Rebanks Fellow: Nikki Joshi
Nikki Joshi: Percussion
Percussionist Nikki Joshi came to The Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Residency Program with a very strong artistic point of view. She is dedicated to performing contemporary music, and confesses her taste tends toward the avant-garde.
When I was in fifth grade, my dad bought me a drum set and decided I was too shy – he said, "I'm going to make you a drummer, and you're going to come out of your shell" – and I basically started percussion that way.
Nikki Joshi, 2019 Rebanks Family Fellow
Joshi’s goal as a performer is to contribute to the acceptance of contemporary music and to introduce it to a wider, more inclusive audience. She was gratified to find that her vision for her career found a perfect home in The Rebanks Family Fellowship Program.
“It is open and supportive of a wide variety of musical styles and projects,” she says of the program. “The fellowship has afforded me an extraordinary amount of freedom to explore my artistic interests.”
Among her many interests are the works of composer Matt Curlee. She commissioned him to write a piece for her, based on Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s 1892 short story The Yellow Wallpaper. Because of program funding, Joshi is currently touring the work at venues across North America.
“This tour has been a huge step in my career," Joshi says. "I would not have been able to accomplish it without the help of The Rebanks Family Fellowship Program.”
Photography: Bo Huang
Video: Riddle Films
Watch Nikki Joshi's Performance
"The Yellow Wallpaper"
The Glenn Gould School is The Royal Conservatory of Music’s internationally recognized centre for professional training in music performance at the post-secondary and post-graduate levels.
Learn More About The Glenn Gould School
Unique in Canada, The Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Performance Residency Program is the one-year postgraduate program of The Royal Conservatory's Glenn Gould School. Created for artists on the cusp of a professional career, it offers a rich curriculum for career development including: private study with exceptional faculty and guest artists; concert presentations and career coaching; and marketing training and support. Each Rebanks Fellow also participates in a funded international residency.
Learn More About The Rebanks Family Fellowship