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. Critics have described her writing as “cheerful, agile and interesting” (Times Union) and praised its “sonic hybridization that enthralls and challenges the listener in equal measure” (ArtsATL), while recognizing Sohn’s “ear for color and propulsion” (EarRelevant).

 

In the current 2026–27 season, Sohn’s music continues to build a life beyond its premieres. Is This the Happiest Place on Earth? will return for nine performances, while Guitar Concerto No. 1 continues with the Michigan Philharmonic and Chamber Orchestra of the Springs. A Tale of the Bunny and the Tiger received its European premiere from the Vaasa City Orchestra only weeks after its world premiere. Sohn served as Composer-in-Residence at Finland’s esteemed Korsholm Music Festival, where eight of her works received nine performances in one week.

 

Current projects include a violin concerto for West Virginia Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Mary Grace Johnson; a viola concerto commissioned by Kinetic Ensemble for violist Tonya Burton, with a recording planned; and a new orchestral opener commissioned by the Amarillo Symphony. These projects build on three spring 2026 premieres with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra Lumos. Earlier highlights include the sold-out 2024 Albany Symphony premiere of Guitar Concerto No. 1 with guitarist Bokyung Byun, followed by the presentation of its sinfonietta version at Tanglewood in 2025.

 

Sohn’s music has also been commissioned or performed by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Sarasota Orchestra, Annapolis Symphony, and National Orchestra of Korea. Across orchestral works, concertos, and ballet, she transforms Korean folktales, immigrant experiences, and stories drawn from everyday life into vivid musical narratives marked by theatrical pacing, memorable characters, and emotional immediacy.

 

Sohn believes deeply in writing music to be heard. She seeks to challenge the perception that contemporary classical music is inaccessible or disconnected from its audiences, creating work that is unmistakably new yet rooted in familiar emotions, stories, and musical gestures. Her goal is to bring people back to the concert hall genuinely excited to hear something that has never been heard before.

 

That belief also shapes Sohn’s interdisciplinary and community-engaged work. Her large-scale ballet The Magnitude of Verticality, commissioned by BalletCollective and created with choreographer Alysa Pires and visual artist Linn Meyers, premiered at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. She has also composed for Stuttgart Ballet and partnered with Kinetic Ensemble and The Women’s Home in Houston on a violin concerto that centered the stories of women overcoming addiction and homelessness.

 

In 2026, Sohn received the Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, awarded annually to only two young professional composers of extraordinary gifts. Her previous fellowships and residencies include Tanglewood Music Center, DACAMERA, MUSIQA Houston, the Hambidge Center, and the UCross Foundation. A recipient of the Jacob Druckman Prize, she has also been commissioned by Robert Spano and the Aspen Music Festival. Her chamber music has been commissioned by DACAMERA, WindSync, and the Avery Fisher Career Grant-winning Balourdet Quartet, which recorded Galaxy Back to You for its debut album.

 

Sohn joined the faculty of California State University, Long Beach as an Adjunct Lecturer in fall 2026. She is a Faculty Artist with Soundbox Ventures, where she taught and mentored young musicians in Sarasota and Shanghai. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from Rice University and a Master of Music from The Juilliard School. After graduating from high school at fourteen, Sohn completed her Bachelor of Music and Diploma of Piano Performance at Mannes College of Music.