Nina Assimakopoulos

About Nina

Internationally acclaimed flutist Nina Assimakopoulos (Professor of Flute, West Virginia University) has been inspiring the next generation of flutists, music educators, and arts entrepreneurs for over 25 years as a professor, professional career coach, and masterclass presenter. Her teaching philosophy blends a supportive, joyous spirit with insights from her career as an interdisciplinary artist, using musical storytelling to connect people, place, and culture.

A leading voice in contemporary flute performance, Assimakopoulos has commissioned and premiered over 100 works and released nine solo albums. Her recordings have received critical acclaim, including the 2023 Global Music® Silver Medal for Outstanding Achievement and the Music and Stars Awards® Silver Award for Best Instrumentalist for Bending Light: Sonic Prisms for Solo Flute (AMP Recordings). Her album Vāyu: Multi-cultural Flute Solos from the Twenty-First Century (AMP Recordings, 2015) was also selected in the first round of Grammy nominations for Best Classical Instrumental Solo.

Professor Assimakopoulos has toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America as a performing artist and masterclass/workshop presenter, giving over 700 performances and masterclasses. She has appeared in solo recitals at international music festivals and prestigious concert venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, the Alden Theater Rising Stars Concert Series, the Dame Myra Hess Radio Broadcast Concert Series, and the Live from Hochstein radio broadcast series. She has been recognized with international grants and awards from organizations such as the Aaron Copland Fund, the Fulbright Commission, and the National Society of Arts and Letters. Most recently, she was honored with the 2024 West Virginia University Benedum Distinguished Scholars Award for lifetime research achievement.

With over 25 years of experience guiding the next generation of flutists, music educators, and arts entrepreneurs as a professor, career coach, and masterclass presenter, I emphasize a supportive and joyous teaching approach, drawing from my work as an interdisciplinary artist whose performances connect people, places, and cultures through musical storytelling.