Nikki Stoia will lead the Springfield Symphony Chorus in “Sing, Praise, Light II” on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 4:00 PM at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church. Tickets will be Cash Only at the door for $10 to benefit the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.
Nikki Stoia, a proud “Springfield kid” spent her formative years playing piano and singing in choral and instrumental ensembles, and participating in the pit or onstage in musicals. As a collaborative pianist, Nikki regularly appears in various performances and recitals at UMass Amherst, in Western MA, and beyond. Now in her eighteenth year as Director of the Springfield Symphony Chorus, she remembers taking in her first jaw-dropping education concert at Symphony Hall as an elementary school student. The experience began her affinity for the Symphony which would later become a second family to her.
Early Musical Talent
Nikki enjoys saying that she made her debut as a collaborative pianist with her fifth-grade chorus accompanying the song Buy a Tamale. She began learning piano at the age of 6 on an old player-piano that her father purchased for $35 and restored. Her father, who emigrated from Italy, loved music and often sat beside Nikki and learned to read music as she practiced piano. A fan of popular music who collected popular sheet music from the early decades of the 1900’s to share with her, when he heard Nikki practicing Mozart he would proclaim “And this is good music, too!”
Intersection of Academic and Musical Influences
Reflecting on her time at UMass Amherst as both a Music Department faculty member and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education for the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at UMass Amherst, Nikki draws parallels between the art of collaborative piano and academic advising. In both roles, she worked toward shared goals: in chamber music, the culmination was a performance, while in advising, it was guiding students through choosing a major, minor, or certificate program, selecting courses, and satisfying graduation requirements to earn a degree.
Nikki acknowledges that her intellectual curiosity deeply influences her work. Her continuing involvement in a robust academic community that addresses global issues of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, shapes her approach to music and musical leadership. She values this greatly in the culture of the SSO and SSC as we strive to create programming that will speak to and engage a growing audience of diverse cultural backgrounds.
Balancing Humor with Hard Work
Nikki joined the Springfield Symphony Chorus in 1987 as accompanist, a role she held for 19 years before becoming appointed as Director in 2006. As the longest-running female conductor of the SSC, she also currently pulls double duty as pianist for the ensemble and is known for the high energy level and humor she brings to the Chorus. Recently she arrived at rehearsal and was asked to open a gift that had been left for her. It was a t-shirt with the saying “I’ll wait until it’s quiet” above a cartoon sketch of a skeleton of a conductor standing next to a music stand and holding a baton. She displayed the shirt on a stand near her for a few rehearsals to point to when the chorus got a bit chatty. Nikki strives to include some humorous commentary in every rehearsal.
It’s important to Nikki that she motivates the choristers to do their best while also enjoying opportunities to form a connection with one another. The Chorus rehearses weekly on Tuesday evenings in addition to a fall and spring Saturday retreat during which they rehearse all day, taking a break to bond over a potluck lunch. She muses that “our choristers are equally good singers and cooks.”
Sing, Praise, Light II
The Chorus will perform their recital “Sing, Praise, Light II” on Saturday, May 11 at 4:00 PM at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Holyoke, MA. Nikki explains that the pieces for this concert will be an eclectic mix of music that has text related to singing, praising, and light. A continuation of last year’s “Sing, Praise, Light” with all new pieces, the theme is a spin on “Eat, Pray, Love.”
Tickets for this concert will be cash only at the door for $10. Proceeds from this year’s concert will once again benefit The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Nikki hopes to top the $1200 that was raised last year, generating enough funds to provide 3600 meals.
The Future of the SSC
It’s exciting to Nikki to be steadily increasing the enrollment of the ensemble after having had the necessary hiatus due to the pandemic. It’s not something that happens overnight but it’s been encouraging to have experienced singers of all ages coming in to audition for the Chorus.
The Chorus has shown steady growth under Nikki’s leadership and this year has enjoyed special collaborations with local choruses such as The Avery Sharpe Extended Family Choir, the UMass Amherst Chorale, and was joined by students from The Springfield Conservatory of the Arts for the SSO’s December holiday concert. To sum up her experience, Nikki says “I’ve been a part of the Springfield Symphony organization for a long time, but it doesn’t feel like a long time because my work here continues to grow and evolve. That type of engagement is important, I believe, not only to me but to all of us who have made music (or any of the arts) a significant part of their lives.”