On WGUC, we often highlight “new” composers, especially during our New At Noon segment. I’d like to use this blog introduce you to an up-and-coming composer who you DEFINITELY need to check out: Nia Franklin.
Yes- the Nia Franklin who in June 2018 was crowned Miss New York 2018 AND the Nia Franklin who on September 9, 2018 was crowned Miss America 2019! Did you know she attended East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, and graduated with a degree in music composition then earned her Master of Music from University of North Carolina School of the Arts in 2017?
Just this year, she had one of her large-scale pieces, “Chrysalis Extended” performed by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra!
More than a beauty Queen, Nia is firmly at the front of the line when it comes to up-and-coming composers. In her own words:
“Even though I am a black miss America, I’m also the Miss America who composes. I’m the miss America who sings opera. I’m the miss America who cares about her community and the arts. It’s important to celebrate that that’s who I am, my heritage, the culture I come from. Our differences make us special and we should celebrate them.”
Keep an eye (and both ears) out for this composer... if anyone is set for a meteoric rise in the world of classical music, its her.
