Eastman School of Music alumni Luke Poeppel ’24E (MM), Brett Miller ’24E, ’26E (MM), and Nicholas Sharma ’17E, ’24E (DMA) are among 16 winners selected to receive the prestigious 2026 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award. This coveted honor supports promising young American conductors as they develop their professional careers.
Nicholas Sharma, who holds both a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance and a DMA in Orchestral Conducting from Eastman, currently serves as the Resident Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra. He has conducted with several orchestras, including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Sharma is a first-time recipient of the Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award.
Brett Miller is also a first-time recipient of the Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award. He earned his Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Eastman, where he studied with Professors Brad Lubman and Neil Varon. He recently conducted the Eastman Philharmonia and Eastman School Symphony Orchestra while maintaining close ties with the Beal Institute of Film and Contemporary Media. Through the Institute, Miller has worked to integrate live-to-picture performances through collaborations with Emmy Award-winning composers, including Eastman Associate Professor of Contemporary Media & Film Composition Mark Watters and Eastman Alumnus Jeff Beal ’85E, ’89E (MM).
Luke Poeppel, a Master of Music recipient in Conducting from Eastman, is the Ensemble Conductor for the Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He recently concluded two seasons as Assistant Conductor for the Kansas City Symphony, where he led nearly 30 performances during the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 seasons. Poeppel previously received this prestigious honor in 2025, making this his second Career Assistance Award from the Solti Foundation.
Congratulations to all three Eastman alumni on this well-deserved recognition.
Pictured in Feature Image: (L to R): Brett Miller, Nicholas Sharma, and Luke Poeppel. Photo of Luke Poeppel by Meredith Hart Photography.