Nermis Mieses

ABOUT

Nermis Mieses is Associate Professor of Oboe at Michigan State University and on the faculty of the Sewanee Summer Music Festival. A Loree Artist, she maintains an active international career as a soloist, recitalist, and masterclass presenter. Her artistic work reflects a commitment to expressive depth, tonal refinement, and historically informed approaches to repertoire spanning the Baroque to the 21st century.

Equally devoted to orchestral and chamber performance, she served as Principal Oboe of the Detroit Opera and the Michigan Philharmonic Orchestra. Her orchestral collaborations include appearances with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, National Repertory Orchestra, Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, Sphinx Organization orchestras, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Lexington Philharmonic.

Internationally, her performances include collaborations with Camerata Colonial in the Dominican Republic, the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, the Thy Chamber Music Festival in Denmark, and the Chineke! Orchestra in Europe. As a concerto soloist, she has appeared with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, Bach Chorale of Grand Rapids and Chamber Orchestra, and the Orquesta del Valle de Sula in Honduras.

Her debut recording, Oboe in Hues, features solo oboe works by the French oboist-composer Gilles Silvestrini and highlights the instrument’s expressive range through a collection of evocative character pieces.

Her artistry has been recognized through honors including the University of Michigan Paul Boylan Alumni Award, the Barbirolli International Oboe Competition in England, and the First International Oboe Competition of FEMUSC in Brazil. She previously served as Chair of the IDRS Gillet-Fox International Competition for Oboe and serves regularly as a juror for competitions including the Norma Hooks Young Artist Competition, the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, MTNA competitions, and double reed competitions throughout the United States and Latin America.

Deeply committed to the artistic formation of the next generation of oboists, Dr. Mieses cultivates a studio culture defined by high artistic and professional standards and a strong sense of belonging. Her mentorship calls students to excellence while cultivating independence, intellectual insight, and a distinct artistic voice. Graduates of her studio are active as performers, educators, arts administrators, and instrument specialists throughout the United States and internationally. Prior to joining Michigan State University, she held teaching positions at Bowling Green State University, the University of Kentucky, Ohio Northern University, and Hillsdale College.

A native of Puerto Rico, she earned her BM from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico and her MM and DMA from the University of Michigan, where she studied with Nancy Ambrose King. She frequently collaborates with her husband, pianist Xavier Suarez, and is the proud mother of two children.