New England Conservatory Magazine | Spring 2022

NEW ENGLAND C O N S E R VAT O R Y MAGAZINE

SPRING 2022

Amplified

The power of music, community, and purpose

Community Performances & Partnerships Program Builds Connection

Contemporary Improvisation: A Revolution in Music Education

A Tale of Two Tenors: Bradley Williams and Anthony León

3 OPERAS, 4 DAYS, 10 PERFORMANCES, 500 COSTUMES PLIMPTON SHATTUCK BLACK BOX THEATRE From April 21-24, 2022, NEC’s Graduate Opera students presented Perla’s “An American Dream,” Ravel’s “L’enfant et les sortilèges,” and Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas,” under the direction of Joshua Major, Chair of Opera Studies. “Dido and Aeneas” also featured the stage direction of Joshua’s father, opera director Leon Major.

Andrew Hurlbut/New England Conservatory

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 1

Message from the President

IN THIS SECOND EDITION of our reimagined NEC Magazine, we are delighted to share just some of our community’s accomplishments from this past year.

It was a joy this past fall to return to fully in-person teaching and learning, and to welcome audiences back to our halls.

The pages that follow exude the sense of renewal, energy, and purpose that come from sharing music — inside and outside of NEC. From master classes by esteemed guest artists to performances in schools by students in our Community Performances and Partnerships Program, the commitment of our students, faculty, and staff to artistic excellence, community, and impact has never been greater.

We have seen anew how relationships inform our purpose as artists, and how the mentorship of an extraordinary teacher can help propel students to profound artistry, and even worldwide acclaim.

And certainly, the flexibility, imagination, and experimentation so core to the ethos of NEC have only been amplified in challenging times.

“ The flexibility, imagination, and experimentation so core to the ethos of NEC have only been amplified in challenging times.”

We know that NEC is part of a global community of musicians and supporters, and that all of us are touched — directly and indirectly — by world events. In this issue, we highlight how NEC musicians are making a difference: from our local Boston community to Ukraine, and far beyond.

We hope you will find inspiration in the wonderful stories that follow, and in the accomplishments from across the College, Prep, and our alumni community.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the NEC community, and your belief in the life-affirming and transformative power of music.

Sincerely,

Andrea Kalyn Rosen-Jones Photography

2 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

NEW ENGLAND C O N S E R VAT O R Y MAGAZINE

PRESIDENT

Andrea Kalyn SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR STRATEGY & INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

Kathleen Kelly

DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE

Ianka De La Rosa

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & BRAND STRATEGY

Valerie Szepiwdycz

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CONTENT STRATEGY MANAGER

Katie Ingegneri

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY & VISUAL MEDIA

Andrew Hurlbut ’84 MM, ’85 MM CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Veronica Barron Ann Braithwaite Stephanie Janes Milva McDonald John Sherer COPY EDITOR

Brent L. Smith

SPECIAL THANKS

Kelly Arnold Maryalice Perrin-Mohr

Copyright © 2022 New England Conservatory of Music 290 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115 necmusic.edu

Andrew Hurlbut/New England Conservatory

NEC Magazine is published by the Office of Marketing and Communications for all members of the NEC community.

Write to us at news@necmusic.edu.

RETURN TO JORDAN HALL FALL 2021 saw the revitalization of live music on the NEC campus. George Li ’19 NEC/Harvard, ’22 AD performed as piano soloist with the NEC Philharmonia and conductor Hugh Wolff.

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 3

Contents PORTRAIT OF ABBEY LINCOLN: NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH KAIA BERMAN PETERS ’23, undergraduate diploma candidate in Contemporary Improvisation, performs in the February 2022 CI department showcase that took a deep dive into the life and work of singer, composer, activist, and actress Abbey Lincoln.

18 Contemporary Improvisation:

A Revolution in Music Education With a faculty filled with brilliant artists, dedicated teachers, and some of the most talented students in the world, the CI department continues to crescendo.

By Ann Braithwaite & Milva McDonald

4 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

SPRING 2022

|

VOLU M E 2

|

NUMBER 1

2 Message from the President 7 Highlights

Shining a light on this year at NEC — on campus and beyond

29 News & Notes

Stories and updates about the NEC community

42 NEC Flashback

Opposite Page: Andrew Hurlbut/New England Conservatory | This Page: NEC Archives

Opera singer Justino Díaz ’86 Hon. DM honored

by President Biden at Kennedy Center

35 Accolades

24 A Tale of

NEC students, alumni, and faculty received top honors for musical artistry.

Bradley Williams, Voice Chair, and Anthony León, Artist Diploma Tenor, discuss their lasting bond and what makes NEC special.

& Awards

Two Tenors

By Stephanie Janes

Visit necmusic.edu/magazine for video, audio, photos, and more!

FRONT COVER Anthony León ’21 MM, ’23 AD performs as Ernesto in Gaetano Donizetti’s opera Don Pasquale, presented by NEC Opera and NEC Philharmonia in February 2022.

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 5

An inclusive community of vibrant young professionals dedicated to sharing NEC’s cultural and social impact throughout the city of Boston.

NEC NOW INVITES YOU TO: ATTEND NEC NOW EVENTS. Join the NEC NOW community at unique in-person and virtual events throughout the year.

NEC NOW events reinvent the usual narrative around music performances while giving audiences behind-the-scenes access to incredible musicians.

PARTICIPATE IN NEC NOW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. This year NEC NOW successfully funded four Entrepreneurial Musicianship grants — empowering NEC students to enact their innovative and impactful projects.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Visit necmusic.edu/nec-now 6 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

BECOME A CULTURAL AMBASSADOR WITHIN THE BOSTON COMMUNITY. As a member of NEC NOW, you are connecting the city of Boston with NEC. Share NEC NOW events and news with your networks through social media channels.

CAMPUS

|

LOCAL

|

G LOBAL

Highlights STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

ANNA ABONDOLO ’22

Jazz Studies major Anna Abondolo discusses winning an NEC “Grow Your Art” grant, which is offered annually to current students and alumni within 10 years of graduation, what she’d say to her past self, and more.

At the moment, how would you introduce yourself?

I’m Anna! I am a person who loves being outside, loves to make sounds, and loves to live in and create my own imaginary worlds.

Over the last four years, what has nurtured your growth into the person & musician you are right now?

I think the ability to draw from so much — all the different programs, teachers, and resources — has supported the kind of creative person I feel within myself today: one that’s excited to push boundaries.

My mentors — Donald Palma, Anthony Coleman ’77, John Mallia ’92 MM — have been so endlessly supportive of me. I feel I’ve been nurtured by the community, while at the same time feeling pushed by honest and critical advice.

The kindness of the community is why I came here, and why I’m still here.

Andrew Hurlbut/New England Conservatory

Can you think of a moment when you really surprised yourself?

If you told me that in my last year at NEC, I would be writing, producing, and directing an immersive theatrical production, I wouldn’t have believed you.

You and your collaborator won a “Grow Your Art” grant for this project, ORDER. Please tell us more!

I was in Pho Basil with the amazing Jonathan Starks ’18, ’20 MM last June, and we were joking about what it would be like to put on a “horror play” in the NEC [Plimpton Shattuck] Black Box Theatre.

Later that night, I remember myself saying, “This has to happen, as if my life depends on it.” I woke up the next morning with the same thought. It continued and continued until we were actually writing this thing. This wild manifestation of an idea in Pho Basil has actually come to life.

Jon and I are co-everything on this production: scoring it, writing the script, making the costumes, choreographing, cueing lighting & sound. I’d like to call it a fever dream.

What made you feel so strongly that you must make it happen?

I’ve always been that way. I’m a little obsessive. But also, I think this project was a chance for me to push my own boundaries, and to combine everything: I love playing the bass and I love film; I love theater, I love dance, and I love four-on-the-floor! And, I’m fascinated

by ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) — a huge creative influence on this project and on me since the pandemic.

Looking back, what would you say to your past self, from the place you are now?

Instead of saying something, I would literally give myself a big hug. I think we all could use some more kindness and gentleness in the world we live in.

A great starting point is to practice that with yourself.

“Grow Your Art” grants are made possible by the generosity of an anonymous donor.

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 7

Highlights COMMENCEMENT 2022

Celebrating 151 Years of Musical Excellence at NEC

N

STUDENT & STAFF AWARD WINNERS GEORGE WHITEFIELD CHADWICK MEDAL Catherine Byrne ’22 GUNTHER SCHULLER MEDAL Zoe Cagan ’21 MM PETER LYMAN ROW GLOBAL MUSICIANSHIP SPARK AWARD Akram Haddad ’21 GD

PRESIDENTIAL COMMENDATION

DONALD MARTINO AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN COMPOSITION Jiaqi Wang ’22

TOURJÉE ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Ariel (Fei) Mo ’20

LOUIS AND ADRIENNE KRASNER TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARD

Leah McKinnon-Howe, Director of NEC Health Services

8 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

Wha Kyung Byun, Piano Faculty

Courtesy of James Taylor | Ella Jenkins by Aaron Hui | David Amram by Andrew Hurlbut / New England Conservatory

EC’S 151ST COMMENCEMENT took place on Sunday, May 22, in Jordan Hall, with the community celebrating the achievements of our remarkable students during a particularly challenging time. Commencement speaker, multiple Grammy Award-winning singersongwriter James Taylor, received an honorary doctorate, alongside Ella Jenkins, regarded as the “First Lady of Children’s Music,” and composer and associate of Leonard Bernstein and Jack Kerouac, David Amram.

NEC also presented an honorary doctorate to Kennett F. Burnes, Chair of the NEC Board of Trustees since 2014, in recognition of his longtime service to and support of our institution.

The ceremony featured a special message from Ukrainian cellist Denys Karachevtsev, who captured the world’s attention when he played Bach’s Cello Suite No. 5 outside the bombed-out remains of the regional police headquarters in the city of Kharkiv in March 2022; and a greeting from Ukraine-born pianist Emanuel Ax, who received an honorary doctorate from NEC in 2021.

Highlights

#NECMUSIC

SEEKING MASTERY

>THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR featured a thrilling range of master classes and residencies at NEC from masters of their craft, including visits from pianist Kirill Gerstein, soprano Julia Bullock, saxophonist and composer Anna Webber, jazz pianist and composer Arturo O'Farrill, opera coach Joan Dornemann, and jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, among many others.

“ Arturo is one of the biggest symbols of Latin jazz in the US. I’ve been listening and learning these rhythms for years, but getting to hear Arturo’s perspective up close was a glimpse into the tradition itself.”

—NADAV FRIEDMAN ’22 MM, PERCUSSION

Andrew Hurlbut / New England Conservatory

(LEFT COLUMN, TOP TO BOTTOM) Pianist KIRILL GERSTEIN coaches Clayton Stephenson ’22 NEC/Harvard, a class made possible by the Richard P. and Claire W. Morse Visiting Artist Fund; trumpeter HÅKAN HARDENBERGER teaches a master class made possible by the Richard P. and Claire W. Morse Visiting Artist Fund.

(RIGHT COLUMN, TOP TO BOTTOM) Opera coach JOAN DORNEMANN and Yuxin Liu ’23 MM laugh together while working in a master class made possible by the Ruth S. Morse Fund for Visiting Artists in Voice; jazz pianist and composer ARTURO O’FARRILL visited for a residency hosted by NEC’s Intercultural Institute and Jazz Studies department; composer ELLEN TAAFFE ZWILICH visited as Malcolm Peyton Composer Artist-inResidence, in connection with NEC’s collaboration with Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP).

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 9

BOSTON BEAM

BUILDING BRIDGES

M

EET 13-YEAR-OLD Ezequiel Sanchez, a bass trombonist from the Jamaica Plain (JP) neighborhood of Boston, and Boston BEAM student.

Ezequiel’s love of music is clear — whether he’s jumping up and down while taking a solo with one of his many street bands, or performing in his first master class with Boston BEAM. Boston BEAM (Bridge to Equity and Achievement in Music) is an innovative partnership among the New England Conservatory, Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, Community Music Center of Boston, and Project STEP, aimed at supporting and sustaining musical excellence among young musicians of underrepresented populations.

We sat down to talk to Ezequiel and his mom, Erika, about the Boston BEAM program and how it has nurtured a life in music for Ezequiel and his brother Giovanni.

EZEQUIEL: I started when I was five. We were at the Wake Up the Earth Festival in JP, and we saw JP Honk [a community street band] playing. And I was like, “I want to do that!” I started on the trumpet, and then somebody gave me a euphonium. I wasn’t big enough to play the trombone yet. Then I joined the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra. Oh yeah, and I have also been going to Conservatory Lab Charter School since I was five! So I guess that was part of it, too.

ERIKA: I had read articles about how music helps with their developing brains. I don’t play any instruments, but I have always loved music — jazz and classical. And with Ezequiel — he has a very expressive personality, and was having a lot of tantrums when he was little.

But when I put on music, he was a different child. Even now, if he is feeling anxious about something, he puts music on and it helps him.

10 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

Andrew Hurlbut / New England Conservatory | Opposite Page: Courtesy of Ezequiel Sanchez | David Brancazio

HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN MUSIC?

Highlights

TELL US ABOUT BOSTON BEAM. HOW HAS THAT FIT INTO YOUR MUSICAL GROWTH?

King, all these Disney movies. And the kids were able to ask: “Being a person of color, how hard was it for you? How comfortable was it for you?”

ERIKA: When we first joined the orchestra side of the music, I noticed that there were not a lot of people of color. I learned about Boston BEAM through one of his teachers — and it was very interesting to me, because they want to help people of color and minorities get there, to stay in the music.

So first my older son Gio joined, and then Ezequiel. They had extra theory oneon-one with the teacher, which has been a great help for them. And if your mom or dad can’t bring you, you can do the theory online. With my parents, I didn’t have those opportunities, and I think that with BEAM, it’s opening those doors to other kids.

EZEQUIEL: They also cover one summer camp each year. This year, I’m planning to go to three. Recently, I’ve been focusing a lot on upcoming auditions!

EZEQUIEL: I did my first master class with Boston BEAM recently [with trombonist Burt Mason]. I really learned a lot. My brother Gio has done a couple of them, too — he plays oboe.

ERIKA: Most of the people who have come to teach the master classes are also people of color, which has been great. [Burt Mason] played in The Lion

WHAT ARE YOUR THREE FAVORITE SONGS OR PIECES RIGHT NOW, AND WHY? EZEQUIEL: Hm…I would say Rebirth Brass Band’s “Cassanova” because you can dance to it. This jazz tune “Groove Merchant” because it has a really nice groove to it. And Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8, I really love the trombone excerpt in that. It’s one of my favorites right now.

ON THE IMPACT OF MUSIC IN YOUR LIFE, AND IN THE WORLD: ERIKA: I would say that Ezequiel and Gio have developed more compassion. “I want [others] to feel what I felt.” That’s what they say sometimes. “I want them to feel that experience that I had with music.”

EZEQUIEL: We played a protest at the ICE detention center as part of HONK

[a festival of activist street bands] with musicians from all different bands. We walked out onto the bridge, and there were so many of us that we barely had any space. We could see the people in the jail cells — they had signs they were holding up. I think one of them said, “We Love You.” I was happy to do it — I could see they really appreciated what we were doing.

ERIKA: It helps to bring them to protests, and [bring music to] things that happen in daily life. But also classical music, challenging music — it has a soft spot in them. It’s very different playing in a street band versus an orchestra, but in the end, it’s very similar — it’s a group experience, and you’re there with a purpose.

I read a lot about issues around the world — like Venezuela, a country that has gone through so much, but people are in the streets, making music, and there’s a unity that the music brings. You forget for a little bit what’s going on, and it unites you with everybody else. It helps you heal.

Music is something I believe is like medicine. I’m just happy that there are programs that are opening doors.

BOSTON BEAM brass students Ezequiel Sanchez, Ian Dorich, and Chaya Grant attended a master class with trombonist Burt Mason, principal trombonist of the Chamber Orchestra of New York and faculty at the Juilliard School’s MAP program (LEFT). A young Ezequiel meets Senator Elizabeth Warren on the street during Pride festivities (RIGHT).

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 11

Highlights PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS

Meet NEC’s Professional Chamber Music Program Ensembles

NEC’s elite Professional String Quartet Program, led by Cello faculty Paul Katz, and Professional Piano Trio Program, led by Piano and Collaborative Piano faculty Vivian Hornik Weilerstein, features two ensembles-in-residence with the talent and commitment necessary to pursue concert careers.

THE BALOURDET QUARTET, composed of Angela Bae ’22 MM, Justin DeFilippis ’17, Benjamin Zannoni ’22 GD, and Russell Houston ’22 GD, have had a good year. Now in their second year as QuartetIn-Residence in NEC’s Professional String Quartet Program, they earned the Grand Prize at the 2021 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, as well as the top prize in the 2021 Premio Paolo Borciani.

Grant Houston ’20, ’22 MM, Yi-Mei Templeman ’22, and Andrew Barnwell ’20 formed Trio Gaia while earning their bachelor’s degrees at NEC. They honed their dynamic, personally relevant concert approach as Fellows in the Community Performances & Partnerships program at NEC, and were selected as an NEC Honors Ensemble in 2019-2020. This year, they became Trio-In-Residence in the Professional Piano Trio Program.

BY THE NUMBERS: Fall 2022 Incoming Class

Countries

3

China, South Korea, Taiwan

12 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

27

US states represented

Courtesy of Trio Gaia | Courtesy of Balourdet Quartet

24

TOP

Highlights CELEBRATING WOMEN

HIGHLIGHTING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN IN MUSIC >A YEAR OF EXCITING events at NEC shined a light on the unique and diverse contributions of women: from concerts celebrating the historically overlooked female composers of the 19th century to today’s artists who are continuing to break down barriers. Here, we share some highlights from the year.

The Opera department’s fall 2021 production of Ana Sokolović's SvadbaWedding was a uniquely modern selection for six female voices in a cappella style. Based on Serbian folklore and poetry, the opera tells a timeless story of female-centered community and ritual through sound and texture.

Andrew Hurlbut / New England Conservatory

The legacy of alumna Coretta Scott King ’54, ’71 Hon. DM was celebrated by the Fifth Annual Coretta Scott King Tribute Concert in February 2022. This year’s concert was titled “Continuation of a Dream: A Legacy Unyielding,” and was presented by NEC’s Black Student Union (BSU) as part of this year’s Black History Month celebrations and reflections.

NEC students participated in master classes led by accomplished female musicians and coaches across genres and musical disciplines, including Cécile McLorin Salvant, Julia Bullock, Anna Webber, Karla Donehew Perez, Liz Knowles, Teresa Rodriguez, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Mary Halvorson, Joan Dornemann, and Margo Garrett.

From traditional Irish music to opera and avant-garde composition, NEC students were able to learn from inspiring female leaders in their fields.

Thanks to the support of donors and NEC programs like the “Grow Your Art” residency, some artists participated in residencies that featured panel discussions and performances for

PRESIDENT ANDREA KALYN, Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation faculty members Dominique Eade ’82, ’89 AD and Ayn Inserto ’01 MM, and Director of Cultural Equity and Belonging Monique Van Willingh with visiting artist Cécile McLorin Salvant during the “Grow Your Art” Music Business Panel discussion, December 2021.

the community. Salvant’s fall 2021 residency included a Music Business Panel that featured a towering array of female perspectives, including President Andrea Kalyn, Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation faculty members Dominique Eade ’82, ’89 AD and Ayn Inserto ’01 MM, and Director of Cultural Equity and Belonging Monique Van Willingh, in a lively conversation moderated by the chair of NEC’s Jazz Studies department, Ken Schaphorst ’84 MM. The panelists discussed the challenges of being creative women in male-dominated music fields and confronting sexism, racism, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

THE CORETTA SCOTT KING bronze bust in the NEC Library, titled “Continuation of a Dream” and created by artist MacLean Tiffany, provides an ongoing reminder of King’s musical talent and civil rights legacy.

Amplifying Connection in Challenging Times NEC’s Community Performances and Partnerships (CPP) Program enriches communities through the power of music.

BY JOHN SHERER

Andrew Hurlbut / New England Conservatory

N

OW IN ITS eighteenth year, NEC’s Community Performances and Partnerships (CPP) Program is one of the country’s most robust conservatory programs for community engagement.

Through partnerships with a wide range of Boston-area organizations as well as thoughtful instruction in best practices for engagement, the CPP Program connects well over 100 NEC students every year with thousands of people across greater Boston, giving people from all walks of life — from children and seniors to healthcare providers and beyond — greater access to music and music education.

Student activities with partner organizations vary widely, and are suited to the needs of each organization and the community it seeks to support. Partners include hospitals, senior centers, schools, and libraries, as well as other non-profit organizations that provide assistance and programming for such diverse groups as LGBTQIA+ seniors and adults in mental health recovery.

While CPP helps to enrich many communities in and around Boston, the program aims to benefit NEC students as much as those reached by its partner organizations. For this reason, it is truly collaborative on all sides. Students are given the chance to reflect on what it means to be a musician contributing to a community, and how their skills beyond music might be expanded in order to make the strongest possible contributions. The program provides a framework of training, mentoring, and professional development in order to ensure that they are well-equipped to get the most out of their hands-on experience in the Boston community.

The program was founded during the 2003–04 academic year by Tanya Maggi, Dean of Community Engagement and Professional Studies, and initially worked with fewer than 10 partner organizations, most of which had existing relationships with NEC at the time. By the 2021–22 academic year, the program has grown to work with over 120 partner organizations.

Although the program started small in terms of

MUSICAL STORYTELLING Tanya Maggi and student Evelyn Song ’23 GD perform at Boston Bridge.

partners, the number of students participating was strong from the beginning, at over 100. Today, between 100 and 250 students — about one-third of the NEC student body — perform and teach in the multitude of CPP projects each year.

Many similar programs at other institutions separate undergraduate and graduate students, or students in different genres, but CPP has them all working together, promoting a rich cross-pollination of varying skills, disciplines, and experience levels. For Maggi, this is one of the most rewarding aspects of the program. “It’s an absolutely magical experience,” she says, “to witness a classical string quartet watching a jazz ensemble develop a program on improvisation for third graders, and then see that string quartet incorporate the concept of improvisation into their presentation on Mozart.”

Because one of the core commitments of the CPP Program is mainWe’re trying to taining long-term relationships with provide as wide partner organizations, a net as possible it is crucial that NEC’s to support all involvement adapts as of these students its partners’ needs change over time. “We’ve in whatever put a huge premium on stage they the people,” says Maggi. may be in their “Sometimes we’ll find a great teacher, for development.” example, who has moved between schools and we’ll follow that teacher. In other cases, a nursing home may add new facilities to its portfolio, and we’ll expand our partnership if it aligns with our mission.”

FOSTERING THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS A cornerstone of CPP’s mission is its support of NEC students as they expand their repertoire of abilities beyond performing music. Emphasis is placed on developing such skills as speaking to audiences, managing classrooms, and designing accessible programming. A significant amount of work has been done this year on culturally responsive teaching, in collaboration with NEC’s Center for Cultural Equity and Belonging, to ensure NEC students are responding to the needs of the young people they are working with in Boston-area classrooms.

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 15

BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEC STUDENTS CONTINUED to strengthen a partnership with the Boston Public Schools (BPS) in the 2021–22 school year through innovative programming, band instrument instruction, and hundreds of teaching hours. This year, CPP learned from its experiences with virtual teaching earlier in the pandemic to create a hybrid approach, combining virtual and in-person teaching. This approach has opened up new possibilities, especially in schools that are harder for NEC students to travel to. In the coming years, CPP looks forward to adding many more teaching hours with BPS, in large part due to the increased capabilities that virtual teaching provides.

Discussing her Musical Storytelling Fellowship, which introduces schoolchildren to instruments through stories told with music, Elizabeth YeohWang ’21 NEC/Harvard reports, “I feel that it has helped me see how music touches people of all ages and experiences, and I came away from each program feeling inspired and excited about sharing music with more people.”

THE CPP FELLOWSHIP JAZZ QUINTET performs in a program through Boston’s Peterborough Senior Center, featuring Miles Keingstein ’22, trumpet; Christopher Ferrari ’23, trumpet; Jonathan Paik ’23, piano; Leo Weiskoff ’19 Prep, ’23, bass; and Alex Yoo ’22, percussion.

16 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

CPP’s focus on individual mentorship is one of its most unique features. Students are given a great deal of support to help with any challenges they may face along the way, and to allow them to take risks and grow.

Perhaps most remarkably, the program leaders and staff stay in touch with alumni who have gone on to incorporate education and community outreach into their professional lives. Some have followed more traditional paths — such as playing in a professional orchestra and using what they learned in the CPP to enrich their orchestra’s education efforts — while others have used their experience in CPP as an on-ramp to careers as full-time teaching artists. For that reason, Maggi explains, “we’re trying to provide as wide a net as possible to support all of these students in whatever stage they may be in their development.”

POWERING COMMUNITY THROUGH THE PANDEMIC The changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges to CPP, but also demonstrated the resiliency of the program and the dedication of the NEC students who are its lifeblood. In March 2020, NEC students replaced their in-person activities scheduled for the remainder of the semester with dozens of virtual performances and nearly 200 virtual teaching visits. During the 2020–21 year, CPP focused exclusively on the virtual space, with students giving almost 100 virtual performances and teaching over 1,200 virtual hours.

Students and partners continued to adapt throughout the 2021–22 school year, which proved to be the most challenging of the pandemic as the possibility of in-person events fluctuated. More in-person activities had to be canceled and replaced with virtual ones, but in spring 2022 students were finally able to give a large number of performances and lessons in person. Despite the obstacles, NEC students and partners worked to find new ways of growing and deepening connections with their communities.

For the coming year, the CPP Program looks forward to a new partnership pilot with Carnegie Hall’s Link Up program, which will give children in grades 3–5 the chance to play along in portions of a concert with the NEC Symphony Orchestra in Jordan Hall. Other plans for the 2022–23 school year include further development of CPP’s teaching artistry programs, a substantial increase in the number of virtual lessons offered to Boston Public School students, and a strengthened focus on creative aging and elder choirs.

As the years continue, the CPP Program will continue amplifying connection and community, through challenging times and brighter days, via the power of music.

BOSTON HOPE MUSIC NEC students work with MGH patients and healthcare professionals on a variety of music-related health initiatives, efforts which are more crucial than ever during the pandemic.

BOSTON HOPE MUSIC

Tanya Maggi and Grace Allendorf / New England Conservatory | Boston Hope Music

THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP with Boston Hope Music and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), NEC students work with patients and healthcare professionals to provide musical instruction, music therapy, virtual bedside concerts, and more. The project began early in the pandemic and has continued to widen its scope as hospital staff have dealt with wave after wave of COVID-19.

For Dr. Kathy Tran, the partnership with CPP provided the MGH community with intangible benefits beyond the capabilities of medicine. NEC students, she says, “were able to provide a treatment that we doctors could not.” Their musical offerings “brought smiles, joy, comfort, and a temporary escape from the troubles of sickness — for patients, family, and staff.”

AMPLIFYING COMMUNITY (TOP TO BOTTOM) The CPP Holiday Fellowship Trio performs at Cambridge’s Cadbury Commons, featuring Tiffany Yeung ’24, violin; Sarah Tindall ’24, cello; and Emily Mitchell ’24, guitar/vocals.

Grant Houston ’20, ’22 MM works with students at the Virginia Arts Festival during Trio Gaia’s spring break programs.

The impact on students was equally profound.

CPP Ensemble Fellow Delfina Cheb Terrab ’21 MM lists many unforgettable experiences from her involvement with CPP, including singing with a COVID patient and his family as he said goodbye to his loved ones. “I will also never forget,” she says, “the time my MGH doctor-student broke down in tears, telling me it was the first time she was able to cry since the pandemic started, after singing her beautiful rendition of the song Rise Up by Andra Day.”

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 17

A REVOLUTION IN MUSIC EDUCATION CONTEMPORARY IMPROVISATION AT NEC

18 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

BY ANN BRAITHWAITE & MILVA MCDONALD

F

IVE DECADES AGO, New England Conservatory established its pioneering Contemporary Improvisation department, sparking a revolution in music education that has nurtured scores of artists and, as JAZZIZ Magazine put it, “attracted some of the world’s finest faculty and students.” Since its inception, the department has welcomed close to a thousand students, including Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz ’13, jazz keyboardist and composer John Medeski ’88, Guggenheim Fellow and genre-bending clarinetist Don Byron ’84, songwriter and vocalist Aoife O’Donovan ’03, percussionist Tupac Mantilla ’07 MM, innovative gayageum virtuoso DoYeon Kim ’16 MM, ’18 GD, songwriter and guitarist Wendy Eisenberg ’16 MM, vocalist Farayi Malek ’17, and fiddler extraordinaire Lissa Schneckenburger ’01, among many others.

Hailed by The Boston Globe as “a thriving hub of musical exploration” and by JAZZed Magazine as “one of the most versatile [programs] in all of music education,” the CI department is home to a diverse group of forward-thinking artists and gifted teachers, from internationally acclaimed vocalist Dominique Eade ’82, ’89 AD and balafon master Balla Kouyaté to innovative composers Anthony Coleman ’77 and Carla Kihlstedt.

Legendary pianist and educator Ran Blake ’06 Hon. DM, now in his fiftieth year on the NEC faculty, co-founded the department with fellow musical visionary Gunther Schuller ’78 Hon. DM. Together, they conceived of a program that would encourage creative artists to expand their musical vocabularies and develop singular, powerful voices as composers, performers, and improvisers. Says Blake, “The department has served well musicians who do

not fit existing cookie-cutter genre definitions.

Many of our students have built careers on their own unique styles.”

That foundational vision is as pertinent today as it was then. Says CI department Co-Chair Hankus Netsky ’76, ’78 MM, “We have entered an era when musical labels mean less and less and each individual musician draws on multiple influences to define who they are.” Netsky and fellow Co-Chair Eden MacAdam-Somer ’13 DMA oversee CI’s unparalleled approach to aural skills, singing, harmony, aesthetic integrity, collaboration, improvisation, and stylistic openness.

Eschewing narrow categories and embracing a broad musical ethos, the department welcomes musicians seeking to go beyond their comfort zones, encouraging them to delve into areas including composition, improvisation, oral musical traditions from Africa, Asia, and the Americas — and beyond.

The evolution of the Contemporary Improvisation department as one of the most innovative and sought-after music programs in the world began with Schuller’s extraordinary philosophies around what it means to be a musician. In the 1950s he coined “Third Stream,” the term that would become the department’s name for several years. Drawing from existing styles, genres, and sounds to create something entirely new was at the core of Schuller’s idea, with improvisation serving as one of the key building blocks. He later articulated his ideas around the complete musician, and the vital role of the complete conservatory, “a conservatory where the many subsidiary disciplines, whether applied or theoretical, whether vocal or instrumental, whether individual or collective, are all integrated, aware of each other, enlightened by each other.”

During Schuller’s ten years as NEC president he endorsed the department’s work and, shortly

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 19

1972

MID- TO LATE-1970s

Gunther Schuller hires Ran Blake to establish the “Third Stream” department, establishing the first program that uses diverse oral traditions of music as their primary source for teaching composers and improvisers.

Department begins to present three concerts each year in Jordan Hall under Blake’s direction.

Expansion of department’s student enrollment and faculty to include Peter Row (world music), Geraldine Martin (vocal traditions), Mick Goodrick (guitar), and Hankus Netsky (aural skills, improvisation). Gunther Schuller moves music education forward by establishing a Duke Ellington Repertory Ensemble, a Contemporary Music Ensemble that moves fluidly between genres, and other school-wide groups that focus on various kinds of American non-classical traditions.

EARLY 1980s NEC becomes a major player in the world of contemporary improvisation.

The first “Third Stream Festival” includes a solo percussion recital by Max Roach, collaborations with other faculty including Jaki Byard, Joseph Maneri, and George Russell. Hankus Netsky forms the “Klezmer Conservatory Band” featuring students from the department and begins teaching Eastern European Jewish Music. Ran Blake leads student and faculty groups at the Rome Jazz Festival and Smithsonian Institute.

20 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

1992

2002

NEC changes the name of the department to “Contemporary Improvisation.” Undergraduate program is combined with NEC’s Jazz Studies Program under the “Improvisation” umbrella.

Allen Chase takes over as department chair, hires Joe Morris to teach “Free Improvisation,” and brings in Roscoe Mitchell for a residency.

Ran Blake begins his series of annual Film Noir concerts, which are hailed in 2020 by The Boston Globe as “the most exciting filmgoing experience in Boston.”

1988 Ran Blake receives MacArthur Fellowship “Genius Grant.” Primacy of The Ear, a philosophy (and later, music book of the same name) that places paramount importance on listening and promotes individual expression and innovation, continues to inform Blake’s work as pianist, composer, performer and teacher. “I believe in the aural tradition,” says Blake. “Placing the onus on sheet music and scores does not develop a student’s style unless it is really remembered and emotionally conveyed in a performance.”

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 21

“

NEC IS MORE THAN A SCHOOL – IT IS AN EPIPHANY”

22 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

Pg. 18 & 23: Andrew Hurlbut / New England Conservatory | Pg. 20: NEC Archives & Wendell Davis | Pg. 21: NEC Archives | Jeff Thiebauth | Joan Rogers

before his passing in 2015, told current Co-Chair Netsky, “I feel that my vision for what music training can be has now been realized.”

With a focus on holistic musicianship and artistry that includes but goes far beyond technique, the CI program endows its graduates with knowledge, skills, and profound experiences that they carry forward into their careers.

Says guitarist, vocalist, and bandleader Chris Calloway Brooks ’80, “NEC is more than a school — it is an epiphany.

For me, a day does not pass without a memory of my Third Stream days.”

For artists like one-of-a-kind Japanese pianist and composer Satoko Fujii ’96 GD, the CI department provides the kind of openness and encouragement required to realize their art. “I believe finding and expressing one’s musical voice is the most important thing for a musician,” says Fujii. “Without my NEC experience I don’t believe I’d be doing so.”

Another important aspect of the CI program is the creation of a close-knit community of faculty and students, and the trust and support that offers.

Saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and “Jazz Rabbi” Greg Wall ’82 says the NEC community helped students gain the confidence to take themselves seriously as artists, take risks, and transcend labels: “I cannot imagine myself being me without it.” Flamenco guitarist and composer Juanito Pascual ’97 echoes Wall’s sentiments: “The devotion to quality and expansive creativity, the emphasis put on each student’s exploration and development of a uniquely personal musical vision, the participation in a thriving and diverse musical community — these are

just some of the things that mark my time at NEC as extraordinary.”

As the Contemporary Improvisation department carries its vision well into the 21st century, the core values of its foundation — artistic curiosity, relentless creativity, dissolving boundaries, and unwavering excellence — continue to be guiding principles. Singer-songwriter Jarosz, who graduated in 2013, expresses gratitude for the way her studies pushed her out of her musical comfort zone: “I have had the opportunity to study and play countless styles of music right alongside some of the most talented and creative musicians around today. It is the kind of environment where you feel like there are no musical lines or boundaries that can’t be crossed, and it is that adventurous nature and spirit that makes this program so unique and exciting to be a part of.”

Like Fujii and many others before them, CI grad and current faculty member Nima Janmohammadi ’13 MM, ’14 GD, ’19 DMA found a place where he could foster his unique and unusual talents: “My background is in Persian music, so when I decided to continue my education, I only had two options: ethnomusicology or Western classical music. Contemporary Improvisation is the only program in the world where I could come and play my music, work on my weak spots, listen and learn about so many different languages in music.”

In addition to enriching the lives and music of its students, the department provides a profound artistic home for teachers. “I believe very much in the Third Stream/Contemporary Improvisation department and have devoted more than 55 years of my life to New England Conservatory,” says Blake. “To inspire younger musicians, and to gain an appreciation of musical memory and how it affects one’s personal style and career, has been the most defining thing in my life.”

With a faculty filled with brilliant artists, dedicated teachers, and some of the most talented students in the world, the future of the CI department is bright.

2014

2008 Hankus Netsky takes over as Chair. With support from President Tony Woodcock’s administration, Netsky expands the department’s faculty, ensemble program, and curriculum, adding several electives including Songwriting, African Roots, Contemporary Rock, and World Music ensembles; with groups to play student compositions. He begins annual residency program which over the years features luminaries including Elliott Sharp, Fred Frith, John Zorn, Matana Roberts, Carla Kihlstedt, Marty Ehrlich, Mat Maneri, Mary Halvorson, and Tyshawn Sorey.

2012 CI department celebrates 40 th anniversary with concerts featuring Randy Weston, Gunther Schuller, Sarah Jarosz, Marty Ehrlich, Carla Kihlstedt, Anthony Coleman, Peter Row, Judy Bressler, Linda Chase, Juanito Pascual, Dominique Eade, Lissa Schneckenburger, David Fiuczynski, Ken Schaphorst, Hankus Netsky, Ran Blake, and many others. NYC events include CI Showcase concert; allday Contemporary Improvisation Festival in Brooklyn; and discussion/performance highlighting NEC’s pivotal role in the revitalization of Jewish music.

Netsky hires violinist, vocalist, composer, and percussive dancer Eden MacAdam-Somer as Assistant Chair and, later, Co-Chair. Department adds American Roots, Contemporary Rock, Irish Music, Mandé West African Music, Interdisciplinary Arts, Korean Music ensembles.

In 2017, Anthony Coleman composes multi-movement work featuring CI students, commissioned for NEC’s 150 th anniversary. In 2021, Ran Blake’s 85th Birthday Celebration features concert of his music and interviews by historian Robin Kelley and Netsky.

2022-2023 CI department to celebrate 50 th anniversary with an array of programming featuring CI luminaries.

A Tale of Two Tenors 24 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

BY STEPHANIE JANES PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW HURLBUT

Bradley Williams, Voice Chair, and Anthony León, Artist Diploma Tenor, discuss their lasting bond and what makes NEC special BRADLEY WILLIAMS , tenor and Voice Chair at NEC,

shares special bonds with all of his students. But he can see echoes of his own career trajectory when he looks at the rising star of Artist Diploma candidate and tenor ANTHONY LEÓN. A 2021 alumnus of NEC’s Master of Music program in Vocal Performance, and current Artist Diploma candidate due to graduate in 2023, Anthony knows his time at NEC can springboard him into the spotlight as a tenor who will be seen on stages around the world.

NEC’s Artist Diploma program is the institution’s highest-level and most selective performance program, and only a few students are admitted each year: Anthony is one such student. Being a student in the AD program gives Anthony the opportunity to hone his craft and take advantage of NEC’s extensive performance opportunities.

What makes Anthony’s experience at NEC particularly special is the opportunity to continue his studies with Bradley. The teacher-student relationship they share is pivotal to Anthony’s career as a rising tenor with a bright future ahead.

The two tenors discuss their similarities as artists, their relationship as mentor and student, and what makes the NEC community so special.

Q.

DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU FIRST FELL IN LOVE WITH MUSIC? BRADLEY WILLIAMS (BW): I discovered a love for music as a child. My mom loved to sing, and I grew up listening to and singing along with her Barbra Streisand and Mario Lanza records. My family actually discovered I could sing because I started singing along with my mom and the radio on road trips. But I am also very lucky to have had a number of dynamic music teachers. My high school choir director later introduced me to Luciano Pavarotti which changed my life forever. He made me want to become a singer.

ANTHONY LEÓN (AL): I also grew up in a musical family. My dad is a tenor and my mom is a soprano. My mom has four brothers who are all in medicine, and they’re all operatic tenors. So I grew up in this household where we would play concerts of The Three Tenors, Kathleen Battle, Jessye Norman, and Andrea Bocelli. I was the two-year-old who could sing Italian arias. My family tells these funny stories about how when I was little, we would go into the mall and I would sing and draw a crowd.

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 25

FUTURE TENOR Anthony is ready for the spotlight as a two-year-old singing Italian arias in local malls.

Courtesy of Anthony León

HOW DID YOUR PATHS LEAD YOU TO PURSUE MUSIC AS A CAREER? BW: I always thought I would be a choir director, but one thing led to another that propelled me toward a solo career. In the summer of 1990, I was in a program where I met conductor Paul Nadler, who was conducting at The Metropolitan Opera. Joan Dornemann, a fantastic coach who was the first female opera prompter in the world, was also there for a residency. Paul encouraged me to send my materials to the Metropolitan Opera Guild for a production of Don Pasquale that he was conducting.

Shortly after I submitted them, The Met called and hired me based on a cassette tape recording. After my Met debut as Ernesto, I had an agent and contracts for the coming year. I then went to Santa Fe Opera as an apprentice artist, and shortly after made my New York City Opera debut.

AL: Once I started elementary school and junior high, I studied piano and the saxophone more seriously and put singing aside. But I credit Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, and José Carreras for igniting a spark in me again. I would go to my closet at night when the rest of my family was asleep and listen to their albums on repeat. I would sing into a sweater so nobody knew I was singing those high notes! Once I got to college, I decided I would major in pre-med and music. My whole family was shocked because they didn’t know that I had gotten so serious about singing again. But pretty soon, while suffering through biology class, I realized all I wanted to do was go to the practice room and sing. So music became my only major, and doors just started to open.

26 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

WHY DID YOU BOTH PICK NEC — AS A TEACHER AND AS A STUDENT? AL: I picked NEC because Bradley and I clicked right away. NEC is exactly where I need to be, and Bradley is exactly the teacher I need to be with. He has taught me so many things and has given me the tools to be able to do what I’m doing now — launching into the next phase of my career. I connected so much with NEC that after I graduated with my master’s, I returned as an Artist Diploma candidate.

BW: Thankfully, NEC picked me! They had an opening in the Voice department and reached out. It’s been a great fit, and I’m thankful to have so many wonderful relationships with colleagues and students.

DO YOU SEE SIMILARITIES IN YOUR CAREER PATHS? BW: Absolutely. My debut at The Met Opera Guild in 1991 was as Ernesto in Don Pasquale, and Anthony just sang the same role here in our spring 2022 production of the same opera. We both sang at Santa Fe Opera as Apprentice Artists thirty years apart; we both were awarded Sullivan Foundation Career Grants after Santa Fe, and those connections have been formative in the next steps of both our careers.

AL: And after Santa Fe, I sang at the St. Louis Opera.

That led to a European tour with Ensemble I Gemelli in the fall, and the year concluded with Handel’s Messiah in Dayton, Ohio this past December. Both of us have been able to take time during our respective academic programs to pursue these opportunities, which plays a big part in building connections and getting even more performance experience.

“We’ve had a welcoming family feeling here for many years. And that trickles down in a way that’s palpable. Without that, we wouldn’t be able to attract this quality of faculty and students.”

– BRADLEY WILLIAMS

FIRST MONDAYS Anthony performs Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “On Wenlock Edge” in the April 2022 First Monday event at Jordan Hall, alongside instrumentalists Lluís Claret, Cello faculty, and visiting violist Hsin-Yun Huang.

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 27

BRADLEY, WHAT DO YOU SEE FOR THE FUTURE OF THE VOCAL DEPARTMENT? BW: The number one thing we need to continue investing in as a conservatory is scholarship support for students. When we’re able to put scholarships targeted toward the talent, we usually enroll them since NEC is their first choice for teacher and institution. We’re always working on innovating our training and curriculum to adapt to the rapidly changing landscape facing a 21st century performing artist. Our goal has always been to attract the best and brightest talents on earth. I want NEC to be the number one choice for students.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Anthony and Bradley rehearse with collaborative pianist Sujin Choi ’23 GD in Bradley’s studio.

WHAT MAKES NEC SPECIAL? BW: It’s the people. It’s the dynamic that results from the camaraderie in this place versus anywhere else. We keep hearing how special the atmosphere is that we’ve created here at NEC, and that’s intentional. We’ve had a welcoming family feeling here for many years. And that trickles down in a way that’s palpable. Without that, we wouldn’t be able to attract this quality of faculty and students. Anthony and all the many others who have come before him are our ambassadors, and we’re invested in them.

AL: I agree, it’s the people. Although I auditioned for other conservatories, I realized that the best teacher and the best program with the people that cared the most was going to be at NEC. Not only do we get amazing training — perhaps the best training around — but the teachers really care. They’re thinking about you as the artist; you as the artist in training. I’m so grateful for how generous they’ve been with me.

HOW DOES THE OPERA DEPARTMENT COMPLEMENT THE VOICE DEPARTMENT’S WORK? BW: At NEC, students are involved in operas, concerts, and scene work throughout their entire course of study.

In the Opera department in particular, we program the operas based on the voices we have. The Opera department does a remarkable job casting and providing performance experiences for our students.

The Undergraduate Opera Studio (UGOS) is unique in that it is focused solely on performance experiences for our undergraduates. Singers leave NEC very polished because they’re able to grow as artists, ground their technique in live performance, and progress as actors.

That credit goes to our Opera Chair Joshua Major, Music Director Robert Tweten, and UGOS Artistic Director Michael Meraw.

28 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

ANTHONY, WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOU? AL: I have another year at NEC as an Artist Diploma student. Although I’ve been able to take time off and sing domestically and abroad, this second year in the AD program is important for my vocal technique. Being at NEC and being able to train and feel the whole community backing me is the best way for me to grow as a young artist.

BW: Anthony is going to go on and have a very long, fruitful, and lucrative international career singing opera, concerts, and crossover. He’s the quintessential 21st century artist who has developed the skill sets to leverage technology to his advantage and adapt to ever-changing conditions in the industry. Anthony is a model for how to succeed in today’s music world. He has the talent, but even more importantly, he has done the work necessary to achieve his goals, and he loves the process.

U P D AT E S

|

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

|

AWA R D S

News & Notes 100 YEARS OF JAKI BYARD

Honoring the Legacy of a Groundbreaking Musician at NEC

N

“

I’ve been fortunate to play with many great musicians, but there are two people who I wouldn’t hesitate to use the word ‘genius,’ and Jaki Byard was one of those people.”

EW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY recently celebrated the centennial of the birth of John Arthur “Jaki” Byard: influential jazz pianist and multiinstrumentalist, cornerstone of the original Afro-American Music and Jazz Studies department founded in 1969 at NEC by Carl Atkins ’75 MM, ’21 Hon. DM and Gunther Schuller ’78 Hon. DM, and native of Worcester, Massachusetts, who tragically passed away in 1999.

Byard’s legacy was honored with a full concert by the NEC Jazz Orchestra celebrating his work and arrangements with his group the Apollo Stompers, in addition to pieces written by Atkins in tribute to his friend and colleague.

Prior to the concert, NEC held a panel discussion on Byard’s life, work, and influence on NEC, featuring the evening’s composers and soloists including saxophonist and composer Atkins, saxophonist Jed Levy ’80, and Jazz Piano faculty member Jason Moran, facilitated

by Jazz Studies Chair Ken Schaphorst ’84 MM. All of the panelists had worked or studied with Byard over the years at NEC and other institutions.

The panelists discussed how many of them first became aware of Byard due to his work in the 1950s and 1960s as a member of groundbreaking jazz ensembles, including as a member of Charles Mingus’ band.

Atkins discussed how he consulted with Byard about the need for an Afro-American Music and Jazz Studies department, and how Byard was a “singular musician who followed the muse to the Nth degree – always with

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 29

News & Notes 100 YEARS OF JAKI BYARD

VOCALIST YIHONG GUO ’23 MM performs in the NEC Jazz Orchestra’s “The Music of Jaki Byard” on March 3, 2022.

Carl Atkins ’75 MM, ’21 Hon. DM (LEFT) was a featured special guest, composer, and performer, who reflected on his friend Jaki’s legacy.

100 YEARS OF JAKI BYARD

JASON MORAN DONATES HISTORIC BYARD MANUSCRIPTS TO NEC ARCHIVES

JAZZ STUDIES CHAIR Ken Schaphorst ’84 MM, NEC Archivist / Records Manager Maryalice Perrin-Mohr, Jazz Piano faculty Jason Moran, President Andrea Kalyn, and Provost and Dean Ben Sosland with Moran’s donated Byard manuscripts.

30 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

Photos by Andrew Hurlbut / New England Conservatory | Pg. 29: Historical image ©1985 Patrick Hinely, Work/Play®

an eye and ear to quality, but always wanted to have fun.” Calling him “one of a kind,” Atkins highlighted Byard’s kindness, generosity, and sense of humor, echoed by the other panelists (and by Contemporary Improvisation Co-Chair Hankus Netsky ’76, ’78 MM, himself a former student of Byard’s, during the panel’s Q&A portion).

Decades later, Moran would move from Houston to New York to study with Byard in the 1990s, reflecting on how Byard embodied Black representation at the piano with a “mane of Frederick Douglass hair,” and how his unique approach included experimentation with language to stimulate musical ideas, and body movement to manipulate the keys in new ways.

Moran reflected that working with him was “life-changing,” and “one of the treasured moments of my life was spending Mondays with him in New York.” Although Moran met Byard

Photo of Kissin by Pierre Anthony | Courtesy of Sergei Babayan

“later in life,” he noted Byard’s “holistic” approach to teaching and playing which incorporated their lives beyond music, and that he “seemed so at ease to give you all the gold to go make yours.”

Levy recalled playing as a member of Byard’s band, and even recording a whole album in the middle of the night at the WGBH studios here in Boston, along with the nights they would just hang out and listen to records in Byard’s suite in the NEC dorms. Levy commented, “I’ve been fortunate to play with many great musicians, but there are two people who I wouldn’t hesitate to use the word ‘genius,’ and Jaki Byard was one of those people – it goes beyond his piano playing, his writing…he looked at nature and made music out of it.”

The panel and concert highlighted the unique contributions of Byard, an influential yet under-recognized artist, and set the stage for further explorations around his legacy, archive, and achievements.

JASON MORAN, member of NEC’s Jazz Piano faculty, has made a wonderful donation to the NEC Archives of unique piano manuscripts, exercises, and lessons — complete with creative cover illustrations — from his studies with longtime faculty member Jaki Byard. Adding his manuscripts to the NEC Archives will further appreciation and studies of his contributions, while continuing to cement his legacy, and NEC deeply appreciates Moran sharing these materials for future generations of students and researchers.

Moran comments, “NEC has continued to imbue the legacy of Jaki Byard into their students. I have protected this music for a while, holding it as a treasure.

Every once in a while I would share it with students. But I know, Jaki left a map on the piano and I need to share the map.”

IN SOLIDARITY

THREE CONCERTS IN SUPPORT OF UKRAINE

PIANISTS EVGENY KISSIN (LEFT) and Sergei Babayan (RIGHT) performed in concerts to support Ukraine relief efforts.

NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY presented three concerts in support of Ukraine and the millions of Ukrainians who have been displaced by the war. The events on April 17 and May 11 featured live and in-person performances by legendary pianists Evgeny Kissin and Sergei Babayan, alongside esteemed NEC faculty members Miriam Fried, Kim Kashkashian, Paul Biss, and the Borromeo String Quartet. The concert on April 16 was jointly held with eight other conservatories across North America to raise funds for Ukraine, featuring the NEC Contemporary Improvisation department’s Jewish Music Ensemble.

These concerts raised awareness and funds for Ukrainians struggling during the war with donations to nonprofits who can support medical services and supplies, fresh food and clean water, housing, and animal welfare.

Spearheaded by NEC piano faculty member Alexander (Sasha) Korsantia, the performances stemmed from a shared desire from the institution and other artists to bring vital funding to Ukrainians in need.

President Andrea Kalyn says, “We stand with Ukraine and are in awe of the bravery and love for country and culture that Ukrainians are displaying in the face of this horrendous act of war. We offer these concerts in solidarity on behalf of NEC for Ukraine and its people.”

Korsantia says, “This concert is an expression of our outrage for the criminal act of war that is taking place now in Ukraine. No matter how much we do, it will never be enough — nothing can bring back the lives lost. This concert, along with thousands of others, also expresses a shared sense of humanity and solidarity with the Ukrainian people, as we are continuously inspired by their perseverance and heroism. Слава Україні!”

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 31

News & Notes CULTURAL EQUITY AND BELONGING

Meet Monique Van Willingh

Monique Van Willingh joined NEC this year in an important new role — Director of Cultural Equity and Belonging (CEB). She discusses the upcoming initiatives of the CEB office, the short- and long-term work of culture shift, and embracing lifelong learning.

M

ll of us could A benefit from learning skills we don’t have.

It’s important … to create a culture of humility.” and wanted a space where they could be heard. As a leader, my job is reaching out my hand. And the culture shift is when students start reaching back. A turning point might come when a student comes to me and says, ‘Monique, I have some feedback.’ On the inside, I am thinking: ‘YES!’” she laughs, throwing her hands in the air with a celebratory grin.

32 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

“For example, a student approached me because I was using the word ‘cisgendered,’ and it’s not supposed to be past tense,” she shares. “As a cisgender woman, that’s an area I’ve done a lot of learning about, but of course clearly have more to learn there. And when I receive feedback: it doesn’t become easy not feeling like a failure! But it’s a key moment for me, when a student can come to me and say, ‘Okay, you know, this happened in our space together, and my hope for us is that we do this instead.’”

Building trust with students has been her first priority, but Monique’s office has plenty of other irons in the fire. She’s supporting faculty who have begun to roll out curriculum changes and guest artist initiatives. She’s involved in the Staff Culture Committee and the newly created “faculty think tank,” a project with new Provost Ben Sosland.

She’s working with Human Resources on developing more equitable hiring practices. “The work this year was really about laying the groundwork for deeper CEB work over the next few years,” she says.

In all of these initiatives, Monique’s goal is to harness everyone’s contributions toward positive culture shift: “My philosophy is to collaborate with a group so that they build their own solutions. We don’t want to become the complaints repository — instead, we want to be solutionaries!”

“My hope,” she says, returning to the idea of a “both-and” of expertise and humility, “is to build toward a sense of collective learning and collaboration, and understanding that we could actually all improve our practice. There is always space. A culture of lifelong learning is a beautiful philosophy to have.”

Courtesy of Monique Van Willingh

ONIQUE VAN Willingh approaches her work with warmth and directness: “All of us could benefit from learning skills we don’t have,” she says simply. “It’s important to me to create a culture of humility.”

Originally from South Africa, Monique graduated from NEC’s Sistema Fellows Program in 2013, after which she earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from Longy School of Music. She then became Music Director of the Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) Music Program and liaison to the LA Philharmonic’s Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA) education team, before returning to Longy to direct the teaching program from which she graduated.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the notion of andragogy, which is the study of how adults learn,” she shares — as compared to pedagogy, or how children learn. “Because we are all adults in this space — students, faculty, staff.

Adults want to be respected for their expertise that they’re already bringing into the room.”

Monique focuses a lot on the idea of “both-and”: “How can we create spaces where people can speak candidly, and where there is respect? How can we be really empathetic with each other, and still hold each other to high standards?”

She knows that this work is a long game, and she also sees opportunities for real change in the short- and medium-term: “Students come and go in their two and four years, and culture shift takes time.

But you can start to see the beginnings of a change [in an organization] at the three- and four-year mark.”

And so, she builds toward the future, but begins with the now. “What I have heard from students is that they needed

Request Your New NEC Alumni ID Your ID card gives you access to exclusive benefits and discounts, both on-campus, through partner organizations, and NEC Alumni-owned small businesses.

Scan the QR code to request a free ID today!

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 33

The Hamilton Company Charitable Foundation Celebrates New England Conservatory Its History and Music

THE HAMILTON COMPANY Celebrating 67 Years in Business – 1954-2021 www.thehamiltoncompany.com

34 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

News & Notes #NECMUSIC

Accolades & Awards AS THE NEC COMMUNITY continued to tackle the challenges of the past few years with strength and ingenuity, many of our students, faculty, and alumni were recognized this year with top honors for their outstanding achievements in music – inspiring us all with their example.

2022 AVERY FISHER CAREER GRANT Jonathan Swensen ’22 AD 2022 SPHINX COMPETITION: FIRST PLACE WINNER, SENIOR DIVISION & ROBERT FREDERICK SMITH PRIZE Kebra-Seyoun Charles ’20 2022 GILMORE YOUNG ARTIST AWARD Clayton Stephenson ’22 NEC/Harvard 2022 JAZZ MASTER, NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS Billy Hart, Jazz Percussion Faculty 2022 BORLETTI-BUITONI TRUST GRANTS Geneva Lewis ’20, ’22 AD Zlatomir Fung, ’16 Prep 2022 JUNO AWARD NOMINATION Kati Agócs, Composition Faculty

2022 VAN LAWRENCE FELLOWSHIP Dr. Ian Howell ’16 DMA, Voice Faculty and Vocal Pedagogy Director 2022 PRO MUSICIS INTERNATIONAL AWARD Alexander Hersch ’15, ’17 MM

2021 JAZZ ROAD CREATIVE RESIDENCIES GRANTS Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, Music History and Musicology Faculty Jason Moran, Jazz Piano Faculty Nasheet Waits, Jazz Studies Faculty Jaimie Branch ’05 Felipe Salles ’97 MM, ’98 GD

WASHINGTON POST “22 FOR ’22 COMPOSERS AND PERFORMERS TO WATCH” Anthony R. Green ’08 MM Charmaine Lee ’16 MM Paul Wiancko ’12 MM

2021 ANDREW R. PREIS AWARD, THE ORATORIO SOCIETY OF NEW YORK Emily Cedriana Donato ’17

2022 PAUL & DAISY SOROS FELLOWSHIP FOR NEW AMERICANS Audrey Chen ’19 NEC/Harvard

2021 NAUMBURG CHAMBER MUSIC COMPETITION The Merz Trio: Brigid Coleridge ’20 GD, Julia Yang ’14 MM, ’20 GD, Lee Dionne ’20 GD

2021 CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER AWARD FOR EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE TO CHAMBER MUSIC Gloria Chien ’99, ’01 MM, ’04 DMA and Soovin Kim, Violin Faculty

2021 JOSEPH JOACHIM INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION Maria Ioudenitch ’20 MM, ’22 AD

2022 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS Miguel Zenón, Jazz Faculty Sarah Jarosz ’13 Antonio Sánchez ’98 MM 2022 AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS & LETTERS’ MUSIC AWARDS: WLADIMIR AND RHODA LAKOND AWARD IN MUSIC Katherine Balch ’14 NEC/Tufts

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 35

News & Notes NEWS FROM ALUMNI & STUDENTS MARVIN GILMORE ’51 was recently featured as a guest on the Home Base Nation podcast. In his conversation with host Dr. Ron Hirschberg, Gilmore — a World War II Army veteran — talks about topics ranging from racial injustice and his time in the war to his many incredible achievements, experiences, and community-building initiatives in business and the arts.

Vocal performance alum JASON FORBACH ’03 MM was cast in the Broadway production of Phantom of the Opera, which returned to the stage in October at the Majestic Theatre in New York City.

Bass-baritone DOUGLAS WILLIAMS ’04 performed with the ensemble Ars Lyrica in what the Texas Classical Review praised as “one of Houston’s most riveting operatic portrayals in recent years.”

Guitarist ADAM LEVIN ’08 MM released two albums, Music from the Promised Land and 21st Century Spanish Guitar, Volume 4, in fall 2021.

Pianist MICHAEL MIZRAHI ’09 GD released a new album, Before and After, with his chamber quintet NOW Ensemble and performed the FLORENCE PRICE Piano Concerto with the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra, with more than 60 Lawrence students and Maestro Mark Dupere.

The Boston Lyric Opera opened their season in early October with a production of Pietro Mascagni’s 1890 verismo opera “Cavalleria rusticana,” which featured NEC alumni MICHELLE JOHNSON ’05 and CHELSEA BASLER-ASTON ’06. SAMUEL ROSNER ’21 MM NEC/ Harvard, JOSAPHAT CONTRERAS ’22 MM, and ANGELA YAM ’21 GD were also featured in the chorus.

Violinist JENNY AHN ’11 MM was appointed as a First Violin at the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

The New York Philharmonic, conducted

by Gustavo Dudamel at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City, premiered a new commissioned piece by ANDREIA PINTO CORREA ’06 MM, ’13 DMA: “Os pássaros da noite – The Birds of Night,” which explored the legacies and relationship of Robert and Clara Schumann.

Andreia has also been appointed to the adjunct faculty at the the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, along with KATHERINE BALCH ’14 NEC/Tufts.

LINA GONZÁLEZ-GRANADOS ’14 MM, ’15 GD was named resident conductor of Los Angeles Opera.

WANT TO SHARE YOUR NEWS WITH NEC? Email us at news@necmusic.edu

RAYNA CHOU ’15, ’17 MM was named to WBUR’s “ARTery 25” list: 25 artists of color in the Greater Boston area who are transforming the cultural landscape through their work. Chou launched a free public art project in Boston and Cambridge called “Concert for One.” She received an Entrepreneurial Musicianship grant for the idea, and first launched it in her home of Taiwan before bringing it to the Boston area.

Violinist STELLA CHEN ’16 MM NEC/Harvard and orchestral conductor EARL LEE ’15 GD made their debut

with the New York Philharmonic in February 2022 for the annual gala celebrating the beginning of a new year. In August 2021, Lee was named Assistant Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

JENNY HERZOG ’16 MM was featured on WBUR for her work as the founder of Tap for Joy, a community music and dance class in Cambridge which fostered mental and physical health during the pandemic.

Conductor HOLLY HYUN CHOE ’17 MM made her debut in the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany as a part of the Schleswig Holstein Music Festival.

Vocalist DARYNN DEAN ’19 was selected to join the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA, class of 2023.

TYLER MARTIN ’19 MM was appointed second flute and piccolo with the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra.

EMILY SIAR ’20 DMA has been hired as a faculty member at Boston Conservatory in their Voice Pedagogy department.

ESTER WIESNEROVÁ ’20 MM performed songs from her album Blue Journal on the Slovak version of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert, “In Between Books.”

Violinist MARIA IOUDENITCH ’20 MM, ’22 AD and cellist GABRIEL MARTINS ’21 MM were signed to the Opus 3 Artists roster, a career management group for the performing arts.

Violinist GENEVA LEWIS ’20, performing with cellist ALEXANDER HERSH ’15,’17 MM, among others, made her debut in Chicago’s GUARNERI HALL in November.

MINAMI YOSHIDA ’21 was one of the four finalists at the 2021 Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition.

MATTHEW SHIFRIN ’21 published an article at the Boston Globe Magazine, “I was born blind. Here’s how I’m using tech to access the power of facial expressions.”

CONTINUES ON P. 38

36 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

News & Notes #NECMUSIC

Recent Recordings from the NEC Community

Here’s a small sampling of recordings that members of the NEC community have released over the past year. azz Piano, Composition, and J Contemporary Improvisation faculty member Anthony Coleman ’77 released a new album this spring, Arcades, in collaboration with percussionist Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. azz saxophonist and composer J Kazemde George ’14 NEC/Harvard released his debut album, I Insist, in fall 2021. The album features his original music for quintet, including vocalist Sami Stevens ’16 NEC/Tufts, keyboard player Isaac Wilson ’15, bassist Tyron Allen II, and drummer Adam Arruda. ontemporary Improvisation alumna C and Grammy Award winner Aoife O’Donovan ’03 released her latest album, Age of Apathy, in winter 2022. azz alumni Andrew Boudreau ’18 J MM and Simón Willson ’15, ’17 MM, with Vicente Hansen, released their album Family Plan last fall. The trio enlisted the help of Kevin Sun ’15 MM to produce, play on a track, and release the album through his label, Endectomorph Music. Faculty member Frank Carlberg ’92 MM also wrote the liner notes. he Merz Trio, NEC’s previous trioT in-residence (composed of violinist Brigid Coleridge ’20 GD, pianist Lee Dionne ’20 GD, and cellist Julia Yang ’14 MM, ’20 GD) released their latest album, Ink, late last summer. The album centers around Ravel’s iconic piano trio interwoven with the trio’s new arrangements of works by Lili Boulanger, Nadia Boulanger, Josephine Baker, and Claude Debussy. azz alumnus Neil Leonard ’84, ’00 J MM released an LP last summer based on his sound installation which was presented by the Williams College Museum of Art, Sonance for the Precession.

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 37

News & Notes CONTINUED FROM P. 36

ANTHONY LEÓN ’21 MM, ’23 AD won a Career Development Grant from the Sullivan Foundation, which supports opera singers who are in the early stages of their careers.

AMIR SIRAJ ’22 NEC/Harvard published an article on planetary science in Scientific American, “The Solar System’s Oort Cloud May Harbor an Astonishing Number of Objects from Other Stars.”

Pianist SUNG HO YOO ’23 MM won the Fifth Prize at the 16th Seoul International Music Competition in December.

BOSTON COMMUNITY

NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY AND PHOENIX EMBARK ON NEW COLLABORATION

NEC Prep student KEILA WAKAO was announced as a featured soloist in the Newton, Massachusetts New Philharmonia Orchestra.

The Death of Juliet and Other Tales, a new album by violinist YEVGENY KUTIK ’09 MM, ’10 GD, is an in-depth look at the music of Sergei Prokofiev featuring new arrangements by Composition faculty KATI AGÓCS, Composition Chair MICHAEL GANDOLFI, and Kutik.

NEWS FROM FACULTY Opera Studies Chair JOSHUA MAJOR directed Falstaff with the Berkshire Opera Festival in August 2021.

Violin faculty NICHOLAS KITCHEN ’92 AD was featured in an interview with Strings Magazine, discussing how he and the Borromeo Quartet use iPads to gain deeper insight into the music they play.

Pianist MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN, a member of NEC’s faculty for the 20212022 academic year, recently released a new album, C.P.E. Bach: Sonatas & Rondos. Hamelin discussed exploring CONTINUES ON P. 41

38 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

Courtesy of Phoenix Orchestra

NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY and Phoenix embark on a new collaborative relationship, anchored by the many connections between the Conservatory and the Orchestra. The partnership marks a series of firsts: the first performance of the orchestra at Jordan Hall on March 27, the debut of Music Director and NEC alumnus Joshua Weilerstein ’09, ’11 MM, and the start of administrative and composition fellowships between NEC and the Orchestra.

Weilerstein comments, “To me, and to so many other members of Phoenix, NEC feels like home, so it is a thrill to announce this new artistic partnership with NEC, a partnership that will immeasurably broaden our shared missions of bringing music, education, and joy to the city of Boston. To have the first concert of this new partnership be my very first concert with Phoenix as Music Director is just icing on the cake.”

The partnership’s administrative fellowship will give current NEC students paid opportunities to gain real world experience with an organization that has become a staple in the Boston music scene, while the composition fellowship will award a commission each year, giving an NEC composer the chance to have their work performed and recorded by Phoenix.

First-year violinist CÉLINA BÉTHOUX ’25 was recently featured on the From The Top Virtual “Live” Concert series, and on From The Top’s radio program with guest host pianist Orli Shaham.

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 39

Your gift to The NEC Fund will not only help our talented students attend NEC, it will play a direct role in ensuring that the future of music remains bright.

It’s easy to make a difference using one of these options: Text NEC to 50155, or use your phone to scan the QR code below

Thank you to all who support the students and faculty at NEC. Every gift helps!

40 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

News & Notes PRATT EARLY MUSIC RESIDENCY AND PERFORMANCE SERIES

CONTINUED FROM P. 38

C.P.E. Bach’s repertory in an interview with David Allen at The New York Times.

Violinist Aisslinn Nosky Performs with NEC Baroque Ensemble

At The Boston Musical Intelligencer, Prep and Continuing Education faculty member in Piano ROBERTO POLI ’00 MM, ’02 AD wrote an in-depth review of recent concerts by NEC Piano students, which also traced 150 years of piano history at our institution.

THE 2022 HAROLD I. AND FRANCES G. PRATT EARLY MUSIC RESIDENCY AND PERFORMANCE SERIES took place in May 2022.

The residency includes lessons on instruments, lectures, and chamber music coaching. The culminating performance in the Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre featured string students who volunteered to form the NEC Baroque Orchestra, led by violinist Aisslinn Nosky, concertmaster of Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society.

Using a combination of Baroque and modern instruments and bows, the ensemble performed a program of works by Vivaldi, Corelli, Handel, Avison, and Geminiani, featuring Nosky as violin soloist and cellist Guy Fishman ’10 DMA, Chamber Music faculty and the administrator of the Pratt Residency.

The Pratt Early Music Residency and Performance Series seeks to invite and engage the NEC community with performers and scholars in the Historically Informed Performance field.

Contemporary Improvisation CoChair, violinist and composer EDEN MACADAM-SOMER ’13 DMA was a featured performer at The Christmas Revels Festival in Lebanon, New Hampshire. A portion of the tickets to her performance were donated to Afghan refugees who have resettled in the United States.

Faculty member, composer and multi-instrumentalist NIMA JANMOHAMMADI ’13 MM, ’14 GD, ’19 DMA was interviewed by SAMUEL TAYLOR ’15 for the online publication The Xen Zone, where they discussed his background in Persian music and instruments, experimental composition, and more.

Faculty member in Music History and Musicology, ELLEN EXNER, helped launch a new granting initiative aimed at expanding diversity in the study and performance of Bach and classical music, in her role as vice president of the American Bach Society.

Faculty member, jazz vocalist DOMINIQUE EADE ’82, ’89 AD was interviewed on The Jazz Session with Nicky Schrire, discussing NEC and some of Eade’s notable former students and alumni from the Jazz Vocal Program, which she founded.

Photo by Liz Linder

Pianist and former faculty member FRED HERSCH ’77 released a new album, Breath by Breath, which features The Crosby Street String Quartet and other collaborators.

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 41

NEC Flashback

1986

Justino Díaz, center, and fellow honorary degree recipients Joseph Silverstein, Miles Davis, and Virgil Thomson, with NEC president Laurence Lesser.

Justino Díaz was a recipient of the 2021 Kennedy Center Honors for his lifetime of contributions to opera. The Puerto Rican bass-baritone attended New England Conservatory from 1959–1962, and was honored by NEC in 1986 with an honorary Doctor of Music degree. During his time at NEC, Díaz studied with opera director Boris Goldovsky and tenor Frederick Jagel.

Díaz was honored by President Joe Biden in the December 2021 ceremony alongside Joni Mitchell, Berry Gordy, Lorne Michaels, and Bette Midler.

42 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

Flashback photo by Paul Foley / NEC Archives | Kennedy Center photo by UPI

JUSTINO DÍAZ ’86 HON. DM, RENOWNED OPERA SINGER, RECEIVES KENNEDY CENTER HONORS

In Memoriam

Courtesy of Lyle Davidson Family | NEC Archives | Courtesy of Robert Cogan Family

Remembering NEC Faculty

Lyle Davidson ’62, ’64 MM

John Moriarty ’52, ’92 Hon. DM

Robert Cogan ’03 Hon. DM

NEC mourns the loss of Faculty Emeritus, alumnus, composer, and researcher Lyle Davidson ’62, ’64 MM, who passed away on May 12, 2021.

A member of NEC’s faculty since 1966, Davidson taught classes in both Music Theory and Music-in-Education in the College, working with students in solfege and 16th century counterpoint. In addition, he served as Chair of the School of Continuing Education (SCE) Theory and Composition department, and taught theory classes in the Preparatory School.

Davidson received both his bachelor’s and master’s music degrees in composition at NEC; following his NEC studies, he was a University Scholar in psychology at Boston University. During his robust career, Davidson conducted important research in music and cognition, pedagogy, and assessment.

Tom Novak, former Provost and Vice President of NEC, said of Davidson, “Lyle was a fixture at NEC for six decades, someone who completely immersed himself in the daily life of the Conservatory. He was a lifelong learner, always eager to share his insights and mentor students and faculty alike. The care that he showed the entire community over such an extended tenure will be felt for many years to come, and his presence will be deeply missed.”

NEC mourns the loss of Faculty Emeritus, alumnus, and opera coach John Moriarty ’52, ’92 Hon. DM, who passed away on January 5, 2022 at the age of 91.

John began his storied music career as an undergraduate student at NEC in 1948, went on to become an important figure in American opera and music education at NEC and Boston Conservatory, and was a conductor and director at many opera institutions over the decades. As a pianist, conductor, arts administrator, author, performer, and longtime educator in opera coaching, John influenced and inspired generations of musicians. He was honored by NEC with an honorary doctorate in 1992 and as one of NEC’s first Faculty Emeriti in 2019, after his retirement in 2015.

President Andrea Kalyn reflected, “John’s passionate commitment to and impact on his students, on NEC, and indeed on the field of music are singular and lasting, and we will miss him tremendously.” Joshua Major, Chair of Opera Studies, shares: “John’s presence has hovered over me since he gave me one of my first professional jobs as a young stage director. Every day I go to work I am acutely aware of the legacy that I am responsible for upholding.”

NEC mourns the loss of Faculty Emeritus Robert Cogan ’03 Hon. DM, who passed away peacefully in his home on Thursday, August 19, 2021 at the age of 91.

Bob influenced countless students’ lives through his groundbreaking work marrying music and science.

With a nearly 60-year tenure on NEC’s Composition and Music Theory faculty, including many years as the Chair of Graduate Music Theory, Bob was vital to the development of the DMA program.

Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1930, Bob was introduced to jazz as a young boy, and went on to receive degrees from the University of Michigan, Princeton University, and a 2003 honorary doctorate from NEC. In 1958, Bob studied in Hamburg, Germany, where he met and married his wife of 61 years, composer Pozzi Escot.

Katarina Miljkovic ’99 DMA, Chair of Music Theory and Chair of Music History and Musicology, reflected on how “his research, rooted in cutting-edge technology, opened the door to a whole world of possibilities for seamlessly crossing the boundaries between music, other arts, and sciences.

His extraordinary lectures provoked expansive questions from students and instilled a lasting passion for seeking the answers.”

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 43

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE PLAYLIST WITH

Ben Sosland NEC Provost and Dean of Students

F

guess some folks could find questionable. To all the “Dancing Queens” out there, may ABBA live forever!

OR THIS SECOND ISSUE of the revitalized NEC Magazine, we thought it would be fun to get to know Ben Sosland , NEC’s Provost and Dean of Students. Ben joined the NEC team in summer 2021, after serving as Interim Dean and Director of the Music Division of the Juilliard School in New York. Ben holds an undergraduate degree in voice from the Eastman School of Music and both master’s and doctoral degrees from the Juilliard School.

Here’s our version of the classic Proust Questionnaire, with a musical twist: the Proust Questionnaire Playlist!

WHAT PIECE REFLECTS YOUR CURRENT STATE OF MIND? I’ll tweak the question slightly and share what piece reflects the state of mind I would like to have: the Andante of Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante.

Calm, orderly, and a thing of preternatural depth and clarity.

WHO IS YOUR MUSICAL HERO? Our students! Choosing to be a musical artist is a brave, heroic act requiring passion and grit. I was reminded of this during a concert of our Chamber Orchestra, which performs without a conductor – a musical tightrope walk.

The final movement of Sir William Walton’s Sonata for Strings was simply thrilling.

Instead of the conventional format, all of these answers will be about composers, artists, and pieces of music.

You can find Ben’s playlist selections at NEC’s Spotify account.

WHAT PIECE OF MUSIC EMBODIES YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS? Well, I and many others (at least according to Google) consider Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” to be the happiest song ever written. So I’ll go with that.

From the classical side, the “Entrée de

Polymnie” from Rameau’s opera Les Boréades is about as perfect a piece of

WHAT PIECE OF MUSIC EMBODIES FEAR? Billie Holiday performing “Strange Fruit.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE “GUILTY PLEASURE” SONG? I don’t find anything about music to be guilt-inducing! But I was obsessed with Top 40 when I was a teenager, which I

44 New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022

WHAT MUSICAL TALENT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE? As a singer, if only reliable high notes would have been more within reach.

Not the heroic, Italian opera kind of high notes (although give me a good “Nessun dorma” any day of the week), but the gorgeous, delicate, touching high notes of a Schubert song like the rarely performed “Lied des Florio.”

WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE? In a place that is clean, culturally welcoming, affordable, free from oppression, gastronomically fabulous, and where people can express themselves and their identities without fear. Does such a place exist? Probably not, but Pharrell Williams’ hit “Freedom” gives us a sense of what we might hope for.

Pg. 44 & Back Cover: Andrew Hurlbut / New England Conservatory

music as I can think of, although I’m not sure if it brings tears to my eyes because it is happy or sad. It’s ineffable and full of wonder, which is what makes it so great.

WHAT COMPOSER DO YOU MOST ADMIRE — AND WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE BY THEM? No surprise here, but I think Bach is the greatest composer in the history of music. When you contemplate an achievement like the Mass in B minor, words fall short of expressing such a depth of genius. The last few bars of the Crucifixus where the entire fate of the world seems to turn on an augmented 6th chord, and then explodes into celebration in the Resurrezione is one of my favorite moments of musical drama.

INSPIRE THE FUTURE OF MUSIC As classical music enthusiasts for nearly 47 years, Dot and Rick Nelson appreciate the dedication, creativity, and artistry required to perform at the highest level.

Inspired by the excellence of NEC’s students and wanting to ensure that future generations can benefit from an outstanding musical education, the Nelsons decided to name NEC as a beneficiary of their trust.

“Music is one of the most valuable things we have in our lives and we want to see that impact continue.”

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT INCLUDING NEC IN YOUR ESTATE PLANS? To learn more about how you can make a planned gift to NEC, please contact Tricia Cheverie, Director of Leadership Gifts at tricia.cheverie@necmusic.edu or (617) 585-1719.

New England Conservatory Magazine / Spring 2022 3

290 Huntington Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115

ANA SOKOLOVIĆ’S SVADBA-WEDDING was presented by the Opera department in November 2021. Based on Serbian folklore and poetry, the opera for six female voices tells a timeless story of community and ritual through sound and texture.

Nonprofit Organization US Postage PAID Burlington, VT 05401 Permit No. 19