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Nina Shekhar
Birth nameNina Shekhar
Born1995 (age 28–29)
Detroit, Michigan
GenresContemporary classical, Experimental
Occupation(s)Composer, Multimedia artist, Educator
Instrument(s)Flute, Piano, Saxophone
Years active2015–present
Websitewww.ninashekhar.com

Nina Shekhar (born 1995) is an American composer and multimedia artist known for her exploration of identity, vulnerability, love, and laughter through her music[1]. Her works are characterized by their boldness and intense personal expression, and she has been described as "tart and compelling" by The New York Times[2], "vivid" by The Washington Post[3], and an "orchestral supernova" by the LA Times.[4]

Early Life and Education

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Nina Shekhar was born in 1995 and is a first-generation Indian American from Detroit, Michigan. She pursued her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan, where she earned dual degrees in music composition and chemical engineering. Shekhar continued her education at the University of Southern California, completing her graduate studies in composition. She is currently a PhD candidate in Music Composition at Princeton University.[1]

Career

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Shekhar's music has been commissioned and performed by numerous prestigious ensembles and orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic[5], LA Philharmonic[6], Chicago Symphony Orchestra[7], Seattle Symphony[8], Nashville Symphony[9], Minnesota Orchestra[10], Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra[11], and the Louisville Orchestra. Her work has been featured at prominent venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, the Kennedy Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Library of Congress.

Shekhar has received several awards and honors, including the 2021 Rudolf Nissim Prize[12][13], two ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards (2015[14] and 2019[15]), the 2022 BMI Student Composer Award[16], and the 2018 ASCAP Foundation Leonard Bernstein Award.[17] She was Musical America's Artist of the Month in December, 2022.[1]

Notable Works and Performances

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Some of Shekhar's notable works include compositions for string orchestra, string quartet, clarinet and string quartet, and orchestra. Her music has been performed by leading artists and ensembles such as Eighth Blackbird[3], International Contemporary Ensemble[18], JACK Quartet[19], Alarm Will Sound[20], The Crossing[21], and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.[22]

Recent and upcoming performances of her work include those by the New York Philharmonic[23], LA Philharmonic (with soloists Nathalie Joachim and Pamela Z)[24], Minnesota Orchestra, New World Symphony[25], and her Hollywood Bowl debut with the LA Philharmonic conducted by Lina González-Granados.[26][4]

Teaching and Residencies

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In addition to her composing career, Shekhar is an active educator. She is on the composition faculty at the Mannes School of Music at The New School[27] and serves as a faculty mentor for Luna Composition Lab[28]. She co-founded Brightwork newmusic's Project Beacon initiative[29] and has held guest composer residencies at institutions such as New York University, University of Colorado-Boulder, Western Michigan University, and Portland State University.[30]

Shekhar has also served as Composer-in-Residence for Young Concert Artists (2021-2023)[30] and is currently the Composer-in-Residence for The Crossing[21] and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's 2023-2024 Sound Investment Composer.[31]

Personal Life

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Nina Shekhar is a versatile performing artist, proficient as a flutist, pianist, and saxophonist. She has performed at the Detroit International Jazz Festival and as a soloist with the USC Thornton Symphony and the Lublin Philharmonic at the Poland International Piano Festival.[30]

Shekhar's name is pronounced "NEE-nuh SHAY-ker," with her last name pronounced like "shaker" and spelled with two H's.[30]

Shekhar often grapples with identity and disability in her compositions, and gives interviews and writes articles discussing implications of identity in classical music in particular.

Concert works

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Shekhar's compositions showcase a diverse range of styles and themes, reflecting her bold and expressive musical voice.[1] A full list of her concert works can be found on her official website.[32]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "MusicalAmerica - New Artist of the Month: Composer Nina Shekhar". www.musicalamerica.com. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  2. ^ Tommasini, Anthony (November 12, 2021). "Review: Young Concert Artists Is Back, With a Superb Pianist". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Review | Eighth Blackbird exhibits 8 colorful sketches in modern music at National Gallery". Washington Post. February 17, 2020. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Swed, Mark (August 13, 2022). "Review: Conductor Lina González-Granados makes a big splash in the big outdoors in her Bowl debut". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  5. ^ "Spring Gala with Gustavo Dudamel | Apr 24 | NY Phil". www.nyphil.org. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  6. ^ "Nina Shekhar". LA Phil. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  7. ^ Weiss, Hedy (October 17, 2023). "The Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a Mix of Beethoven, Mahler and Nina Shekhar". WTTW PBS Chicago. Retrieved June 1, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES 2022/2023 SEASON". Seattle Symphony Press. March 24, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  9. ^ "Mozart & Tchaikovsky". www.nashvillesymphony.org. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  10. ^ "Program Notes: MusicMakers - Minnesota Orchestra". www.minnesotaorchestra.org. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  11. ^ khanaka (January 26, 2023). "Beyond The Planets - BPO". Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  12. ^ Cathy, Nevins (February 17, 2021). "Nina Shekhar Receives The ASCAP Foundation Nissim Prize for Lumina".
  13. ^ Leiber, Sarah Jae. "Composer Nina Shekhar Receives The ASCAP Foundation Nissim Prize". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  14. ^ "2015 Concert Music Awards". May 1, 2015.
  15. ^ "The ASCAP Foundation Names Recipients of 2019 Morton Gould Young Composer Awards". April 4, 2019.
  16. ^ "BMI Congratulates the Winners of the 70th Annual BMI Student Composer Awards". BMI.com. May 18, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  17. ^ "Leonard Bernstein Award". ASCAP Foundation.
  18. ^ "New Moons: World Premieres by Luna Composition Lab Fellows". International Contemporary Ensemble. June 10, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  19. ^ Hodges2021-02-08T15:12:00+00:00, Bruce. "Concert review: Jack Quartet". The Strad. Retrieved June 2, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ "Nina Shekhar // Mizzou New Music Initiative News". mnminews.missouri.edu. 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Resident Composer". The Crossing. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  22. ^ "Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music".
  23. ^ "Shanghai: Van Zweden & Hampson Perform Mahler | China 2024 | NY Phil". www.nyphil.org. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  24. ^ "LA Phil | Upbeat Live: Nathalie Joachim + Pamela Z with Rachel Iba". LA Phil. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  25. ^ "New World Symphony". www.nws.edu. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  26. ^ "A Seat at the Piano".
  27. ^ "Nina Shekhar | Mannes School of Music". Mannes School of Music at The New School. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  28. ^ "Nina Shekhar". Luna Composition Lab. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  29. ^ "Nina Shekhar". Brightwork newmusic. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  30. ^ a b c d "Nina Shekhar, composer". Young Concert Artists. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  31. ^ "Nina Shekhar". Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  32. ^ "Music | Composer and Multimedia Artist Nina Shekhar". www.ninashekhar.com. Retrieved June 2, 2024.