New York-based soprano Nina Berman has been recognized for her “jaw-dropping artistry” (Joshua Rosenblum, Opera News) and “theatricality and peerless vocal elasticity” (American Record Guide). She has performed in a variety of settings, from vocal improvisation to opera, with a particular focus on chamber music and art song. Recent projects include the release of an album on New Focus Recordings with pianist Steve Beck of the complete works of Milton Babbitt for soprano and piano; performances of Milton Babbitt’s Solo Requiem with pianists Steve Beck, Eric Huebner, and Stephen Gosling; and singing and recording new works by composer Jeff Nichols.
Nina has sung numerous twentieth- and twenty-first century works including the premieres of pieces by David Noon, Reiko Füting, Evan Antonellis, Oliver Markson, ASCAP-award winner Jeremy Samuel Faust, Sarah Curzi, Brian Erickson, Galen H. Brown, and Him Sophy, and was featured on the premiere Naxos recording of Salvatore Di Vittorio’s Ave Maria. Nina has appeared on radio with experimental artist Sabisha Freidberg and composer Greg Spears as part of a live ARTonAIR broadcast, and has done live performances on WQXR, WNBC, WHTZ.
Additionally, Nina has focused on both early music and standard concert repertoire, singing with the Vancouver Early Music Festival, Ridotto Arts Organization, and has sung as soloist with several New York area orchestras, most recently as the soprano soloist in the Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Chappaqua Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, Nina sings extensively as a chorister, and has sung with the Bard Festival Chorale, the St. Bartholomew’s Choir, the American Classical Orchestra Choir, the New York Oratorio Society, and sang as a founding member of Kent Tritle’s Venture(NY).
She is active in New York, having performed as soloist and chamber musician at the city’s major venues, including Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, Alice Tully Hall, B.B. King’s Blues Club, The Iridium, New York City’s Town Hall, Brooklyn’s Roulette, The Cutting Room, and SubCulture, as well as in numerous tristate area concert series, most often in collaboration with pianist Steve Beck. Nina also sings as member of Andrew McKenna Lee’s progressive, neo-psychedelic ensemble The Knells, whose recordings have been lauded by The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Daily Beast, The New Republic, The Washington Post, and many others. Visit theknells.com for more information about this exciting project.
Nina holds both a Bachelors and Masters of Music from the Manhattan School of Music, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the CUNY Graduate Center.