We recently connected with Hannah Nacheman and have shared our conversation below.

Hannah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Last Spring, I was asked to be an Associate Conductor for an exciting project with Lincoln Center Presents– it was the third in an ongoing series of meaningful choral commissions which join together hundreds of community voices. I have been privileged to be involved with all three world premieres taking place at Lincoln Center to date, and hope to be for many more to come! These fabulous projects take on important social action subjects, such as climate change or tolerance, and join together absolutely anyone who would like to take part in the five boroughs of New York. It is absolutely thrilling to bring the community together on these important matters through music, and gives me a chance to do what I absolutely love in the process– enabling people who don’t normally have the opportunity to make music in a group setting to do so! After weeks of rehearsing by borough, close to 1,000 singers join together out on Lincoln Center’s Josie Robertson Plaza to put together singing, movement, and the whole tapestry of musical storytelling under the unifying leadership of Maestro Simon Halsey and the incomparable production team. Perhaps the most rewarding part of this experience is seeing how enthusiastic and moved both our participants and the audience get! And hopefully, our message is truly heard as well. As one of my favorite quotes by Brecht goes, “Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it”.

Hannah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a conductor, vocalist, and educator based in New York City. I got into this industry because the music classroom was always my safe space growing up, where I could be myself and express in the most authentic way, not to mention learning countless skills about cooperation, discipline, and common goals. It’s my professional priority to continue creating those types of spaces and environments where everyone can feel free to put their whole self in, and also take out whatever they can and spread it to their own communities at large. Communal art making is something I firmly believe everyone should take part in, enabling them to improve not only in said art form, but in all aspects of their lives.

Alternatively, here is my official bio:

HANNAH NACHEMAN is a conductor, vocalist, and educator based in New York City. A lifelong musician and arts advocate, Hannah has performed on many prestigious stages including Alice Tully Hall, David Geffen Hall, the David H. Koch Theater of Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall.

Hannah currently serves as Director of Mixed Chorus and Adjunct Professor at St. John’s University , Assistant Conductor to The Choral Society at Grace Church in NY, and Teaching Artist for the VOCES8 Foundation. She is one of the co-creators of Girls Who Conduct, a mentorship program for women and non-binary musicians, whose mission is to foster diversity and inclusion in classical music. Furthermore, she serves as Guest Faculty for the Juilliard School Preparatory Division, Resident Assistant Conductor for City Lyric Opera, and this season serves as Guest Conductor with the New Conductors Orchestra. She has previously served as Director of the Primo Coro ensemble of the New Jersey Youth Chorus and Assistant Conductor to the National Children’s Chorus.

In addition to vocal performance, her musical training includes harp, piano, and violin, which she teaches in her private music studio in NYC, along with conducting and musicianship. Hannah holds music degrees from Bryn Mawr College and The Manhattan School of Music, with continued studies at The Juilliard School.

Hannah’s specialized pedagogical work focuses on music and the brain– her research, studying the positive effects of music on human behavior, enables her to provide musicians with an artistic toolkit with which to better approach all aspects of their lives.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

As mentioned previously, I got into this industry because the music classroom was always my safe space growing up, where I could be myself and express in the most authentic way, not to mention learning countless skills about cooperation, discipline, and common goals. It’s my professional priority to continue creating those types of spaces and environments where everyone can feel free to put their whole self in, and also take out whatever they can and spread it to their own communities at large. Communal art making is something I firmly believe everyone should take part in, enabling them to improve not only in said art form, but in all aspects of their lives.

I also believe that anyone can and should create art, be it professional or amateur, to feed their soul and the community around them. Art, in all forms, teaches us countless lessons and gives us innumerable opportunities for growth as human beings. It is is critical to have moments in life for play and experimentation, and music and art allow us just that. In particular, group music making teaches us skills such as cooperation, communication, flexibility, listening, and so much more that come into play when we share a common goal. I feel a particular sense of reward when I see members of my ensembles applying these concepts not just in rehearsal or concert, but throughout their lives.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Art is not a luxury– it is a necessity! Nor is art perfect, it can be experimental, messy, and raw. Go to your local shows (including things that have descriptions that make positively no sense!), have your children take music lessons, donate to that small independent opera company or non-profit choir. We need to get anyone and everyone into the concert hall, young or old, rich or poor! Art is for all, and the only way it can survive and thrive is if the community continues to show up for it!

Contact Info:

• Website: maestrahannah.com
• Instagram: Maestra_hannah

Image Credits
Lauren Maxwell, Mark Goldenstein, Peter Adamik, Chris Phare,