Nikki Li Hartliep is a Japanese born America soprano who has performed with major opera companies and orchestras around the world and is a high acclaimed vocal teacher.
Nikki Li was born in Naha, Okinawa and grew up in Alaska. She received her undergraduate degree in 1981 from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. During her master’s degree studies she took her first audition and was awarded a contract with San Francisco Opera’s touring company, Western Opera Theater (1982).
Outside the U.S., her international operatic performances have included leading roles with Canadian Opera, Teatro Teresa Carreno (Caracas, Venezuela), Dublin Grand Opera, and the Seiji Ozawa Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto (Japan).
Nikki Li has taught in a variety of distinguished educational institutions to students at all levels: undergraduate, post-graduate, doctoral, and professional apprenticeship singers, in private voice lessons, studio classes, and masterclasses. On the faculty at Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York, (2003–2014), as assistant professor of voice, part-time, Hartliep began concurrently teaching while on the performance faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (2003–2005). She was also on faculty with the college division of New World School of the Arts, Miami, Florida (1998–1999), and was appointed vocal advisor to Florida Grand Opera apprenticeship program (2000–2001).
This is Nikki Li’s second year at the NZ Opera School as international vocal coach.