About Dr. Roman
no
One of the most decorated saxophonists of her generation, Nicki Roman is known for “taking listeners on a tour of the saxophone’s capabilities, illustrating the vast tone and range of the instrument.” (Parma Recordings). As a soloist, she has been featured with the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias’ Chamber Orchestra, Eastman Symphony Orchestra, Eastman Wind Ensemble, Illinois Wind Symphony, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Wind Ensemble, University of North Florida Orchestra, University of Southern Mississippi Wind Ensemble, Milwaukee Youth Wind Ensemble, and the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra. She has been a prize-winner at prestigious competitions such as the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Solo Competition, Music Teacher’s National Association Young Artist Solo Competition, William C. Byrd International Competition, and the International Kate Neal Kinley Memorial Fellowship. Her debut album, Unquiet Waters, was released in Fall 2021 under Parma Recordings and Ravello Records.
Nicki is a core member of Splinter Reeds. The sum of their wide ranges of experience – in settings including free jazz, improvisation, electronic music, pop, punk and metal as well as classical – has enabled them to rapidly zero in on a distinct aesthetic identity. Recent concert engagements have included performances at New York City’s TIME:SPANS Festival, Dublin’s Music Current Festival, Chicago’s Constellation, San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center, Vancouver New Music, the Mondavi Performing Arts Center, Berkeley Art Museum, Festival of New American Music, Other Minds: The Nature of Music Series, and the Presidio Sessions series. Additionally, they have held residencies at universities across the country including Stanford, Northwestern, Wesleyan, Miami University, UC-Berkeley, Boston Conservatory, UC-Davis and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, among several others. The ensemble has received grant awards from Chamber Music America, New Music USA, the Alice M. Ditson Fund at Columbia University, the Zellerbach Family Foundation, and the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music. Their 2024-2025 season highlights include residencies at Cornell as the Stucky Ensemble-in-Residence.
Nicki joined the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty as the new Saxophone professor in Fall 2024. From 2018-24, she served as Assistant Professor of Saxophone at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. At Milwaukee, she has taught applied saxophone, chamber music, and courses on entrepreneurship and music business. In addition, she is a member of Present Music, Civic Music Association of Milwaukee, and is a saxophone consultant with Hal Leonard Publishing. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the Eastman School of Music where she was the recipient of the Teaching Assistantship Prize, John Celentano Award for Excellence in Chamber Music, and a Performer’s Certificate. While at Eastman, she served as Assistant Director for the Eastman Saxophone Project. She also holds degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of North Florida. Her former teachers include Chien-Kwan Lin, Debra Richtmeyer, Dale Underwood, Michael Bovenzi, and Bunky Green. She is a Conn-Selmer and Vandoren artist.