Georgian pianist Nino Sanikidze has held the position of  Head Coach for the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program at LA Opera since the program’s inception in 2006. In addition to her duties with the Young Artist Program, she serves on LAO Music staff as a pianist and a prompter, working closely with LAO Music Director James Conlon.Outside of LA Opera, she has been engaged with such companies as Teatro Real in Madrid, Royal Opera House Muscat, Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, Teatro Municipal di Santiago, Washington National Opera, Bard Summerscape, Cleveland Opera and Wichita Grand Opera. A frequent collaborator with The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, her notable concert appearances include a recital with tenor Marcelo Álvarez and a recital with mezzo-soprano Elina Garanča. In addition she has performed in a recital with world-renown guitarist Ángel Romero at Palm Springs Life Festival and Mezzo-Soprano Nancy Fabiola Herrera on Canary Islands’ “Zarzuela en el Mundo”. Nino Sanikidze seated at the pianoSince 2008 she has been an official pianist for Plácido Domingo’s World Opera Competition “Operalia” – in this capacity she has performed on the illustrious stages of Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Royal Opera House in London, National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, National Theatre in Prague, Hungarian State Opera House in Budapest, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara, Teatro Filarmonico in Verona, Grand Théâtre de Québec and others.Dr. Sanikidze is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Marilyn Horne Foundation Award for Excellence in Vocal Accompanying. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, and is an alumna of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program at Washington National Opera, as well as The Music Academy of the West, Aspen Opera Center, Cleveland Art Song Festival, and SongFest.

Dr. Sanikidze serves on a judging panel of the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions and Richard Tucker Music Foundations’ Study and Career  Grant Auditions, as well as a Daegu International Opera Awards, Classical Singer Convention, Music Center Spotlight Awards, and Center Stage Opera Competition. Since Summer 2014 Dr. Sanikidze has been on the faculty of prestigious Vocal Institute at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, CA. In Winter, 2022, she will serve as Vocal Coach for UCLA Herb Albert School of Music’s Voice Department. She has been a principal guest coach for the USC Thornton School of Music and has conducted master classes and residencies at the Chapman Conservatory, Opera Santa Barbara, the University of Kansas, Songfest, Music Center Spotlight and YoungArts Los Angeles.