In Remembrance: Ian J. Nie

Walking into the Center for Entrepreneurship in Liberal Education at Beloit (CELEB) in downtown Beloit, one was frequently welcomed by the sound of music, courtesy of Ian Nie, professor emeritus of music, who was often there at the piano teaching a lesson, accompanying a vocalist, or preparing for an upcoming concert. On July 25, 2024, the room fell silent with his unexpected passing. We mourn the loss of our friend, dedicated educator, talented musician, and tireless mentor. To know Ian was to have a champion in your corner.

Despite his retirement in 2019 after a 37-year career at Beloit, Nie continued to teach one course a semester, and was frequently in Maple Tree Studio, the recording studio he founded in 2003 at CELEB. He generously lent his experience and expertise to students, including up-and-coming musical entrepreneurs whose interests ran the gamut from classical to jazz to Hip-hop.

In CELEB’s early days, Jerry Gustafson’63 asked Nie what he thought about a recording studio there. Nie had been an entrepreneur for years — as he put it, since he first hung out a shingle as a piano teacher. In addition to founding Maple Tree Studio, Ian’s role at Beloit College included teaching private piano lessons, accompanying, and teaching classes in music theory and technology.

He was a jack-of-all-trades: an expert, self-taught music technician and producer, a pianist, a music theorist, and a teacher with a legacy of inspiring and supporting his students. A pianist trained in the U.S. and Italy, he performed extensively here and abroad. He made radio broadcasts on Wisconsin Public Radio’s Music at The Chazen and in Switzerland for Rai-Svizzera (Swiss public broadcasting).

Nie was born in China and immigrated with his family to the U.S. in the late 1950s. His father was an electrical engineer at Beloit Iron Works, as well as an accomplished jazz pianist, and an inspiration for Nie. “He taught me about the interrelationship between all things,” he said in a 2023 interview.

As an accompanist, Nie performed with many accomplished musicians, including the cellist Jian Wang, a protégé of Isaac Stern, and with Dr. Kenneth Greene, violist and former chair of Beloit’s music department. He performed piano concertos by Ravel, Beethoven, and Mozart with the Beloit-Janesville Symphony.

He founded the Turtle Creek Chamber Orchestra in Beloit 12 years ago, introducing students of all ages to classical music through concerts, summer camps, and collaborations with professional and semi-professional musicians, fostering a sense of peace and belonging among upcoming generations and the community. In an interview last spring, he expressed gratitude for over 40 years of students who remained in touch with him. He will be deeply missed in the studio at CELEB, and by students, staff, faculty, and community members alike.