BIOGRAPHY
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 also studied jazz piano with Prof. John Stephens at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he obtained his Doctorate in Jazz Piano Performance and served as a teaching assistant for four years.
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. In addition to his performance career, Leon received numerous honors at Millikin University - the Young Artist Award, the Alice Herren Ayars Award, the Pi Kappa Lambda Outstanding Senior Award, the Wilna Moffett Award, and the Dr. Jere C. Mickel Human Relations Award. In 2024, while studying at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, he was awarded the prestigious Presser Award.
Beyond music, he enjoys working out, drawing, watching and playing soccer, and outdoor activities.