Biography

Adina Shaikh is a musician and visual artist based in Chicago. She explores the intersectionality of social issues through a variety of mediums, ranging from composition, performance art, writing, and visual art. As a musician, she has a diverse palette to dip in– percussion, music production, voice, piano, and bass– to paint bigger pictures that evoke a multisensory experience. Drawing on her classical percussion training, the Bollywood music echoing through her childhood home, and her love for contemporary and world music, Adina curates her unique style that is a tapestry of her diverse experience. She enjoys playing music ranging from Brazilian samba batucadas and Arabic ensembles to orchestras and rock groups– she has yet to come across music she hasn’t enjoyed. 

 

Pluralism is at the core of all her endeavors: starting from her Ukrainian-Pakistani roots to her interdisciplinary interests in neuroscience and music. Her works primarily explore themes of collective power, community, ties to land, decolonization, and generational bonds.

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Adina holds a B.S. in Neurobiology and Percussion Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a 2026 Emerging Artist with the Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion.