Nina Knight, DMA

viola and violin

Dr. Nina Knight enjoys a versatile career as a performer, lecturer, non-profit leader, and educator. Performance, teaching, and speaking opportunities have taken her to concert halls, conferences, and universities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Over the past five years Nina has been working with organizations centered around music advocacy in the non-profit sector.

Nina served as the Executive Director of the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival (AICMF) from 2023-2024. During her time at AICMF she was the founder and musical director of a learning orchestra for participants ages 11-100. Prior to moving to Florida, she was the Director of Operations of Brazos Music, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing high quality inclusive music education and facilitating access to musical opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. Her creative initiatives for community engagement and her love for the next generation of music patrons led her to create a learning orchestra and a fiddle camp in Houston, Texas in 2022. She is the co-founder of Houston Orchestra for All, an intergenerational performance ensemble and educational program in Houston, TX dedicated to inclusivity and equitable music education. Her commitment to providing high quality accessible music education and facilitating musical opportunities for all is what inspires her advocacy and motivates her on a daily basis.

In addition to music education advocacy, Nina also maintains an active performance and teaching career. In recent years she has performed as a substitute section violist in the Jacksonville Symphony and Savannah Philharmonic. She has also performed with the Knight-Blahulyak Duo, the Kolonneh String Quartet, the Axiom Quartet (2015-2018), Aperio-Music of the Americas, and the Texas New Music Ensemble. As a collaborative artist she has premiered works for string quartet, viola and piano, viola and cello, and viola and dance.

With over half a decade of experience teaching in higher education, Nina seeks to prepare students for more than their musical goals. Working with university students inspired her to reach out beyond the college classroom and work with musicians from a variety of backgrounds and abilities. By combining compassion, kindness, clear direction, and high-quality instruction Nina provides a safe and nurturing environment in her teaching spaces.