It’s Lovely to Meet You

Hi! My name is Nicki Sekhar (they/them). I’m a South and Central Asian composer, arranger, vocalist, and make-up artist. I grew up in Chicago but currently live in Brooklyn with a menagerie of plants that I’m very bad at taking care of. My favorite color is lavender and my favorite food is ice cream. When I’m not writing or thinking about music, I’m binge watching AbFab, eating lots of pasta, and making jam.

Formal Bio (~200 words)

Nicki Sekhar is a Brooklyn-based composer, arranger, and vocalist, who has worked with ensembles such as Hypercube, The Rhythm Method, Dither, and Uniting Voices Chicago. Growing up, Nicki sang in Uniting Voices Chicago for nine years, with artists such as Ted Hearne, Bobby McFerrin, The Who, YoYo Ma, and Chance the Rapper. Nicki currently sits on UVC’s Alumni Task Force. In 2020, with UVC’s nomination, they were named to the Rising Star Honor Roll for Music by the City of Chicago. In 2021, Nicki worked with UVC and Kalapriya Center for the Indian Performing Arts to create Good Trouble, a program honoring the lives of the activists who changed the United States forever. The program marked their debut as a director, costume designer, and conductor.

In 2020, they wrote, recorded, and produced their first solo album, Cerebrum, which combined electronic and pop styles of music with contemporary classical techniques. Cerebrum was released in August 2020. Nicki’s sophomore album, The Juniper Suite was recorded in January 2024, and premiered live at The Garage in Brooklyn in April 2024, which was made possible by an award from The Presser Foundation.

Nicki currently works with Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Luna Composition Lab, and New Amsterdam Records. They hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from New York University.

Please feel free to edit this bio as needed for program space :)