Congratulations to Nikka Gershman, the young artist featured during our first concert post-pandemic at Valley Outreach Synagogue in August 2021!
Nikka made history when she received an acceptance letter to the Juilliard School of Music flute department at the age of 15. Nikka was named a 2023 Kovner Fellow – the highest-level recognition of exceptionally gifted musicians at Juilliard.
At Juilliard, Nikka will be joining the studio of legendary flutist Carol Wincenc, who has appeared as a soloist with such ensembles as the Chicago, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and London Symphonies; the BBC, Warsaw, and Buffalo Philharmonics; and the Los Angeles, Stuttgart, and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestras.
The Kovner Fellowship is granted to admitted Juilliard students who exhibit the highest level of artistic achievement and who also demonstrate great potential to be future leaders in the arts. The Fellows receive a full-tuition scholarship, room and board, and additional living expenses for the entire duration of the Bachelor of Music program. In addition to this extraordinary financial support, the Fellows become part of a community with access to enhanced programming and additional opportunities, including career development, networking, and mentoring.
To read Nikka’s latest press in The Flute View, click the link below!
Noreen happened to be at the Gershman home when Nikka received her first flute at the age of six. As fate would have it, Noreen was able to show Nikka how to assemble her flute and make her first sound. Click the link below to watch our performance and hear Nikka’s first-hand account of their meeting and the premiere of one of her earliest compositions, “Respiro.”
Shortly after this concert, Maestra Green recommended that Nikka apply to the 41st Search for New Music Competition by the International Alliance for Women in Music. She won the Libby Larsen Prize for her original work “The Tears of Winter.” Following this, her piece “Valse Infernale” won 1st prize in the Pacific Musical Society competition (up to age 25).
Maestra Green is thrilled to be a small part of her journey. Brava, Nikka!