Nicha Stapanukul has established a career as a multi-faceted musician having performed as soloist, collaborative pianist, and chamber musician across the world, and held teaching and administrative positions at renown institutions. In 2009, Nicha made her debut with the Kasetsart University Winds Orchestra performing Mendelssohn Piano Concerto in D minor No. 2 Op. 40. In 2011, Nicha made her solo debut at Princess Alexandra Hall in London, United Kingdom and in the same year performed as a soloist with the Bangkok Charity Orchestra in Bangkok, Thailand performing Beethoven Piano Concerto in C minor Op. 37, No. 3. Since the age of 11, she was a prizewinner of various competitions and prestigious awards in Thailand and abroad, including the VIII Bangkok Chopin Piano Competition, and the Conrad Young Musicians of Thailand Competition in 2010, receiving the Royal Trophy of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. In past seasons, she has performed multiple concerts for the community of Bloomington, collaborating with students and faculty members of Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She has also served as substitute pianist for the National Repertory Orchestra 2019 season, performing under the baton of Carl Topilow, Alex Amsel, Anu Tali, and Karina Callenakis. In 2013, she co-founded Duo ThaiTai, a piano duo ensemble, performing a variety of works from the classical repertoire. Nicha is a huge advocate for new music and the evolving modern times, having collaborated with several living composers in traditional and innovative settings. Nicha had the privilege of working with prominent artists of the world, including Anton Nel, Hung-Kuan Chen, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Robert Levin, Jeffrey Kahane, Ronan O’Hora, Julian Martin, Andre Laplante, and Hamish Milne. Festival appearances include the Aspen Music Festival and School, Sarasota Music Festival, Orford Arts Centre, Bowdoin International Music Festival and Montecito International Music Festival. In addition to attending festivals, she was also the Community Engagement Fellow for the National Repertory Orchestra 2019 Season. In the time she held this position, she curated and managed over 30 interactive outreach chamber music concerts for the community of Breckenridge in Colorado. Nicha served as the Co-Chair of the Indiana University School of Music Student Representative Committee and as the graduate student representative on the Indiana University School of Music Council for the 2019-2020 school year. She is currently the President of the MTNA Collegiate Chapter at Indiana University and holds active memberships in the Music Teachers National Association, Indiana Music Teachers Association, and College Music Society, presenting at several conferences every year. Nicha received a full-tuition scholarship to the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University at the age of 16, where she earned her Bachelor of Music under the tutelage of Yong Hi Moon. She went on to study at USC Thornton School of Music as a recipient of the Heartwell Endowed Keyboard Scholarship and followed her mentor, Norman Krieger, to Bloomington, Indiana. She holds a Master of Music degree from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where she is currently completing a Doctor of Music in Music Literature and Performance with minors in music education, arts administration, and collaborative piano. Nicha also has a strong passion for teaching. She has held positions as an Associate Instructor of the Secondary Piano Program at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Faculty and Executive Assistant for the IU Young Pianists Program, as well as the Online Teaching Artist for the Jacobs School of Music Distance Teaching and Learning Lab and the Tunaweza Kimuziki program, where she teaches students from Loma de Cabrera, Dominican Republic and Nakuru, Kenya. She has also been a guest lecturer at Indiana University classes, leading discussions on Robert Schumann and piano writing in the Romantic Era. View her student testimonials and explore more about her teaching here! When not performing, practicing, teaching, or working, Nicha loves creating fun educational games for her students, binge-watching shows on Netflix, eating all the sweets in the world, and reading outside when there is sunshine!