Praise
What Experts Are Saying
“I heard Nikka’s duet on her website and was blown away. After performing only a year after picking up the flute, Nikka already showed a rare talent and a mature sense of the beauty and power of music and of the instrument. She shows strong discipline and superb classical technique. As a veteran public radio broadcaster and music journalist—and a middling jazz flute player—I’ve listened to them all: J.P. Rampal, Emmanuel Pahud, Julius Baker and Ransom Wilson, as well as jazz giants like Hubert Laws, the late Dave Valentin, Cuban flute geniuses Maraca, Fajardo, and Egües. I know the A from the B players. This kid has already reached the higher echelon of young flutists, and her star is bound to rise even higher.”
— Tom Schnabel
Emeritus Producer KCRW, Rhythm Planet, Morning Becomes Eclectic, Former Program Director, World Music L.A. Philharmonic.
“Nikka is without question one of the finest and most dedicated young flute soloists I have encountered in my career. She possesses the rare qualities and gifts that are necessary to make her unique mark across the cultural landscape… a burning passion for music, artistic integrity, love of music history and a creative drive that will surely fuel her success. I continue to marvel at Nikka’s level of maturity, musical and artistic achievement and no-nonsense focus which compels her to compose and arrange music as well as to perform. We will all be enjoying and keeping an eye on this rising star!”
— Mike Greene
CEO of Artist Tribe and former Chairman/President/CEO of National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences,
President of The Grammy Foundation, Founder of the Musicares Foundation
“In the course of my career as a popular music producer, I have recorded many musicians from the New York, Los Angeles and London philharmonic orchestras. Their members are considered among the best professional musicians in the world. I can honestly say that Nikka at her young age has earned her own place in this elite group. I have known Nikka since she first chose flute as her primary instrument. Her progress has been nothing short of phenomenal. I very much look forward to following her future career as a recording artist, concert performer, composer and Master Musician. I won’t be surprised to see her on the podium conducting in a few years. Do yourself a favor and acquaint yourself with this amazing musician.”
—Harry Maslin
Record Producer (David Bowie), Recording/Mixing Engineer (Michael Jackson, Madonna, Tina Turner, Leonard Cohen),
Studio Owner/Designer, Image Recording Studios
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THE FLUTE VIEW
August 2023 Issue, featuring Nikka Gershman on the cover: “I use various techniques to deliver the best possible performance. [One of them] I apply is from Professor Severus Snape! He teaches Harry Potter how to block off his mind from magical intrusions with a barrier called ‘Occlumency’. I like to say that when I perform, I put up my own Occlumency shields, because nothing can stop me when I’m in the moment: not even when a cellphone once rang during my cadenza!” Read more…
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LA OPUS
Nikka Gershman's Magical Flute Debut at Mason House: “That concert debut—as performer and, in one encore, also composer—satisfied, even surpassed, expectations that had preceded this young artist’s previous outings. Her dazzling, at times mesmerizing, exploration of the range of flute capabilities skipped through, confidently and consummately, the many minefields of an exhaustingly full program of seven complex works and two encores.”
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BEHIND THE MIC
NPR’s From The Top Producers Newsletter Spotlighting Nikka. Read more…
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PASADENA NOW
Pasadena Showcase House For The Arts Awards $18,500 To Nine Aspiring Young Musicians. Nikka Gershman, a flutist, was awarded the Grand Prize for “exceptional talent and musicianship.” Read more…
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KILGORE NEWS HERALD
“Nikka Gershman, a 14-year-old flutist and composer, was announced by The William S. Haynes Flute Company of Boston, one of the world's leading makers of concert flutes, as youngest ever "Haynes Young Artist". Nikka earned this opportunity after getting international recognition as a rising star.” Read more…
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NORTHWEST REVERB
Young gold medalists shine brilliantly with the Vancouver Symphony: “The concert began with an outstanding rendition by Nikka of the first movement of Saverio Mercadante’s Concerto No. 2 in E minor for Flute and String Orchestra. Swaying slightly as she played, the 14-year-old flutist gracefully expressed the piece with a beautiful, assured tone. She showed excellent breath-control by presenting a line strongly the first time and softly the second. Especially impressive was her cadenza where she flawlessly interspersed low notes in the midst of a series of higher ones and built the dynamics into an exciting forte. After finishing the piece with a thrilling final forte, she was rewarded with enthusiastic applause.” Read more…
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THE COLUMBIAN
Young award winners to perform with Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Competition drew on musicians from around the U.S: “Who would have thought that the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra would be beaming from an electronic billboard in Times Square? Well, believe it or not, that’s what happened in October. The faces of Maestro Salvador Brotons and the three winners of the orchestra’s Young Artist Competition were all smiles at the intersection of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street… The jury selected flutist Nikka Gershman as the top performer in the woodwind category to perform with the orchestra this weekend at Skyview Concert Hall.” Read more…
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THE FLUTE VIEW MAGAZINE
Introducing the Winners of the San Francisco Flute Society Competition 2020. First Prize Division 1: Nikka Gershman
“All of the sudden, what was a Bay Area Competition, turned into an International Competition with the talent levels shooting off the charts! We had no idea what to expect, and we were thrilled with the results. There were competitors from Vietnam, Iceland, Ukraine, South Korea, New Zealand, Chile, Russia, USA, etc. There were so many beautiful and inspiring entries! We all felt a bit overwhelmed by both the number of applicants and the extremely high level.” Read more…