Nikk Pilato is currently on the faculty of the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia, where he serves as Assistant Director of Bands and Associate Director of the 420-member Redcoat Marching Band. In this capacity, he assists with all aspects of the band program, including directing the UGA Concert Winds, teaching courses in the music education curriculum (including conducting and orchestration), supervising student teachers, and the administration, design, and instruction of the Sudler Trophy-winning Redcoat Band.
Prior to his appointment at the University of Georgia, Nikk served as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Louisville. He received the Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.), Master of Music Education (M.M.E.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees from the Florida State University College of Music in Tallahassee, Florida. His primary conducting teachers were Richard Clary, Patrick Dunnigan, and Jim Croft. His dissertation, a transcription for winds of Joseph Schwantner’s New Morning for the World, is published by Schott-Helicon Music.
During his tenure at Florida State University, Nikk served as Principal Euphonium in the University’s Wind Orchestra and Wind Symphony; and was a founding member of The Tallahassee Winds. As a Graduate Teaching Assistant, Nikk worked as assistant conductor with the Wind Orchestra, the Symphonic Band, the Campus Band, and the Chamber Winds, and wrote drill and music for the University Marching Chiefs. Before returning to Florida State for doctoral work Nikk was Director of Orchestras and Co-Director of Bands at J.P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs, Florida, and Director of Bands at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Nikk's professional affiliations include the College Band Directors National Association, the Music Educators National Conference, the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, the National Band Association, and the Georgia and Florida Music Educators Association.
In 2008 Nikk founded the Wind Repertory Project, a comprehensive database of wind literature, expanded by user contributions much like Wikipedia. The database includes information on literature such as its instrumentation, program notes, errata, study resources, articles, commercially available recordings, and more. In the two years since its inception, the WRP has already amassed over 2,000 user-submitted entries, and has been visited over 65,000 times.
When not conducting, teaching, designing drill, or arranging music, Nikk enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sarah Jane, watching college football (go Dawgs and go Noles!), Major League Baseball (diehard Yankees fan since childhood), and reading everything he can get a hold of, from Gunther Schuller and Malcolm Gladwell to Stephen King and Isaac Asimov.