Nermis Mieses began playing oboe at the age of 12 in her native Puerto Rico, and her dedication to performance and teaching with the instrument has grown steadily ever since. Now, she becomes the newest member of the Woodwinds Area faculty in the Michigan State University College of Music this fall. 

“At Michigan State, I look forward to having the ability to reach many more students nationally and internationally and to steward more resources to strengthen their careers,” Mieses said. “But what I look forward to the most is connecting with each of my students and having powerful learning moments with them.”

As a student in Puerto Rico, Mieses attended Escuela Libre de Musica, a school specializing in music. It has, she said, “produced many of the great musicians of the Island in many music genres, including classical music where they hold positions at major orchestras and universities. I feel proud of sharing the same background as them.”

Her background also includes extensive experience as a recitalist, and she is featured frequently on university and conservatory stages around the United States as well as International Double Reed Society annual conferences. She holds doctorate and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan where she studied under Dr. Nancy Ambrose King and was conferred the 2020 Paul Boyland Award by the School of Music Theatre and Dance Alumni Society of Governors. 

Mieses performed for nine seasons as Principal Oboe of the Michigan Opera Theatre. Her performances with other orchestras include Ann Arbor, Sphinx, ProMusica Chamber, Rochester, Lexington, and the Michigan Philharmonic. She has performed internationally with Camerata Colonial in Dominican Republic, the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, the Thy Chamber Music Festival in Denmark, and the Chineke! Orchestra in Europe.

Mieses is Associate Professor of Oboe at MSU, and she will continue her research interests in the challenging repertoire of French oboe composer Gilles Silvestrini as well as music from underrepresented composers. Her first passion, however, is her oboe studio. 

“My teaching style is nurturing yet ambitious,” Mieses said. “I believe that each student brings something unique and valuable that must be cultivated and celebrated.”

She said she enjoys connecting with students at an important stage in their lives and careers, describing them as being in “a perfect sweet spot where they have abundant energy, excitement, hopes and dreams.” What they still need, however, is experience and wisdom, and empowering the journey of each student is her reward.

“My new students and future students at MSU should expect to become part of something larger than our immediate community at the College of Music,” Mieses said. “While obtaining a great education at MSU, we will also work on initiatives to serve communities around us and to contribute to our field.”
Her passion, performance, and professionalism have MSU Music faculty excited to begin working with her.

“Nermis is top notch performer who has already established herself on the concert stages. An experienced teacher and expressive performer, she will be a wonderful addition to the woodwind area as well as the College of Music as a whole,” said Associate Professor of Clarinet and Chair of the Woodwinds Area Mingzhe Wang. “We are all thrilled and very much looking forward to working, interacting, and collaborating with her starting this fall.”