The Simons Center is pleased to present pianist Liya Nigmati,
Mirrors of Sound: A Musical Odyssey
Solo recital performance at the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics
Wednesday February 12, 2025
5:00pm, Della Pietra Family Auditorium, room 103
Program
G. Mahler ‘Adagietto’ from Symphony No. 5 (arr. by O. Singer) (11 minutes)
J. S. Bach ‘Italian Concerto’ (13 minutes)
C. Debussy ‘Reflets dans l’eau’, ‘Hommage à Rameau’, ‘Mouvement in C’ from Images (Book 1) (15 minutes)
A. Piazzolla Milonga Del Angel (4 minutes) and Libertango (3 minutes)
W. A. Mozart – A. Volodos Turkish March (3 minutes)
Liya Nigmati is an internationally acclaimed concert pianist, vocal and instrumental coach, and dedicated music educator. A winner of multiple international piano competitions, she has graced stages worldwide, captivating audiences with her artistry and depth. Her tours have taken her to Italy, Japan, France, the USA, China, Austria, the Czech Republic, Canada, Hungary, and beyond, where her performances have garnered critical acclaim. The *Global Times* praised her for a “stunning performance,” while *The Boston Musical Intelligencer* hailed her ability to “shine through” with “gusto and passion, [making] the audience lean in to her spectacular innigness.”
Nigmati has performed in prestigious venues, including Palais de l’Europe (France), Vigadó Concert Hall (Hungary), Tsunamachi Mitsui Club (Japan), and Jordan Hall (USA), among others. She has collaborated with luminaries such as Kim Kashkashian (Grammy Award 2012), Jane Eaglen (Grammy Award 2002), Amanda Forsythe, Max Levinson, Michael Lewin (Grammy Award 2014), Nicholas Cords (Grammy Award 2017), and many others. Her involvement in the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra series with maestro Benjamin Zander’s “Interpretations of Music: Lessons for Life” further underscores her artistic range and impact.
Currently, Nigmati serves as a staff pianist at the New England Conservatory of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee, contributing to the opera, instrumental, and piano departments while maintaining an active concert schedule. As a director and performer, her international concert series “Faces of Love” (est. 2012) and special project “To Remember…” (2015) demonstrated her commitment to creating transformative artistic experiences, which set the tone for her current cross-genre programs.
In January 2025, Nigmati launched her latest concert series, “Liya’s Forte,” in Boston with the support of the American Cancer Society at their patient site “Hope Lodge”. “Liya’s Forte” brings world-class music and performers to hospital sites, providing an uplifting and transformative experience for cancer patients, their families, and medical staff. This initiative highlights Nigmati’s dedication to the healing power of music and her belief in its ability to inspire hope and resilience.
A passionate educator, Nigmati is a Steinway Teaching Educational Partner and piano instructor at the M. Steinert Piano Academy (MA), inspiring the next generation of musicians through her private studio and international engagements. Her teaching roles include serving as the faculty competition pianist for the Morning Music Bridge Festival (MA, 2022), as a judge for the M. Steinway and Sons Piano Competition (China, 2023) and her work with gifted youth of the Quizhen college at the Tsinghua University, leading piano classes and providing students with the special training leading them for the solo and chamber music performances within international events. Liya Nigmati has also worked as a music co-director, répétiteur, and coach with companies such as the China National Opera in Beijing, Boston Opera Collaborative in Boston, and BARN Opera in Vermont, as well as with independent troupes and emerging artists across the globe.
Through her performances, teaching, and projects like “Liya’s Forte,” Nigmati continues to work towards making an impact on the global music community, through the transformative power of the arts.
