Nicki Roman

Nicki Roman is the Assistant Professor of Saxophone at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts. As a multi-award winning saxophonist, 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 is the first saxophonist to be the recipient of the International Kate Neal Kinley Memorial Fellowship. Her research on the music of Bruno Mantovani has been presented at national and international conferences, including the most recent World Saxophone Congress in Zagreb, Croatia. She has been a featured concerto soloist with the Eastman Symphony Orchestra, Eastman Wind Ensemble, UW-Milwaukee Wind Ensemble, Illinois Wind Symphony, University of North Florida Orchestra, and the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra. She has presented recitals and masterclasses for students at the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, University of North Florida, University of South Florida, Nazareth College, Mansfield University, Univ. of Wisconsin Stevens-Point, SUNY Potsdam, Brevard Summer Music Festival, Great Plains Saxophone Workshop, Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Eastman Community Music School. 

Nicki is a member of the Fuego Quartet, who just released their debut album Migration under Parma Recordings. They have been successful in numerous competitions, including winning the 2017 Fischoff Gold Medal and prizes in the 2017 Plowman Chamber Music Competition and the MTNA National Chamber Music Competition. Their commission of ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award Winner Clay Mettens, entitled Ornithology S, received performances at both the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference, World Saxophone Congress, and has received support from New Music USA. She has also collaborated with the Møthertung Ensemble, [Switch~ Ensemble], Ossia New Music and the Illinois Modern Ensemble. 

A strong advocate for female musicians, she is a member of the Committee on the Status of Women in NASA. At UWM, Nicki teaches applied saxophone, coaches chamber music, is the director of the UWM Saxophone Ensemble, and recently designed a new course on careers in music. During her summers, she serves on faculty at the Great Plains Saxophone Workshop and Institute. She has also taught at the Eastman Summer Saxophone Institute (ESSI), the Illinois Summer Youth Music Camps (ISYM) and the Young Saxophonist’s Institute (YSI). She recently earned her Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at the Eastman School of Music where she was the first female Assistant Director of the Eastman Saxophone Project. Nicki is a Conn-Selmer and Vandoren Performing Artist.