My career started in classical music, but over time, I became increasingly interested in everything happening around the performance itself: how creative organizations grow, how audiences discover them, how experiences are designed, and how talented artists can build sustainable careers.
Today, most of my professional life is focused on building Glass Artists, the live music company I founded in 2023. Alongside that, I continue to perform selectively, create content, and stay involved in projects across music, business, and the arts.
A violinist, entrepreneur, and founder of Glass Artists, based in Boston.
Hi, I’m Nikki:
A Shift
Somewhere along the way, I became more interested in building than performing
It was when COVID-19 hit that I realized I didn’t want to purse the traditional orchestra tour. I began seeing the arts from the other side: administration, programming, operations, and the work required to turn creative ideas into experiences that can happen, even during a global pandemic.
At the same time, I became increasingly interested in marketing, sales, customer experience, and entrepreneurship. I wanted to understand why some ideas grew while others didn’t, how people made purchasing decisions, and how strong creative work could also become a strong business with a healthy mission.
That curiosity eventually led me to pursue an MBA through the Global Leaders Institute, focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership in the arts.
The combination changed how I thought about my career. Music and business were no longer two separate paths. I found myself at a unique intersection of both.
My story
Before there was a company, an MBA, or any idea of building a career in business, there was a styrofoam violin.
I was drawn to music early, and what began as childhood curiosity eventually became the center of my life. I spent years studying violin seriously, performing, attending summer festivals, and ultimately pursuing violin performance at New England Conservatory in Boston.
Conservatory training taught me far more than how to play an instrument. It taught me discipline, attention to detail, how to perform under pressure, and what it takes to pursue something intensely and at a very high level.
But while I loved performing, I was beginning to realize that I was curious about much more than what happened onstage.
Then came Glass Artists.
Glass Artists
I was seeing the same problem from two sides.
Clients wanted exceptional live music, but finding, booking, and coordinating professional musicians could be surprisingly complicated. At the same time, I knew extraordinarily talented musicians who had spent years mastering their craft but lacked consistent access to well-paid professional opportunities outside traditional concert settings.
I knew there was a better way to connect the two.
What started with a handful of private performances has grown into a live music company serving weddings, corporate events, private celebrations, and other experiences throughout the Northeast.
Today, Glass Artists has booked 235+ events, worked with 70+ musicians, and performed across 8 states.
But I’m just getting started…
BGA (Before Glass artists)
I spent years working across music education, nonprofit administration, hospitality, and private teaching. Each role taught me something different about people: how to communicate quickly, earn trust, work within a team, sell an experience, and understand the systems that keep complicated organizations running.
25
STUDENTS EACH WEEK
Trala + Private Studio
Teaching students ages 5–85 taught me to read people quickly, adapt to radically different learning styles, and build trust one-on-one.
1,500+
STUDENTS SERVED
New England Conservatory
Working in Expanded Education taught me how a complex nonprofit operates behind the scenes across programming, operations, communications, faculty, students, and administration.
$556K+
FREE MUSIC EDUCATION
Through the Staff
Co-founding and growing a nonprofit taught me collaboration, leadership, and how much can happen when people rally around a shared mission.
Face-to-face
SALES TRAINING
Marriott Vacations Worldwide
Hospitality taught me structured sales, customer psychology, relationship-building, and how to create trust quickly in a high-touch environment.
By the time I started Glass Artists, I had unknowingly spent years learning the different pieces I would eventually need to build it.
I still play
Violin was my first career, and performing is still part of my life. These days, I’m more intentional about the projects I take on, choosing performances, collaborations, and tours that I find creatively interesting, fun, or genuinely meaningful.