MIGDAL

About

Niki Harlafti is a Greek, Chicago-based composer and educator. Her compositional work pivots between sensitivity and violence, comedy and drama, musical and theatrical narrativity; it exists in the reflective space between the familiar and the unfamiliar, investing in the disruption and reinvention of recognizable patterns. Lastly, she is passionate about social justice and strives to make art in ways that reflect her values.

She has collaborated with Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, loadbang, ~Nois, The Megalopolis Saxophone Orchestra, conductor Donald Nally, bassoonist Ben Roidl-Ward, guitarist Ruben Mattia Santorsa, saxophonist Thomas Giles, and others.

Her music has been performed at LSO St.Luke’s (London), Roulette (NYC), the Onassis Stegi (Athens, GR), Rambert Dance (London), the DiMenna Center (NYC), Constellation (Chicago), Jordan Hall (Boston), Musikinstitut Darmstadt (DE), IYCA Ticino (CH), June in Buffalo Festival (NY), Ear Taxi (Chicago), ECCE Music Festival (FR), soon at impuls Academy (AT) and at numerous international dance film festivals.

Her recent projects include doRon eauTomb, a commission for violin and cello by the Onassis Foundation (Onassis Stegi, GR | 2024), Tee Khe Theemen? for five voices, premiered by Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart (CH | 2023), The Blood of Others for bassoon and electronics, premiered by Ben Roidl-Ward (Chicago | 2024), and the original soundtrack for the awarded dance film Migdal by Anima Libera Dance Company (GR | 2022).

In search of expressive means that transcend absolute music, she has collaborated with several poets, including Laura Mullen and Sun Yung Shin (U.S.), choreographers Mikaela Kanzafiri (GR) and Nancy Nerantzi (U.K./GR), film maker Christos Kapatos (GR), dramaturg/librettist Antigoni Gaitana (NYC/GR), painter Francisco Ledesma (MX) and other visual artists.

Niki holds a PhD in Music Composition from Bienen School of Music (Northwestern University), and a M.M. in Composition and Theory from New England Conservatory of Music (Boston). Her composition mentors include Hans Thomalla, Efstratios Minakakis, Jay Alan Yim, and Anthony Coleman.