Four Fun Facts with Nina Bernat

Double bassist, Avery Fisher Career Grant Recipient, dog person: a few ways to describe the 23-year-old winner of the 2022 FRIENDS of the Minnesota Orchestra Young Artists Competition and upcoming guest artist Nina Bernat. She’s appeared as guest principal bassist across the river with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra as well as with the New York Philharmonic, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Oslo Philharmonic. She joins Conductor Laureate Osmo Vänskä for concerts February 22-24, where she’ll perform not one but two works with the Minnesota Orchestra in her debut as a soloist: Giovanni Bottesini’s Concerto No. 2 in B minor and Eduard Tubin’s Concerto for Bass and Orchestra.

We asked Nina to get personal with us—here are four fun facts about Nina Bernat!

1. My dad was my very first bass teacher! He has always been my bass inspiration I’m so lucky to be playing on his bass for my concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra.

2. I have a dog-sitting business on the Upper West Side in NYC where I walk and host dogs whose owners are away. I have always been a huge dog lover and since I’m unable to have my own dog because of my schedule, I had to find a way to get my dog fix. I started during the pandemic and have since taken care of over 50 dogs!

3. My brother, David, is a violinist. Last summer we attended three music festivals together, including Marlboro. We often play together since we both live in NYC and attend Juilliard.

4. My mom is Korean and my dad is Polish. I feel connected to both cultures and have visited both countries. This also means I grew up with amazing food at home to which I credit my endless appetite for cooking and eating.