Teaching

Nina is a highly intelligent, musical and communicative artist who has invested in her teaching skills to ensure that she offers teaching of the highest possible standard. It is notable that she has secured Fellowship with the HEA and a Certificate in Performance Teaching at the Guildhall School so early in her career. I recommend Nina unreservedly.

Kate Paterson, Head of Vocal Studies, Royal Academy of Music

Nina is passionate about teaching and bringing music to diverse communities, and has developed a parallel career as a sought-after educator and workshop leader. In 2023 she was appointed Visiting Lecturer in Voice at London’s Middlesex University, where she teaches Western classical singing and directs MDX Singers, the university’s advanced chamber choir.

In 2019-2021, Nina was a faculty member at KM Music Conservatory (KMMC) in Chennai, India, where she was a lecturer in Western Classical Voice, Music History and Musicianship Skills. Her role encompassed individual and group voice lessons and studio classes, language and repertoire coaching, programming, developing a new sight singing curriculum, and leading summer courses. Nina also founded Vox Madras, a new vocal chamber ensemble, whom she conducted in several concerts in Chennai. During this time, she also gave online vocal workshops as a mentor for the SIFF Young Artiste programme.

Nina has since taught at institutions including the University of West London and North London Collegiate School. She has also been a mentor for the Target Oxbridge programme, supporting students of black African and Caribbean heritage through applying to Oxford and Cambridge.

Nina was awarded a distinction for her Postgraduate Certificate in Performance Teaching from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and was recently awarded her FHEA (Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy).

Nina also works privately as a voice teacher, and can be contacted here.

Nina led several sessions for the choir, each packed with helpful tips and explanations on posture and breathing and how to support a better sound. She gave various ways for us to engage with these principles, which was really useful. Thank you, Nina, for your clear and engaging teaching style.

Lon Gibbons, Chair, The Barnes Choir

Nina is also in demand as a community music leader and vocal coach for choirs. Alongside the tenor Sandeep Gurrapadi, she has led workshops for the Royal Opera House, Mumbai and for Bucknell University, Pennsylvania, where they will be returning in 2024-25 for a guest residency based around community music-making.

Nina loves working with choirs, and has worked as a vocal coach for groups including the Barnes Choir, Teddington Choral Society, the Crouch End Singers and A-Chord. She runs group sessions on vocal technique, group sectionals and individual lessons. She is a frequent co-facilitator for music and leadership workshops at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, with conductor Peter Hanke.

Since 2022 Nina has worked with residents of Jewish Care homes on choir projects, using the joy of singing to help alleviate the symptoms of dementia. In 2022-23 the ‘Joy of Jewish Singing’ project used Jewish music to help residents reconnect with their heritage, accessing musical memories through song and culminating in a public concert. Nina has since returned to lead residents in a Hanukkah and musical theatre project.

Nina’s love of community music began as a teenager, when she interned with ENO’S Baylis department on their community opera projects. She participated in outreach training with Streetwise Opera, Voicelab and with Suzi Zumpe at ENO, and after completing her BA, was a project assistant intern for Create (Arts) Limited, working on a range of cross-genre arts projects for vulnerable community groups. Nina then worked for three years for the Education Department at Cecil Sharp House on their education and outreach projects, before leaving to teach and perform full time.

Nina is currently a trustee for the charity Songbound, which runs choir projects with vulnerable communities in India.