Mitya Nilov

One of the most dynamic percussionists of his generation, Mitya Nilov is a winner of the 2018 Concert Artists Guild International Competition. The depth, sincerity, and sensitivity of his distinctive musical voice have empowered him to captivate his audiences worldwide. Nilov has appeared in top halls around the globe, including the Alte Oper Frankfurt, Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, Great Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonia, Mariinsky Theater Concert Hall, and the New World Center in Miami, Florida.

A passionate advocate for new music, Nilov has collaborated with leading contemporary composers including Hannah Lash, Lansing McLoskey, and Alejandro Viñao. Mostly recently, he appeared with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra performing Avner Dorman’s double percussion concerto Perfumes, Spices, Toxins! under the baton of Carolyn Kuan. Other recent engagements include a performance of Emmanuel Sejourne’s Concerto for Marimba for Strings with the Frost Symphony Orchestra and an appearance at the Arts Basel Festival as a featured Grand Art Tour Artist. He has been performing internationally as a part of the “Elemental Culture” percussion project since 2015.

Born in Minsk, Belarus, Nilov began learning music from an early age. At age seven, he was accepted to the Special Music School at the Saint-Petersburg State Conservatoire. He earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Miami’s Frost School of Music and his master’s degree from the Saint-Petersburg State Conservatoire. Most recently, Nilov completed his Artist Diploma at Yale University, where he was a member of the world-renowned Yale Percussion Group. His teachers include Robert Van Sice and Concert Artist Guild alumnus Svet Stoyanov.

Mitya is a proud Vic Firth Mallet Company Educational Artist.