Nikka Gershman, flute

Meet Nikka

Nikka performs on Show 410.

Described as “without question one of the finest and most dedicated young flute soloists and composers” by Mike Green, the President of the Grammy Foundation, Nikka Gershman is a 15-year-old musician. Haynes Flutes, the oldest flute manufacturer in America, has invited her to represent the company as a Young Artist. Nikka made history as the youngest ever recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at The Juilliard School, where she will be joining the studio of Carol Wincenc to pursue her Bachelor of Music degree. She graduated the Colburn Music Academy under the mentorship of Jim Walker. The Academy awarded her the prestigious Thibaudet Scholarship, in which Jean-Yves Thibaudet personally selects students for this merit-based grant. In addition, Nikka studies composition with renowned Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner.

Nikka is honored to be a National Finalist of YoungArts, the most prestigious award in the United States, which identifies exceptional young artists to invest in their lifelong careers. The Concorso Internazionale A Tutto Flauto awarded her the Absolute First Prize in the adult category. Nikka was the only flutist selected out of 13 winners internationally by the Classicalia Global PBS Televised Competition. She is a recipient of the Sir James Galway “Outstanding Junior Performer” Award and a winner of the prestigious career grant for the Salon de Virtuosi. Nikka was a guest performer on NPR’s From the Top, showcasing her performance and composition, and New York’s Classical Music Radio Station WQXR-FM.

The International Alliance for Women in Music has selected Nikka’s original composition “The Tears of Winter” for the Libby Larsen Prize in the 41st annual Search for New Music Competition. Her piece “Valse Infernale” won the 1st prize in the Pacific Musical Society competition (up to age 25). Community outreach is extremely important to Nikka, and she is dedicated to inspiring young audiences and bringing her music to underserved communities.

Show 410 Bio:

Nikka Gershman-Pepper (flute), 14, hails from Los Angeles, California and is in the eighth grade. She is honored to be the youngest ever Haynes Young Artist. She attends the Pre-Conservatory Program at the Colburn Music Academy under the mentorship of Jim Walker. Nikka discovered her love for music when she was six years old, and a year later, was was one of the youngest musicians to perform with the Emmy-winning Honor’s Orchestra at UCLA Schoenberg Music Hall Concert. Subsequently, she has been accepted as a soloist in the LA Youth Philharmonic for the 2019 Music Festival Concert at The Walt Disney Concert Hall and Colburn’s Zipper Hall. Nikka has placed first in numerous competitions, including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Young Artists’ Concerto Competition, Rising Stars Grand Prix (Berlin), Flutes by the Sea International Competition, Chicago Flute Club (Senior Division), the Los Angeles division of Music International Grand Prix, concerto soloist for the Whittier Regional Symphony, International Music Competition Bonn “Grand Prize Virtuoso”, and New York Young Virtuoso Competition. She has also participated in numerous masterclasses with distinguished artists, and in 2021, was named an ambassador to Music to Save Humanity Mentorship and Outreach Program. Nikka’s solo concerts include performances at the Beethoven House, Bonn, Germany, VOS with the LA Jewish Symphony premiering her original composition, New York at the Salon de Virtuosi winter concert, Skyview Concert Hall with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz with the Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra. When she is not concentrating on music, Nikka enjoy filmmaking, photography, geography, creative writing, and tennis.