The Nika Musical Theatre Academy

The Academy specialises in providing classical music education through original Musical Theatre courses for children from three years up to young adults. Its principal aim is to make high-level classical music education accessible and fun through the magical world of Musical Theatre.

NMTA was founded in London in 2014 by Russian-born, British classical pianist and composer Nika Shirocorad. Having trained, taught and performed at top conservatoires in Moscow, Paris and London, Nika set out to pass on her passion for classical music to the next generation in a more accessible form.

"Traditional conservatoire teaching is very academic, disciplined and takes a huge commitment over many years. I want to open up the wonderful benefits of this education, which I have experienced, to a wider generation of children via my second passion, which is Musical Theatre. The beauty of Musical Theatre is that it incorporates such a wide spectrum of the Arts, where classical and contemporary genres can be combined in an endlessly creative and fun way." 

The Teaching progress

The teaching is founded on a classical conservatoire education, made accessible, exciting and fun through modern performing arts. So students simultaneously learn classical skills and knowledge whilst immersing themselves in the world of musical theatre and performing in stage-productions with top classically-trained professionals.

The colourful world of theatre, combining classical and modern genres of singing, dancing, and acting, engages young students to actively learn classical artistic disciplines. These include classical and modern singing techniques, world music history, music theory, harmony, rhythmics, and even artistic classical literature, which are integrated within the teaching in a playful and creative way. This form of active, tension-free learning facilitates a natural passion and interest for students whilst providing a grounding in a wide spectrum of arts-based disciplines.

NMTA offers a mixture of individual and group tuition, which enables each student to benefit from individually-tailored lessons to focus on improving specific areas, as well as the opportunity to develop and learn within a small group of 3-6 students. Students are encouraged to develop their own creativity of expression and style as they progress, using the classical skills they acquire to make a part 'their own'.

Nika is a full and accredited member of the Musician's Union (MU), which also accredit her teaching method.

Added benefits

NMTA students develop their skills in areas which are broadly transferable in many directions:

• Students gain access to a wide spectrum of disciplines at a high level, acquiring a sound basis should they wish to pursue a musical or any other performing arts-based training or further education in the future.
• Students develop self-confidence and self-expression, improving communication skills, so that they become imaginative performers with character, musicality and their own style.
• Students gain the rare experience of performing publicly with top professional performers.
• Discovery and exploration of their various talents.
• Learning how to collaborate and cooperate within a group for the benefit of the collective outcome, culminating in a theatre production.

Our Teaching Staff

NTMA’s teachers are all professionally trained in the arts to a very high level, be it as musicians, actors or dancers, bringing vast and varied professional experience. All NMTA staff are CRB (DBS) checked and accredited with their relevant professional bodies.

What we offer

• Top-level teaching of the main genres of Musical Theatre - singing, dance and drama - underpinned by the fundamentals of a classical music education.
• Opportunities to study top-level classical music subjects: piano, singing, music composition.
• Twice-yearly musical productions: chance to perform on-stage in public productions of original musicals.

• We use classic stories for our shows – currently “Alice in Wonderland” and “Through the looking glass” by Lewis Carroll – bringing to life these timeless stories in a new and exciting way.

• Opportunities to perform publicly in classical concerts.
• Preparation for nationally-recognised exams for Musical Theatre (LAMDA and RADA); and classical music subjects (ABRSM).
• Opportunities for students to have professional-level studio recordings (audio and video), which they can use for creating their own portfolio for potential future studies and work in the field.
• Exam preparation for advanced students wishing to enter leading UK and European conservatoires. Provision of references and recommendations for scholarship or bursary applications at relevant institutions.

Originality

• Music, lyrics and scripts are specially written (and copyrighted) by Nika for each show.

• Artworks, decorations and all costumes are handmade and exclusive.

• Dancing is specifically choreographed.
• Students are encouraged to have creative input to the development of each production.