Our Team.
NIMA, consists of a team of friends, recognized in their field, that share a dedication to exploring the intersection of music and media. We believe in working collaboratively across disciplines to create innovative music that inspires, uplifts and moves. Get to know the team behind NIMA by reading their stories below.
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Kendra Wheeler
Kendra Wheeler is a collaborator, chamber musician, educator, and advocate for emerging, diverse, and historically excluded music and musicians. Wheeler actively promotes, advocates, and performs a new repertoire that embraces many cultures and perspectives. She has appeared at major venues and festivals in Italy, Croatia, Greece, England, and the United States. International and nationally renowned organizations and competitions like Concert Artist Guild (CAG), Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition (VEA), DOWNBEAT Magazine, and Pan-American International Saxophone Competition have recognized Wheeler’s work.
Her teachers include Joseph Lulloff, Eugene Rousseau, and Preston Duncan.
Dr. Kendra Wheeler is an Assistant Professor of Saxophone at Central Washington University. She is an Eastman, Silverstein Works, and Légère Reeds Performing Artist.
Kakia Gkoudina
Kakia Gkoudina, from Thessaloniki, Greece, composes multimedia works involving acoustic instruments, electronics, film, experimental theater and sound design. Gkoudina earned her Master’s Degree in Composition at Michigan State University under the guidance of A. Bacon, D. Biedenbender and L. Goeringer, and her doctorate degree with a focus on composition and audiovisual narrative, under the guidance of Dr. Mark Sullivan (Music Composition) and Dr. Alisson Dobbins (Integrated Performance Media design). Her doctorate thesis was a multimedia work for chamber ensemble, visuals, film, and dance. She is currently researching multimedia composition based on motion in time and applying this research onto her first multimedia theatrical play composition. Kakia has worked as a director and sound designer for films as well as, composed music for films, plays, video games and podcasts. Lately, she has become a member of the Art Club Collective, a multimedia art installation collective with works featured at Michigan State University Museum, Greater Lansing Art Gallery etc.
Patrick Taylor
Patrick Taylor is an experimental video and electronics intermedia artist from Fairfield, Iowa. His work often uses electronic media, from analog video and synthesizers to digital systems and code, as well as various physical materials and processes. His work is especially concerned with feedback loops, recursion, self-organizing and emergent structures as they appear in electronic systems, and as a metaphor for conscious experience.
Patrick has worked as a musician and videographer since 2013, first performing and producing music and video for his own bands and for others. In 2021 he founded the company Glitchwerks, an organization dedicated to the practice of modifying and developing analog video instruments for use in expanded media practices, particularly in the field of glitch art. He has multiple years of experience working with software like Touchdesigner, Adobe and Blender to make interactive and immersive experiences and installations.
Michael Giunta
Within the wide scope of what it means to be a percussionist, Michael’s background is in performing orchestral percussion/timpani, Jazz, Afro-Cuban percussion, and Contemporary Music. Having been a part of numerous commissions of new-music and over thirty world premieres, Michael is avidly seeking out new and adventurous works for percussion instruments to expand the repertoire. As an orchestral percussionist, he has previously served as section percussion/assistant timpani with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra for two seasons. He has attended the Brevard Institute for two summers where he studied under Charles Ross, Gwendolyn Dease, Jerry Noble, and David Fishlock. In 2019 and 2023 he attended the Cortona Sessions for New Music studying under Ji-Hye Jung and Michael Compitello giving several world premieres. He has performed under world-renowned conductors such as JoAnn Falletta, Keith Lockhart, Sebastian Lang-Lessing, Rune Bergman, Christian Zacharias, and Matthias Bamert. Michael is currently a freelance percussionist and plays extra percussion in several orchestras across the state of Michigan.
Despina Chrisidou
Despina Chrisidou, born and based in Greece, is a zealous professional in managing projects from their concept generation to their completion. With versatile business background along with a personal involvement in artistic projects, Despina has been exposed to international & local organizations, with diverse size, culture and activity. From academic publications on cultural tourism, fundraising and production of short movies and events to marketing and business development responsibilities, Despina values organizing & coordinating projects with multiple tasks and people with much diversified professional background & mentality. Seen as a visionary challenger, Despina enjoys sharing her holistic background with creative teams to support them set the foundations of healthy and sustainable projects towards a long term establishment & growth.
