Included among Gustavus’ impressive upcoming slate of musical performances, pianist Naomi Niskala is a name that should not go unnoticed. Raised by her Japanese/Finnish-American parents, Niskala grew up in Rochester, New York and would eventually move to Tokyo, Japan. She possesses degrees from the Yale School of Music, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and the New England Conservatory of Music. Niskala is currently a professor at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania where she teaches piano and music theory.
According to her website, Naomi Niskala has won top prizes in contests such as the Kingsville International Isabel Scionti Solo Piano Competition, and the International Stravinsky Awards. She also played as a soloist and chamber musician in Europe, the Middle East, Canada, Japan, Thailand, and Russia. Her performances were broadcast on BBC Radio and NPR’s Performance Today.
When she’s not being internationally recognized for her skill as a pianist, she is also known to be one of the premiere scholars of American composer Robert Helps, and has given lectures on his works at universities and halls in four different countries. Niskala’s work has not gone unnoticed, as Jack Sullivan of American Record Guide states, “Naomi Niskala is a bold, rigorous, poetic champion of this tough-minded but eclectic composer. (Robert) Helps’s legacy is in good hands.”
“You can’t perform without teaching, and you can’t teach without performing. I learn as much from my students as they hopefully learn from me.” — Naomi Niskala
While Dr. Niskala occasionally struggles to balance her two occupations, she feels that her teaching career ultimately benefits her performances more than takes away from them.
“I guess the tough thing is it takes away from time to practice,” Dr. Nikasa said. “Even if I have the hours left in the day, I need to be completely mentally clear and awake to have a successful practice session – and often after a day of teaching and answering e-mails and so on, I don’t have that much energy left… But I also feel strongly that you can’t perform without teaching, and you can’t teach without performing. I learn as much from my students as they hopefully learn from me, especially when teaching piano, as it’s one-on-one learning and you can really, really go into detail and dig deep.”
Her performance will consist of works by both Beethoven and Brahms. She will also be sharing her own insights about the connection between the two composers with the audience at the show, in addition to playing with Gustavus’s own Dr. Esther Wang.
“Gustavus never fails to bring quality music performers, Naomi Niskala is clearly no different. I’m excited,” Senior Music Major David Nelson said.
Make sure to go see internationally-acclaimed pianist Naomi Niskala at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 19 in Björling Recital Hall.