Nuiko Wadden ’02 Joins Oberlin Conservatory Faculty as Assistant Professor of Harp

Nuiko Wadden ’02 will join the Oberlin Conservatory faculty as an assistant professor of harp, beginning in the fall of 2026. 

Wadden is principal harpist of the Pittsburgh Opera and Ballet orchestras and the Des Moines Metro Opera. She is also a member of the International Contemporary Ensemble and the Pittsburgh-based Kassia Ensemble and serves as a substitute harpist for the Pittsburgh Symphony.

“It will be wonderful to have Nuiko join the faculty as our new professor of harp,” says Professor of Conducting Timothy Weiss. “She brings an exceptional combination of artistry, a broad range of professional experience across musical genres, and outstanding pedagogical and mentorship skills. I’m confident she will build a strong studio in which students feel fully supported and in excellent hands with a truly great teacher.”

The appointment is a return to Wadden’s Oberlin roots. She earned a degree in harp performance at the conservatory and has returned to campus to work with students, including the International Contemporary Ensemble in spring 2025. 

“As I get further in time away from my experience at Oberlin, I realize even more what a unique place it is,” Wadden says. “When I spent a week at Oberlin with the International Contemporary Ensemble, I was delighted and impressed by not only the preparation students had done, but also the energy and engagement they brought to the experience. That's exciting and invigorating, and I'm excited to be a part of it.” 

Walden made her concerto debut with the Minnesota Orchestra in 2010 and has appeared as a soloist with the Skokie Valley Symphony and Shepherd School Chamber Orchestra. She has been a prizewinner in numerous competitions, including the Minnesota Orchestra Competition, and has been recognized in the Ann Adams, ASTA, American Harp Society, and Houston Tuesday Music Club competitions.

In addition to her orchestral and opera work, Wadden is an avid proponent of contemporary music. Over the span of her career, she has performed world premieres of both solo and chamber works by Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Suzanne Farrin, Christopher Cerrone, Missy Mazzoli, Paul Lansky, Pierre Jalbert, Hilda Paredes, Karim Al-Zand, and John Luther Adams, as well as numerous orchestral works.  

Wadden is also half of the Pittsburgh ensemble TinyBeast, which is dedicated to performing new works for violin and harp, and spent 10 years as a member of the flute-viola-harp trio, janus. Additionally, she has recorded on the Naxos, MODE, Tzadik, Sono Luminus, and New World labels, and she appears on the inaugural opera recordings of Chris Cerrone’s In a Grove and Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up.

“I bring unique insights to my teaching gig at Oberlin,” Wadden says. “My career has not been singularly focused: I've played with orchestras, but also said yes to any chamber experiences that appeared. I look forward to preparing students to say yes with confidence to any opportunity that comes along.”

Learn about what it's like to study harp at the Oberlin Conservatory.