2026 Adjudicators

A passionate, wholehearted performer known for her "vibrant cello playing" (The Whole Note), cellist Erika Nielsen has a multi-faceted career as a chamber musician, collaborative artist, orchestral player, and educator. Erika brings focused, heartfelt playing to every performance, with a musicianship that spans from Baroque and Classical traditions to contemporary and popular genres. She is also the author of the multiple-award-winning and #1 bestselling memoir and wellness guide, Sound Mind.

A passionate educator with a love for teaching cellists of all ages, levels, and abilities, Erika has been on faculty at National Music Camp of Canada since 2018 and the Miles Nadal JCC Suzuki Program in downtown Toronto since 2016. She maintains a busy private studio, coaches chamber music and group classes, and is an itinerant cello teacher for Branksome Hall and Havergal College.