

Nicola Miller
Woodwind player/composer
Saxophonist and Composer Nicola Miller is based on the South Shore of Nova Scotia, where she has become a vital part of the maritime creative music ecosystem. Weaving endless sonic curiosity into a jazz foundation, the music she plays and writes effortlessly traverses boundaries of style and approach.
Miller has appeared in performances alongside a diverse cross-section of artists including Nicole Rampersaud, Charlotte Hüg, Nicholas D'Amato, India Gailey, Enrique Luna, Sam Wilson, Uri Caine, Tim Crofts, Glenn Patscha, and Nick Halley. She's been featured at Guelph Jazz Festival, Open Waters and Halifax Jazz Festivals and also performed in contexts that span Berlin's Volksbühne and Jazz Am Helmholtzplatz to Acadia University's Physics Department. She is the recipient of the 2025 Paul Cram Creation Award as well as ArtsNS Emerging Artist Award.
In December 2024 she launched her debut recording as leader Living Things on Richmond, Virginia's Cacophonous Revival Records, a critically acclaimed imprint devoted to various strains of experimental music. The release sees her gathering an all-star cast to perform her compositions, including Canadians Doug Tielli, Nicholas D'Amato, and Nick Fraser, alongside the celebrated reeds player and composer Frank Gratkowski, whom Miller regards as her mentor. The album was nominated for MusicNS Jazz Recording of the Year.
She also appears on acclaimed recordings such as Enrique Luna's La Luna Ensamble 1 (as featured in Enciclopedia Fonográfica del Jazz en México by Antonio Malacara), Joyfultalk's Familiar Science (Constellation Recordings) and Jon Mckiel’s HEX (You've Changed). Pitchfork praised her contribution to the title track of the latter remarking "it’s the free-floating saxophone that tilts the song just off its axis"
Miller's compositions have been commissioned by the UpStream Orchestra, an improvising large ensemble founded by the legendary Paul Cram, and the Alkali Collective.
COMPETITIONS & PERFORMANCE AWARDS / HONORABLE MENTIONS
​Canada Council for the Arts - For a Few Moments, Sitting Where You Are 2025
​ArtsNS Artist Recognition Awards - Emerging Artist Award 2025
​MusicNS Nomination - Jazz Recording of the Year - Living Things 2025
Upstream's Paul Cram Creation Award - Commission for Symphony NS 2025
​Stereogum Review - Living Things 2025
​Whole Note Review - Living Things 2025
​ArtsNS Grants for Individuals - Creation Grant - Living Things - Spit! 2024
Enciclopedia Fonográfica del Jazz en México by Antonio Malacara for La Luna Ensemble‘Misterios Mexicanas’ 2024
Pitchfork Review for Jon Mckiel’s ‘HEX’ 2024
Alkali Collective ‘Call for Scores’ Buffleheads from Living Things 2024
ArtsNS Grants for Individuals - Creation Grant - Living Things 2023
ArtsNS Groups and Organisations - Creation Grant - CELL 2022
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