Nadine Silverman

Nadine Silverman is a composer-performer based in Norristown, Pennsylvania. She is an Instructor of music composition, music theory, and aural skills for the Wells School of Music at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, where she graduated with her bachelor’s in 2019. In 2023, she earned concurrent master's degrees in music theory and clarinet performance at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts. Nadine also performs as a founding member with the East Brunswick Symphony Orchestra, ReedQuake, and the Danza Wind Quintet. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, kayaking, reading, and playing DnD with friends. Nadine is the 2023 winner of the International Alliance for Women in Music’s Alex Shapiro Prize for her wind ensemble work, Hope Through the Dark. She has written for the Salt Lake Symphony, Rutgers University Wind Ensemble, the Rutgers University Concert Band, the West Chester University Low Brass Ensemble, the Albion College Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Voix de Femmes Clarinet Quartet, Fivemind Reeds, Duo Ferula, Pennsylvania Chamber Winds, Orange Road String Quartet, the Nimbus Clarinet Quartet, and many individual performers. Her music explores the depth of human emotion and how we interact with the physical world around us. Nadine’s versatility and skill as a composer-performer have been showcased through the performances of her own works throughout the United States and internationally. In her work, she strives to create a larger chamber repertoire for the clarinet and concert band that is accessible and meaningful to all levels of performers. Since 2025, Nadine has served as a board member of the New Works Project, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering and amplifying the voices of historically underrepresented composers.

Nadine plays the Royal Global Firebird Low C Bass & Mopane Polaris Bb. For her setup, she uses Reedworthy barrels for her Bb and A clarinets, and a Buffet RC barrel for her Eb clarinet. Her mouthpieces include a Selmer Focus for her bass clarinet, a D’Addario X0 for her Bb and A clarinets, and a Vandoren BD5 for her Eb clarinet. She is not currently an artist for any other companies. When asked why she plays Royal, she shared: “My Firebird bass clarinet gives me a flexibility in timbre that I’ve never experienced on another instrument. I have such an ease of control over my quality of sound, dynamics, and altissimo range, and I feel like it brings out the best in my performing abilities.” Regarding her switch to the brand, she stated: “I was hooked from the moment I first tried a Royal bass clarinet at my repairman’s shop — everything I was struggling to do on my old instrument became instantly easier. Making the switch was a no-brainer. My first bass clarinet did exactly what I needed it to while I was an undergraduate, but I outgrew it and the Royals I tried were consistently the best instruments for me and my playing style.” Reflecting on the value Royal brings to her artistry, she noted: “I spent years playing school bass clarinets in student ensembles, and even playing my own first bass clarinet, and the entire time I felt like a good bass clarinet player. It wasn’t until I tried my first Royal when I felt like all the work I’d done on my bass clarinet skills was actually paying off — I’d spent the first years of my bass clarinet playing fighting against instruments that weren’t right for me, and when I finally played a Royal, the pieces fell into place. I knew immediately I could be a great bass clarinetist on these instruments, that they would truly bring out the best in my playing. The fact that the top of the line Royals are affordable made that dream of playing the perfect instrument a reality for me, and I have recommended Royals for their quality and affordability to so many students and colleagues.”