Published: May 9, 2017 By

Nadya Hill is a vocalist, violinist, visual artist and full-stack Javascript web developer.

The Denver native graduates with a master’s degree in voice performance; and after turns in opera classics Die FledermausThe Magic FluteL'incoronazione di Poppea and Così fan tutte, she’s looking forward to going out on a slightly different note.

Music is in Hill’s blood: Her father is principal timpanist for the Colorado Symphony, her mother is a violinist and her brother Colin is a junior jazz drum major at CU. Hill started playing violin as a child and, since then, music has been intertwined with everything in her life.

"It’s hard to say exactly why music is so important, because for me, it’s just necessary and omnipresent. It’s as much of a need to me as eating, breathing or sleeping."

Fast forward to her time at CU Boulder: Hill has had roles in five operas, and anyone who’s watched her perform can plainly see passion shining through her skill and engaging stage presence. So, with all that natural musical talent going for her, why computer programming?

"After my first year of grad school, I was overwhelmed by the possibility that I might not be able to support myself as a musician. So I started teaching myself to code; then I took a 10-week intensive course in Boulder . . . The world of professional musicians is notoriously financially unpredictable, so there’s something comforting in knowing that while I have the skills to be a professional performer, I can also always know where my next meal is coming from."

Plus, in coding, Hill has found yet another creative outlet.

"Coding is definitely an art form in itself," she says. "To make a successful website, it has to be fun, easy to navigate, and personalized for each individual business, which ends up feeling like solving puzzles all day."

As her time in Boulder draws to a close, the Jill of All Trades hopes to put her many skills to use wherever her path leads her next. And she’ll look fondly on the lessons she learned and friends she made at the College of Music.

Read the full story on the College of Music website.

Nadya Hill plays Adele in Die Fledermaus