Nicole Balsirow (she/her) is a Kalmyk-American composer based in New York City. Her music has been performed by ensembles such as the MIVOS quartet, the Walden School Players, and the International Contemporary Ensemble, and her works have received honorable mentions from Luna Lab and the Next Notes High School Music Creator Awards. In her compositions, Nicole explores a myriad of sounds drawn from her culture, video games, composers she loves, literature, and fun things she has heard on her daily walks to campus. Nicole is a junior in the Columbia-Juilliard exchange program '24. Her project mentor for the Blueprint Fellowship is Rebekah Heller.