and was Musical Director of the Northara Singers from 1997 to 2001. He also served as Musical Co-ordinator at Gravesend Methodist Church for ten years, overseeing all aspects of church music, from choirs and bands to multimedia installations.
In 1998, Nicholas became self-employed, developing a successful teaching and performance career across Kent and beyond. He has performed widely as both an instrumentalist and vocalist, including bass solos in The Crucifixion and The Creation. He teaches bassoon, saxophone, recorder, piano, keyboard, clarinet and drum kit, and is a regular guest player with the East Anglian Single Reed Choir.
Nicholas joined Kent Music School as a part-time teacher before later becoming Assistant Area Manager for the Thames Gateway area. During this period, he led major educational initiatives, including the Endangered Species Project, widening access to less commonly taught instruments, and developed ensembles and wider-opportunities programmes across local schools.
Following redundancy from Kent Music in 2008, Nicholas founded North Downs Music Studio, now a limited company, and in 2009 established the Synchordia Ensemble. What began as a small community orchestra has grown steadily and now forms the heart of the wider Synchordia organisation.
Synchordia has since expanded to include Synchordia Saxophones and Synchordia Singers, launched in 2015 to provide inclusive opportunities for singers of all abilities. Nicholas has also served as Musical Director of Hulviz Amateur Musical Society (2008–2017) and, since 2015, as Musical Director of the Port of London Authority Choir, leading performances for civic and community events across Gravesham.
A keen performer, Nicholas has toured internationally with ensembles in Germany, Holland, Singapore, Malaysia and China, including a 2011 tour to China as Principal Bassoon with Kent Sinfonia. His instrumental work is enhanced by an extensive collection including contrabassoon and rare saxophones, and he continues to arrange and compose music, with works published online.
Nicholas lives in Kent with his wife Helen and their two children. With music firmly at the centre of family life, Synchordia remains a truly community- and family-focused organisation.