Nicholas A. Hanson

After receiving his BA in Music (with a concentration in handbell performance) from Concordia University, Irvine, California, Nick has been teaching at The Potomac School in McLean, Virginia, for the past 25 years. At Potomac, he teaches private handbell lessons and handbell classes to students in the 4th-12th grades in six handbell ensembles. He has also been the handbell director at Bush Hill Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, Virginia, for over 15 years.

Nick is a sought-after faculty, clinician, and conductor for workshops and events throughout the world, having served in this role nationally in over 25 states (as well as Washington, DC) and internationally in England, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore. He was co-conductor for the Handbell Musicians of America (HMA) All-Star Choir in 2018; has twice led HMA’s Distinctly Teen ensemble in 2015 and 2023, and most recently conducted the esteemed handbell event, Distinctly Bronze, in 2025.

In 2022, The Potomac School recognized Nick with the Bill Cook Excellence in Teaching Award, and he was featured in the Arlington Magazine article “Teachers We Love” in 2023. He is a published writer in the national handbell magazine Overtones, serves on HMA's Bells in Schools Committee, has composed and arranged over 100 pieces of handbell music, and is co-host of the podcast Two Tacos High: A Handbell Podcast.