Nicki Roman

Nicki Roman is regarded as a highly active, diverse and emerging concert saxophonist. She has been a prize winner in the Music Teacher’s National Association Young Artist Solo Competition, the North American Saxophone Alliance Solo Competition, William C. Byrd International Competition and is the first classical saxophonist to be the recipient of the International Kate Neal Kinley Memorial Fellowship.

Having performed across North America, Europe and Asia, Nicki has shared solo and chamber music performances at numerous venues throughout the globe. She has presented solo performances at Krannert Center for Performing Arts, Rio All-Suite Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas, NV, Brevard Summer Music Festival, Université Européenne de Saxophone, Eastman School of Music and the University of Illinois. In addition, she has presented recitals and masterclasses for students at the University of North Florida, University of South Florida, Nazareth College, Manfield University and Frostburg State University. She has been a concerto soloist with orchestras such as the Eastman Symphony Orchestra, Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra and the University of North Florida Orchestra.

Nicki is a member of the Fuego Quartet, an award-winning chamber group devoted to the performance of both standard and contemporary works written for the saxophone. Most recently, they were awarded the Gold Medal in the 44th annual Fischoff Competition. Other achievements have included first prize in the 2017 Plowman Chamber Music Competition, second prize in the 2017 MTNA Young Artist Chamber Competition, first prize in the 198th Army Band College Chamber Competition, winners of the Eastman Honors Chamber Competition and are the recipients of the Eastman School of Music’s John Celentano Award for Excellence in Chamber Music.

They have been featured artists at the Strong National Museum of Play, The George Eastman Museum, Dorris Carlson Reading Garden, The Washington Square Concert Series and [Col][lab]. In 2015, Nicki was a soloist with the Alaric Quartet in Michael Colgrass’ Urban Requiem at the College Band Director’s National Association Conference in Nashville, TN. A strong advocate for new music, Nicki has collaborated with the Møthertung Ensemble, [Switch~ Ensemble], Ossia New Music and the Illinois Modern Ensemble.

Along with being a highly active solo and chamber musician, Nicki’s dedication to music education is at the forefront of her musical career. She currently serves as Assistant Director to the Eastman Saxophone Project (ESP) and has given performances with the group in Asia at the Shanghai Summer Saxophone Camp, the APBDA conference at Beijing’s National Center for Performing Arts and at Shandong University of Arts. They have also been the featured ensemble at Vandoren’s annual holiday party. ESP is a Conn-Selmer Artistic Ensemble and endorses Selmer (Paris) saxophones. Nicki has held the coveted position of saxophone teaching assistant at the Eastman School of Music and the University of Illinois, where she taught saxophone methods courses, coached chamber music and taught applied saxophone. She has also served on the faculty at the Eastman Summer Saxophone Institute (ESSI), the Illinois Summer Youth Music Camps (ISYM) and the Young Saxophonist’s Institute (YSI). Her students have gone on to win prestigious competitions and awards such as the the Thomas J. Smith Scholarship Competition and the John Phillip Sousa Award. During past summers, she has served on staff at the Interlochen Arts Camp and the Brevard Music Center. She currently teaches applied saxophone at the Eastman Community Music School.

 Nicki is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree with a certificate in Collegiate Music Teaching and a minor in instrumental pedagogy at the Eastman School of Music. In addition, she is a recipient of the prestigious Eastman Performer’s Certificate. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she received her MM in Performance and Literature while studying with Debra Richtmeyer. Prior to that, she completed her undergraduate studies in performance at the University of North Florida (UNF) Music Flagship Program, where she was the first recipient to receive the Most Outstanding Musician Award all four years. Ms. Roman has also been the recipient of the George E. MacNaab Scholarship, the A.A. Harding Band Award and is an active member of the North American Saxophone Alliance, College Music Society and Mu Phi Epsilon. Her primary teachers have been Chien-Kwan Lin, Debra Richtmeyer, Dale Underwood, Joseph Lulloff, Michael Bovenzi and Bunky Green.

 


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