Nina Iorik is a dynamic 16-year-old musical polymath based in Seattle, Washington. As an award-winning pianist, harpsichordist, and composer, she is already making a profound mark on the classical music scene. Striking a rare balance between creation and performance, Nina is just as compelling a composer as she is a virtuoso on the keyboard, showcasing an artistic maturity well beyond her years.

A Dual Voice: Composer, Producer, and Performer

Nina’s compositional voice has garnered significant attention from top-tier professionals. As a member of the Seattle Composers Alliance, Nina has taken part in many prestigious programs for young composers. Recognized as one of the Washington State winners of the Washington State Music Teachers Association Young Composers Project Composition Competition, she was honored with a scholarship to study in the inaugural Young Composers Workshop at the University of Washington (UW) School of Music. Her works have earned widespread acclaim, winning first and second places at the Seattle Music Teachers Association Composition Competition, alongside multiple other composition awards. A two-time participant in the Seattle Symphony Merriman-Ross Young Composers Workshop (2025, 2026), she has had multiple original works premiered at Benaroya Hall by musicians of the Seattle Symphony, including her pierrot ensemble piece, "The Miracle," and her summer 2026 premiere of the piano trio"Blue Velvet Cake." Beyond the concert hall, her music is brought to life through active partnerships with ensembles like the Seattle-based Clara Trio, and she takes a hands-on role as a producer, coordinating an international team of musicians collaborating across borders to record and release her original compositions. In addition to her chamber works—frequently utilized by local educators for intermediate students—she was a commissioned composer for the 2026 Sempre Musick Festival, where her orchestral work "Sketches of the North" was slated for performance in Boston. To further hone this rare dual craft, Nina currently studies composition and piano under the mentorship of acclaimed pianist and composer Michael Stephen Brown.

Solo Debuts and Orchestral Engagements

As a performer, Nina began her musical journey at the age of nine and currently studies piano with prominent pedagogue Prof. Nino Merabishvili. She made her orchestral debut at just 13 years old, performing Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Sempre Musick Orchestra in Boston under the baton of Mark Latham. Her international orchestral appearances also include performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 with the Europa Musica Orchestra in Perugia, Italy (cond. Marius Stravinsky) and the Sammamish Symphony Orchestra (cond. Adam Stern). In 2026, she added another major European milestone to her career by performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 15 with the Savaria Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Christian Envy in the historic Ehrbar Saal in Vienna. Earlier, in 2025, she made a standout debut at the Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU, performing a world-premiere cadenza written by CIM Professor Gerardo Teissonniere.

Historical Performance and Chamber Collaborations

Beyond the modern piano, Nina is deeply immersed in historical keyboards, studying harpsichord with Jillon Stoppels-Dupree and earlier with Dr. Wyatt Smith. In 2026, her dedication to early music earned her a Gold Medal in harpsichord performance at the International Moscow Music Competition. She is a continuo player at the Early Music Youth Academy (Seattle Historical Arts for Kids) and has taken historical performance lessons with David Breitman and Mark Edwards (Oberlin Conservatory). As an avid chamber musician, she performs frequently with the Seattle Chamber Music Academy (SCMA) at Benaroya Hall, where she has been guided by luminaries such as Noah Geller, Prof. Craig Sheppard, Sasha Starcevich, James Ehnes, Rachel Lee Priday, Efe Baltacigil, and Susan Gulkis-Assadi.

She has further refined her artistry through masterclasses with legendary pianists including Maria João Pires, Ilana Vered, Jerome Lowenthal, Tamas Ungar, Jan Jiracek von Arnim, Piers Lane, Robert Shannon, Orion Weiss, Stanislav Ioudenitch, Nicolas Namoradze, Alvin Chow, Steven Spooner, Enrico Elisi, Rebecca Penneys, Natalia Trull, Anne-Marie McDermott, Gerardo Teissonniere, Joseph Rackers, Marina Lomazov, Jean-David Coen, Alexandre Moutouzhkine, Andrew Armstrong, and others.

Stages and Venues

Nina’s musical path has taken her to a remarkable array of prestigious stages across the United States, Europe, and beyond. As a soloist and chamber musician, she has performed in renowned American halls such as Benaroya Hall in Seattle, the Van Clilburn Concert Hall at TCU, Thalian Hall in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Methuen Memorial Music Hall in Massachusetts, as well as on the campuses of top music institutions including Oberlin Conservatory and the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM). Internationally, her performances have graced historic European venues, including the Ehrbar Saal in Vienna, Sala Dei Notari in Perugia, Italy, and the historic Château Gütsch in Switzerland. Beyond major concert stages, Nina maintains a deeply committed community presence, bringing live classical music to dozens of local senior homes and mental care facilities in the Seattle area, embodying a true artist's dedication to connecting with every audience.

Leadership, Mentorship, and Community Impact

Despite her intensive artistic schedule, Nina is a devoted community leader and educator with a passion for expanding the reach of classical music. Demonstrating exceptional leadership and civic engagement, Nina was selected for the prestigious Washington Youth Arts Leadership (WAYAL) cohort sponsored by ArtsWA (2026–2027). Through this competitive statewide fellowship, she collaborates with a team of young professional arts leaders to champion arts advocacy, cultural policy, and creative community initiatives across Washington State.

Nina also served as the Director of Global Operations for the Back to Bach International Music Society, and she currently drives a community of musicians as co-president of ConChord Music and Managing Director of Project CliKK. Through Project CliKK, she launched the "Composer of the Month" YouTube interview series to explore the lives of living classical creators.

Perhaps most notably, Nina founded "Hearts in Harmony" in 2024—an accessible concert series designed specifically for autistic children. Her visionary initiative earned national recognition, backed by a NASSP grant and media sponsorship from Classical KING FM. As a mentor, Nina is a verified music tutor with AWSOM and the DoReMi Project, teaching piano, music theory, and history. Whether she is giving free recitals at senior homes or lecturing at local schools, Nina Iorik represents the future of classical music—an artist not only dedicated to mastering her craft but also to generously sharing it with the world. As a laureate and winner of over 50 prestigious competitions worldwide, Nina’s artistic excellence has been recognized globally with numerous top honors.

See her awards below.

See awards