Featured Episodes: 394, and 395
NIKISHA WILLIAMS is a singer/actress originally from Mobile, Alabama. She holds a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting and a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from The University of Southern Mississippi. Nikisha also spent three years as Director of Choirs at White Station High School where her leadership led to various choral accomplishments including the Outstanding Young Music Educators award.
While earning her undergraduate degree, Nikisha had extensive training in classical singing and participated in many operas and musicals including I Pagliacci, La Boheme, Smokey Joe’s Café, Sweeney Todd, and Ragtime. As a soloist, Nikisha has performed major works including Bach’s B Minor Mass, John Rutter’s Gloria, Edwin Penhorwood’s American Requiem, and Haydn’s Mass in G.
In her time as a graduate student, Nikisha conducted various choirs including the University’s premiere ensemble Southern Chorale while on tour in Italy and Romania. She has also had the opportunity to perform master classes with high school choirs around the Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee area. Nikisha also won first place in the musical theater category of the state NATS competition.
Under Nikisha’s direction, the White Station Choir program has had the most students participate in Senior High All West, has performed at the Tennessee Music Educators Association Convention, performed as finalist in the National A Cappella Competition and International Champions of High School A Cappella Competition, and has performed for such people as the school board’s Superintendent and the Governor of Tennessee. She has served as the co-chair for the Tennessee All West Honor Choir in 2015 and has also served as the soprano section leader for Rhodes College Master Singers community choir that same year. In 2016, she won the Outstanding Young Music Educators Award, presented by the Tennessee Music Educators Association for her work at White Station High School.
Nikisha had the opportunity to perform in various musicals and operas throughout the Memphis area. She has performed in Don Giovanni and Pagliacci at Opera Memphis, and Hairspray and Memphis at Playhouse on the Square.
Nikisha Williams was nominated for Leading Actress in a Musical at the 2016 Memphis Ostrander Awards for her performance as Felicia Farrell in Memphis the Musical. Nikisha also won Best Female Actor in her performance as Felicia Farrell at the 2017 Diversity on Stage and Film awards.
Nikisha is the winner of Season 12’s So You Think You Can Belt competition held at the West End Lounge in New York City.
In September 2017, Nikisha joined the cast of the Broadway national tour The Color Purple as a female swing and Celie understudy.The tour traveled across the U.S. from October 2017 to August 2018.
In October 2018, Nikisha joined the Philip touring company of Hamilton where she performed in the ensemble (Woman 5) and understudied Eliza Hamilton, Angelica Schuyler, Peggy Schuyler, and Maria Reynolds. She finished her contract in March 2021 after a three year run.
In June 2020, Nikisha joined the Board of Directors for the A Cappella Education Association, where she will serve a two year term.
In August of 2022, Nikisha took over the role of Eliza Hamilton in the Philip Touring company of Hamilton. Check the Hamilton website for dates and locations! (via)