Selected as one of the "Cool 100" by Houston CityBook Magazine, alongside icons like Simone Biles and Megan Thee Stallion, composer Nicky Sohn is a versatile and sought-after voice in contemporary classical music. With a distinctive style characterized by jazz-inspired, rhythmically driven themes, her work has been praised internationally for being “undoubtedly the crowd pleaser of the evening” (YourObserver), “dynamic and full of vitality” (The Korea Defense Daily), showcasing “colorful orchestration” (NewsBrite), and evoking “elegant wonder” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung).

 

Sohn has received commissions and performances from major institutions, including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Minnesota Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Sarasota Orchestra, and National Orchestra of Korea. Her work has also been featured by the New York Choreographic Institute, Stuttgart Ballet, and Dogs of Desire reflecting her broad artistic range across orchestral, vocal, ballet, and socially driven music projects.

 

A passionate advocate for interdisciplinary collaboration, Sohn says, “I’m obsessed with the collaborative aspects of it—working with artists across disciplines. Hearing my work meld with someone else’s imagination is incredibly fulfilling.” A notable example is her violin concerto commissioned by Kinetic Ensemble in partnership with The Women’s Home in Houston, an organization supporting women overcoming addiction and homelessness. The project provided a platform for these women’s stories, reinforcing Sohn’s commitment to using music as a vehicle for advocacy and connection.

 

Recent highlights include premieres of A Tale of the Turtle and the Bunny by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Is This the Happiest Place on Earth? by Orchestra Lumos, and A Tale of the Bunny and the Tiger by Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. Looking ahead to the 2026-27 season, Sohn is collaborating with Amarillo Symphony Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Kinetic Ensemble, and piano soloist James Palmer.

 

Nicky Sohn was recently awarded the 2026 Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a prestigious honor awarded annually to only two young professional composers of extraordinary gifts. She has previously been a composition fellow at Tanglewood Music Center, DACAMERA Young Artist Program, MUSIQA Houston, the Hambidge Center, and the UCross Foundation. A recipient of the Druckman Prize, Sohn has also been commissioned by Robert Spano and the Aspen Music Festival. Her work spans collaborations with a diverse range of notable ensembles, including WindSync, the Isidore Quartet, Kinetic Ensemble, Stuttgart Ballet, Lucia Lin (Boston Symphony), the Carpe Diem String Quartet, the Bergamot String Quartet, the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, the Kodan Quintet, the Cavani String Quartet, and the Green Mountain Music Festival. She has composed for leading orchestras such as the Atlanta Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, and Annapolis Symphony, along with working on innovative projects that blend classical music with other art forms. From orchestral works to chamber pieces and ballet commissions, her music has been celebrated for its energy, richness, and versatility across multiple performance contexts.

 

Sohn holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and a Master of Music from The Juilliard School. Already a dedicated musician at a young age, Sohn graduated from high school at 14, completing both her Bachelor of Music and Diploma of Piano Performance from Mannes College of Music before continuing her studies at Juilliard and Rice University. Her mentors include Gabriela Lena Frank, Anthony Brandt, Anna Clyne, Chris Theofanidis, and Richard Danielpour.