Group Bio

Shizuka Duo is comprised of violists Samuel Kelder (BMOP, Sound Icon, Callithumpian
Consort, Sound Energy) and Hannah Rose Nicholas (Pennsylvania Ballet, University

of Pennsylvania, New World Symphony). Sam and Hannah founded Shizuka during
the debut of the Barnes Ensemble in Philadelphia (2017), a contemporary music
residency led by the JACK Quartet.

As sought after soloists and performers of new works at venues such as Lucerne
Festival Academy, National Sawdust, and Lincoln Center, the members of Shizuka
Duo seek to advance the visibility of emerging compositional voices of the 21st
century and broaden the cannon of viola duo repertoire. Shizuka gave their debut
performance at MISE-EN_PLACE Bushwick, premiering works that incorporated
improvisation, singing, and fiddle-style playing. Spring 2019 marks a joint
commissioning project between faculty composers from Berklee College of Music,
Boston Conservatory, and Tufts University.

Sam and Hannah play on instruments made by Hiroshi lizuka. Their upcoming projects
include working with composer George Benjamin on his duo “Viola Viola,” and the
commissioning of folk-inspired contemporary works by composers from Boston and
Philadelphia.

Hannah

Violist Hannah Rose Nicholas has been a soloist at the Lucerne Festival Academy,
Kennedy Center, and the New World Symphony, where she was praised for her “rich
tonal sonority” (South Florida Classical Review). She has performed her own songs
and compositions alongside jazz and world musicians from Philadelphia, New York,
Miami, Montreal, and Lebanon. Her vocals and viola can be heard on her debut
original, "Wanderers” (2018).

Hannah has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony,
New World Symphony (Co-Principal), Colorado Symphony, and Central City Opera
Orchestra (Principal). She was recently appointed Principal Viola of the Pennsylvania
Ballet. Her upcoming performances include a tour with the East Coast Chamber
Orchestra, duo concerts with violinist-composer Layale Chaker, and solo recitals with
pianist Ben Laude.

For three seasons, Hannah was a featured artist with the O, Miami Poetry Festival,
working with composers, artists, and poets including Sahba Aminikia, Abby Swidler,
Layale Chaker, Ljova, Kevork Mourad, and Mario Ariza. She has been narrator, singer,
and violist for the festival.

Hannah studied viola with Kim Kashkashian, Paul Hersh, Jonathan Vinocour, and
members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. She earned a Masters in Music from New
England Conservatory and a Bachelors of Arts in Modern Middle Eastern Studies from
the University of Pennsylvania.