Nathalie Joachim
Assistant Professor of Music
We caught up with Nathalie Joachim – Grammy-nominated flutist, composer, and vocalist, 2020 United States Artist Fellow, and co-founder of the critically-acclaimed duo Flutronix – and asked her which five concerts and recording releases she’s excited about this winter. (The following responses were provided in early January 2023).
1. Winter Jazzfest in NYC
Kicking off the New Year is NYC’s beloved Winter Jazzfest. The festival has a reputation for having its finger on the pulse, consistently curating lineups that represent the multiplicity of voices in jazz today. The annual festival of music, talks, and discovery began in 2005 as a one-day, single-location event but has since grown into the multi-day, multi-venue behemoth it is today. This year’s festival takes place from January 12 through 18 and features a fabulous lineup of artists in venues across Manhattan and Brooklyn with tens of thousands expected to attend. I’ll be performing at Nublu, a starry venue that I’m really looking forward to playing, as part of the all-day Manhattan Marathon on January 13.
Explore the lineup here.
2. Violinist Melissa White w/ The Philadelphia Orchestra
I’ll be seeing violinist Melissa White perform an excerpt from Florence Price’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin on January 16 as part of their Martin Luther King, Jr., Tribute Concert. MLK Day is a wonderful day for live music, and because I’m writing Melissa a concerto that will premiere with Chicago Sinfonietta in the 24/25 season, I’m also considering this my first bit of research for the piece. In addition to Price’s concerto and a work by my fellow composer Jessie Montgomery, there will also be fantastic singing from the talented students of Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts Chorus and Girard College High School Choir. It will be a joyous day of celebration and music.
Explore the program here.
3. Fred Hersch and Esperanza Spalding at NJPAC
It’s pretty great to have the chance to hear two legendary artists come together just down the road from us. I’m really looking forward to seeing Fred Hersch and Esperanza Spalding join forces to celebrate the release of their album Alive at the Village Vanguard (recorded live at that storied NYC institution) later this month, on January 29. They’ll play from the Great American Songbook, revel in music from Brazil, and present a few of Hersch’s own compositions.
Explore the event here.
4. Ensemble Terrain at The Rotunda in Philadelphia
Moving into February, I’m excited to catch two of my favorite vocalists, Theo Bleckmann and Jodie Landau, performing the work of one of my favorite composers, Jacob Cooper, alongside the composer himself. Their group, Ensemble Terrain, will be performing in a very cool Philadelphia venue that I’m looking forward to checking out for the first time. Check out Jacob’s album, out of which Ensemble Terrain was formed, here.
Explore the event here.
5. Lisel’s Patterns For Auto-tuned Voices and Delay
Last by absolutely not least is the artist Lisel’s upcoming album Patterns For Auto-tuned Voices and Delay. Lisel’s is one of my favorite voices out there right now, and judging by the preview she released, of her single One at a Time, I expect I’m really going to enjoy listening to the full album when it comes out on February 17.
Preview Lisel’s upcoming album here.
In Other News

Faculty Appointments: Anna Yu Wang, Arnie Tanimoto, Brennan Sweet, Yousun Chun & Julius Tolentino
Nov 3, 2023
The Department of Music at Princeton University is thrilled to welcome to the faculty five renowned music practitioners: music theorist and ethnographer Anna Yu Wang, viola da gamba and Baroque cello specialist Arnie Tanimoto, violinist Brennan Sweet, oboist Yousun Chung, and saxophonist Julius Tolentino.

Music Major Kasey Shao Named 2024 Gilmore Young Artist
Sep 18, 2023
The Department of Music congratulates Kasey Shao (Class of 2025), a Music Major who is pursuing Minors in Piano Performance and Engineering Biology, who was one of two students named 2024 Gilmore Young Artists. We caught up with Kasey this summer following the official announcement to discuss how she found out she’d been selected, what she has planned for her 2024 Gilmore recitals and piano commission, and what’s on the docket for her final two years at Princeton.

Get to Know the Music Mentoring Program
Sep 13, 2023
Learn about the Music Mentoring Program and join their welcome event on September 14 from 5:30PM-7:30PM in the Woolworth lobby