NEC Convocation 2024

WELCOME

2024 CONVOCATION

Wednesday, September 4, 2024 | 9:30 a.m. | Jordan Hall

Program Order Welcome

Andrea Kalyn, President

Student Welcome & Introduction of Student Speaker

Christina Davis, Dean of Students & Campus Life

Student Speaker’s Remarks

Elgin Lee ’23 GD, ’24 GC, DMA 1

Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (1932-2004)

Louisiana Blues Strut: A Cakewalk for Violin Joshua Brown ’22, ’24 MM, ’26 AD, Violin

Introduction of New Staff

Livia Mah, Human Resources Operations Manager

Introduction of New Faculty

Richard Giarusso, Dean & Chief Academic Officer

“The Echoes of the Place Panelists We’re In” Multi-Directional Bruce Brubaker, Co-Chair & Curator of Listening Across Genres Piano Programming, Piano Panel Discussion

Yeesun Kim, Strings & Chamber Music Faculty, Cello

Nick Kitchen, Strings Faculty, Violin

Anna Webber, Co-Chair, Jazz Studies

Moderator Richard Giarusso, Dean & Chief Academic Officer

President’s Remarks

Andrea Kalyn, President

Armando Anthony “Chick” Corea (1941-2021) Walter Theodore “Sonny” Rollins (1947-2014)

Armando’s Rhumba Saint Thomas Gabriel Nieves ’25 MM, Tenor Sax Nick Isherwood ’25 MM, Bass Victor Giraldez ’27, Drums Peter Vazquez ’27, Piano

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Meet Our New Faculty Julie Albers Cellist Julie Albers is recognized for her excellent artistry, charismatic and radiant performing style, and intense musicianship.

Born into a musical family in Longmont, Colorado, she began violin studies at two with her mother, switching to cello at four.

She moved to Cleveland during her junior year of high school to pursue studies through the Young Artist Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Richard Aaron. Ms. Albers was soon awarded the Grand Prize at the XIII International Competition for Young Musicians in Douai, France, and as a result, toured France as a soloist with Orchestre Symphonique de Douai.

Ms. Albers made her major orchestral debut with the Cleveland Orchestra at 17. After that, she performed in recitals and with orchestras throughout North America, Europe, Korea, Taiwan, Australia, and New Zealand. Past seasons have included performances with the symphony orchestras of Colorado, Grant Park Music Festival, Indianapolis, Munchener Kammerorchester, Rochester, San Diego, Seattle, Vancouver, and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, among others. In 2001, she won the Second Prize in Munich’s Internationalen Musikwettbewerbes der ARD and was also awarded the Wilhelm-Weichsler-Musikpreis der Stadt Osnabruch. While in Germany, she

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recorded solo and chamber music of Kodaly for the Bavarian Radio, performances that have been heard throughout Europe. In 2003, she was named the first Gold Medal Laureate of South Korea’s Gyeongnam International Music Competition.

Ms. Albers was named principal cellist of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in 2015, a position she currently holds. In addition, she regularly participates in chamber music festivals, including ChamberFest Cleveland, La Jolla SummerFest, Rome Chamber Music Festival, Seattle Chamber Music Society, and Toronto Summer Music. 2009 marked the end of a three-year residency with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two. Teaching has also held a significant place in Ms. Albers’ musical life from 12 when she started teaching her first students. She was an Assistant Professor at the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, from 2009 to 2022.

Ms. Albers’ debut album with Orion Weiss includes works by Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Schumann, Massenet, and Piatiagorsky and is available on the Artek Label. Julie Albers performs on an N.F. Vuillaume cello made in 1872.

Beth Guterman Chu One-Year Appointment Beth Guterman Chu is one of the most sought-after violists of her generation.

Before joining the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in 2013 as principal, she was an Artist member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and enjoyed a varied career as a chamber musician and recitalist. Outside of her role as principal viola, Chu enjoys an avid chamber music career and has collaborated with many artists, including Leon Fleisher, Gil Shaham, Itzhak Perlman, Joseph Kalichstein, Menahem Pressler, James Ehnes, and members of the Guarneri, Emerson, and Orion quartets.

As a recording artist, she has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, Tzadik, Naxos, and the CMS Studio Recordings.

During the summer Chu performs and works with young musicians at the Marlboro Music Festival, National Youth OrchestraUSA, and at the Taipei Music Academy and Festival. In recent years, she has also performed chamber music at festivals in Seattle, Washington; Lake Champlain, Vermont; Portland, Maine; Toronto, Canada; and Bridgehampton, New York.

Beth Guterman Chu received her Artist Diploma at New England Conservatory, where she studied with Kim Kashkashian, and her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School, where she studied with Masao Kawasaki and Misha Amory. She grew up in the Boston area and attended NEC Prep for 10 years. She currently lives in St. Louis with her husband Jonathan, another violist, and their three children. She plays on a Samuel Zygmuntowicz viola made in 2022.

Chu has performed as a soloist with many distinguished conductors, including Hannu Lintu, Nicholas McGegan, Bramwell Tovey, Leonard Slatkin, David Robertson, and James DePreist. Of a recent concerto performance with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the St. Louis Dispatch wrote, “Beth Guterman Chu was up to the challenge as soloist in this amphetaminepaced rendering of the best-known work for viola. She brought out the dazzlingly mellow richness of her instrument… Chu showed off her pyrotechnic chops, plowing through frenzied runs with tremendous feeling and passion.”

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Meet Our New Faculty, continued

Chris Elchico Clarinetist Christopher Elchico joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra as second clarinet in March 2022.

He has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Kansas City Symphony, and New World Symphony. His principal teachers were Burt Hara, associate principal clarinet of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and James Campbell, professor emeritus of clarinet at Jacobs School of Music Indiana University, where Elchico completed a dual master’s degree in clarinet and classical saxophone performance. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles. Elchico is a Buffet Group USA and Vandoren Performing Artist.

Christopher Elchico says, “I am fortunate to have had so many incredible mentors. If not for them, I would never have studied music in college, pursued clarinet after studying saxophone, continued to take orchestral auditions, and, after years of odd jobs, gigs, and teaching, finally lived my dream. I am truly humbled and excited to be joining the faculty at New England Conservatory so that I can encourage musicians just as I was.”

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Molly Gebrian Dr. Molly Gebrian is a professional violist with a background in neuroscience. Holding degrees in both music and neuroscience from Oberlin College and Conservatory, New England Conservatory of Music, and Rice University, her area of expertise is applying the science of learning and memory to practicing and performing.

Given this expertise, she is a frequent presenter on the neuroscience of practicing at conferences, universities, and music festivals in the US and abroad.

Her book, Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician’s Guide to the Neuroscience of Practicing, will be released in July 2024

by Oxford University Press. As a violist, her performance is focused on promoting the music of marginalized composers, particularly those from groups traditionally underrepresented in classical music. Her principal teachers include Peter Slowik, Carol Rodland, James Dunham, and Garth Knox. Previously, she was the viola professor at the University of WisconsinEau Claire and the University of Arizona.

Ara Gregorian Known for his thrilling performances and musical creativity, violinist/violist Ara Gregorian made his New York recital debut in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and his debut as a soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra in Symphony Hall. Since that time, he has established himself as one of the most sought-after and versatile musicians of his generation with performances in New York’s Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center and in major metropolitan cities throughout the world including Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Cleveland, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Ulaanbaatar, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Helsinki.

Throughout his career, Gregorian has taken an active role as a performer and presenter of chamber music. He is the founder and artistic director of the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, which will celebrate its 25th Anniversary Season in the coming season and has appeared at festivals worldwide, including the SpringLight (Finland), Storioni (Holland), Summer Solstice (Canada), Casals (Puerto Rico), Intimacy of Creativity (Hong Kong), Voice of Music in the Upper Galilee (Israel), Taos, Bard, Bravo! Vail Valley, Santa Fe,

Skaneateles, Music in the Vineyards, Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, Cactus Pear, Chesapeake, Madeline Island, Kingston, and Manchester festivals.

He is a member of the Cooperstown Quartet, has performed extensively with Concertante and the Daedalus Quartet, and has recorded for National Public Radio, New York’s WQXR, and the Bridge and Kleos labels. An active and committed teacher, Gregorian was formerly the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival Distinguished Professor in Music at East Carolina University. He has been on the violin/viola/chamber music faculty since 1998. He has taken a leading role in creating opportunities for talented students and young professionals through Four Seasons’ Spring Workshop and Next Generation initiatives. He is on the faculty of the Taos School of Music. He performs on a Francesco Ruggeri violin from 1690 and a Grubaugh and Seifert viola from 2006.

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Meet Our New Faculty, continued

Erica (Xiaoyan) Guo Sabbatical Replacement San Francisco Classical Voice praises Chineseborn pianist Erica Xiaoyan Guo as “a marvelously flexible touch, the kind of playing that makes you want to hear more…” She has spent over a decade performing internationally as a solo pianist, collaborative pianist, and chamber musician. She has performed at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Nymphenburg Palace, Temppeliaukion Kirkko, Musiikkitalo, and others.

In 2021 she was an apprentice coach at the prestigious Merola Opera Program, where she performed in a recital titled What the Heart Desires, as well as in Merola’s awardwinning film, Back Home: Through the Stage Door, directed by David Paul. Ms. Guo is also an alumnus of the Aspen Music Festival and School and the Pittsburgh Festival Opera.

Ms. Guo receives her training from the Manhattan School of Music, Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, and New England Conservatory of Music. Her teachers include Rita Sloan, Kathleen Kelly, Cameron Stowe, Jonathan Feldman, Antti Siirala, and Solomon Mikowsky.

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Kai-Yun Lu Fall Semester Appointment Kai-Yun Lu is the principal clarinetist of the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, holding the Muriel Bledsoe Chair since 1998. She is also a frequent performer with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops, the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, and the Boston Woodwind Society. Appearances with other ensembles include the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, the Brockton Symphony Orchestra, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, and the Tanglewood Music Center/ New Fromm Players.

Already well known in Taiwan as a soloist and winner of several national competitions, both as a pianist and clarinetist, Kai-Yun Lu came to the United States to study at New England Conservatory of Music and pursue a career as a clarinetist. The Evergreen Foundation and the Chimei Culture Foundation sponsored Ms. Lu on a full scholarship.

She is on the faculty of Boston University College of Fine Arts, New England Con­ servatory Preparatory School, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, and Boston University Tanglewood Institute.

Sara Serpa Sabbatical Replacement A native from Lisboa, Portuguese Sara Serpa is a singer, composer, improviser, who through her practice and performance, explores the use of the voice as an instrument. Serpa has been working in the field of jazz, improvised and experimental music, since moving to New York in 2008. Literature, film, visual arts, nature and history inspire Serpa in the creative process and development of her music. Described by the New York Times as “a singer of silvery poise and cosmopolitan outlook,” and by the JazzTimes magazine as “a master of wordless landscapes,” Serpa started her recording and per­ forming career with jazz luminaries such as GRAMMY-nominated pianist, Danilo Perez, Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow pianist, Ran Blake, and Greg Osby.

Her ethereal music draws from a broad variety of inspirations including literature, film, visual arts as well as history and nature.

As a leader, she has produced and released ten albums, the latest being Intimate Strangers (2021) and Recognition (2020).

Recognition is a singular multi-disciplinary work that traces the historical legacy of Portuguese colonialism in Africa through moving image and sound, Recognition features Zeena Parkins (harp), Mark Turner (saxophone) and David Virelles (piano).

Intimate Strangers is a collaboration with Nigerian writer Emmanuel Iduma, an interdisciplinary musical performance that portrays the writer’s travels in several African countries, featuring Sofía Rei, Aubrey Johnson (voice), Matt Mitchell (piano) and Qasim Naqvi (modular synth).

Serpa was voted 2020 NPR Jazz Vocalist, Rising Star-Female Vocalist 2019 by the Downbeat Magazine Critics Poll, and teaches at The New School and New Jersey City University. Currently Serpa is ArtistIn-Residence at Park Avenue Armory, in New York and a recipient of New York City Women’s Fund 2020, Chamber Music America New Jazz Works Grant 2019, New Music USA 2019 Grant, 2021 USArtists Grant from Mid-Atlantic Foundation for the Arts, and 2021 Herb Alpert/Ragdale Prize in Composition.

Serpa has been active in gender equity in music and is the co-founder (along with fellow musician Jen Shyu) of Mutual Mentorship for Musicians (M³), an organization created to empower and elevate women and non-binary musicians.

Serpa has collaborated with an extensive array of musicians including Ingrid Laubrock, Erik Friedlander, John Zorn, Nicole Mitchell, André Matos, Okkyung Lee, Guillermo Klein, Linda May Han Oh, Kris Davis, Okkyung Lee, Sofía Rei, Chris Tordini, Caroline Davis, Angelica Sanchez, Thomas Morgan, Dan Weiss, Jacob Sacks, Malika Zarra, Erica Lindsay, Matt Mitchell, Zeena Parkins, Mark Turner, David Virelles, Tyshawn Sorey, Leo Genovese, Ben Street, Adam Cruz, Demian Cabaud, Fabian Almazan, Aya Nishina, Ashley Fure, Andreia Pinto Correia, Derek Bermel, Joseph C. Phillips Jr., among many others.

She has performed her own music in Europe, Australia, North and South America, singing at international festivals such as Bergamo Jazz Festival, Festa do Jazz, the Panama Jazz Festival, Festival de Jazz de Montevideo, Wangaratta Jazz Festival, Adelaide Festival, Sopot Jazz

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Meet Our New Faculty, continued

Festival or venues like Bimhuis, Casa da Música, Village Vanguard, Jazz Standard, The Stone, Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center, the Met Breuer, and the Kennedy Center for the Arts, among others.

Kalia Vandever Kalia Vandever is a GRAMMY-award-winning trombonist and composer living in Brooklyn, NY. Her approach to the trombone is distinctive and defined by her sonorous tone and lyrical improvisational voice. She leans into the instrument’s challenges and allows patience and melody to guide her process.

In her compositional practice, Kalia draws from her love of songs and improvisation, creating a landscape of sounds that resonate in the body and hold the listener.

She released her debut ensemble album, In Bloom, in 2019, which has been described as “the rise of an exciting voice for the music” (Seton Hawkins, Hot House Jazz Magazine). Her sophomore album, Regrowth, released in May 2022 on New Amsterdam Records and “confirms her strengths as a composer and bandleader with a distinctly contemporary point of view.” (Nate Chinen, WBGO Jazz) Her debut solo album, We Fell In Turn, featuring her works for trombone, voice, and electronics, was released on AKP Records in March 2023.

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Kalia received her Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies at the Juilliard School in 2017. She has toured and performed internationally with her quartet, performing at festivals such as the Winter Jazz Festival and BRIC Jazz Festival. She is also known for her work as a side-woman, performing with jazz artists including Joel Ross, Immanuel Wilkins, and Fay Victor, to name a few.

She has also performed with popular artists, including Harry Styles, Lizzo, Japanese Breakfast, Moses Sumney, Jennifer Hudson, and Demi Lovato. She has appeared on Saturday Night Live twice, as well as Samantha Bee’s Full Frontal.

Kalia is an awardee of the 2022 Next Jazz Legacy, a program founded by New Music USA and the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice. She was also selected to curate the 2022 Music Series for The Arts Center at Duck Creek in East Hampton.

In addition to her performance work, Kalia has been commissioned to write works for groups and individuals, including Tesla Quartet, The Westerlies, Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim, and Hats & Heels Duo.

She is also experienced as an educator, having led masterclasses at universities including California Institute of the Arts, University of Chicago Illinois, Cal State Northridge, Saddleback College, University of Maine Farmington, and University of Missouri. She has also led clinics for organizations including CWU Jenn, Women of Jazz and Creative Music, Women in Jazz Organization, and Live From Our Living Rooms.

Meet Our New Staff

Juliano Aniceto Director of Orchestras, Expanded Education

Andrew Baptista Audio/Video Engineer, Recording and Performance Technology Services

Evelyn Barnes Chief Financial Officer, Executive Leadership

Courtney Barth Vice President & Chief of Staff, Executive Leadership

Matao Bonner Coordinator of Student Care & Support, Academic and Student Affairs

Ania Briscoe Business & Operation Coordinator, Expanded Education

Christopher Bush Director of Adult Education & Summer Programs, Expanded Education

Christine Cestari Senior Director of Enrollment & Program Operations, Expanded Education

Gloria Chien Institute for Concert Artists Advisor, Institute for Concert Artists

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Meet Our New Staff, continued

Lisa Dabkowski Business Analyst, Information & Technology Services

Sonia Daly Accounting Associate, Business Office

Aspen (Kirsten) Davis Concert Stage Manager, Performance and Production Services

Shivani Devgan Digital Content Coordinator, Marketing & Communications

Jillian Doroni Assistant Director of Engagement, Advancement & Engagement

Ryan Dozer Audio/Video Engineer, Recording and Performance Technology Services

Ryan Durkin Director of Content Strategy & Data Analytics, Marketing & Communications

Miguel Ferreira Technical Director, Performance and Production Services

Dan Gonko Academic Technologist, Recording and Performance Technology Services

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Midori Kamiyama-Lee Senior Accountant, Business Office

Anna Kevelson Manager, Conservatory Scheduling & Events, Business Relations: Event Management and Rentals

Katie Luellen Vice President & Chief Growth Officer of Enrollment Management

Jamila Lyon Assistant Bursar, Business Office

Aryana Martin Academic & Student Affairs Administrator

Natalie Mase Administrative Manager, Executive Vice President

Victoria Mastro Allen Payroll Manager, Business Office

Aaron McGarry Planned Giving Officer, Advancement & Engagement

Robin Melendez Associate Director of Engagement & Special Events, Advancement & Engagement

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Meet Our New Staff, continued

Daniel Meza Instrument Librarian, Performance and Production Services

Kristyn Morey Assistant Director of Enrollment Management; Slate Lead, Enrollment Management

Nikki Naghavi Program Manager, Strings, Piano, Chamber Music, Expanded Education

Ellianna Ouellette Concert Stage Manager, Performance and Production Services

Brianna Perez Public Services Supervisor, Blumenthal Family Library

Úna Rafferty Administrator and Production Director for Opera & Voice, Artistic Administration, Opera & Voice

Tonya Robles Vice President of Expanded Education

Kathy Sambuco Interim Director of Human Resources

Abigail Smitka Assistant Vice President, Major Gifts & Campaign, Advancement & Engagement

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Vanessa Trien Director of Early Childhood Education, Expanded Education

Caleb Walker Concert Stage Manager, Performance and Production Services

Kevin White Director of Facilities & Operations

Jason Yang Assistant Dean for International Student Support, Academic and Student Affairs

Nicholas Ward Concert Stage Manager, Performance and Production Services

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The Presser Awards The Presser Foundation was formally established in 1939 under various deeds of trust of Theodore Presser, founder of the oldest continuing music publisher in the United States and an NEC alumnus.

The Foundation’s purposes are primarily set forth to promote the cause of music education and music philanthropy, including providing scholarships to promising students. The foundation annually gives two awards to NEC students, one for a returning graduate student and one for a fourthyear undergraduate.

The Graduate Music Award program is designed to encourage and support in a special way the advanced education and career of truly exceptional graduate music students who have the potential to make a distinguished contribution to the field of music. The Undergraduate Scholar Award is given to a student in their senior year on the basis of merit and achievement.

Graduate Lingbo Ma ’19, DMA 4 Undergraduate Jahnvi Madan ’24

The Presidential Distinction Awards The Presidential Distinction Award recognizes exceptional performance ability and potential, and is granted solely to incoming students as a special NEC Merit Scholarship.

Shiyi Fang ’26 MM, Composition

William H. Jaffe ’28 BM, CMA Double Bass Performance

Treyan M. Nelson ’28 BM, Jazz Percussion Performance

Min-gyeong Koo ’28 BM, Violin Performance Noah A. Korenfeld ’26 MM, Trombone Performance

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The Presidential Scholarship Awards Dorothy Hinton Congleton Memorial Presidential Scholarship Evren Ozel ’25 AD, Piano Performance The Dorothy Hinton Congleton Memorial Presidential Scholarship was established in 1976, and elevated to a Presidential Scholarship in 2007 through the generous support of NEC President’s Council member William H. Congleton and his wife, Margaret A. Congleton. The scholarship is named in memory of Mr. Congleton’s mother, an accomplished musician and teacher.  Edward Hyde Cox Presidential Scholarship Daniel Wood ’28 BM, French Horn Performance The trustees of Mr. Cox’s estate estab­ lished the Edward Hyde Cox Presidential Scholarship in 2001. An amateur pianist and longtime friend of poet Robert Frost, Mr. Cox requested that the gift be used to support an outstanding student pursuing the study of classical music.  Friedlaender Family Presidential Scholarship Fund Richard Taylor ’28 BM, Trumpet Performance The Friedlaender family has been ardent supporters of NEC for over 40 years. Clara May Friedlaender served on the Board of Trustees for close to three decades, and was followed by her son, Stephen, to continue the family’s volunteer service. Stephen served as a Life Trustee and was instrumental in the planning and building of NEC’s Student Life and Performance Center. The family’s passion for music and education led them to create a classical music scholarship in 1986, which was elevated to the Presidential level in 2018.

Francis W. Hatch, Sr. Presidential Scholarship Fund Pualina Lim ’25 GD, Collaborative Piano The Francis W. Hatch, Sr. Presidential Scholarship Fund was established in 1983, and elevated to a Presidential Scholarship in 2005 through a gift from the late Life Trustee Francis W. Hatch and his wife, Serena.

The fund, named in memory of Frank’s father, provides full tuition support to a deserving musician.  Helena Foundation Presidential Scholarship Fund Cosmo Lieberman ’28 BM, Jazz Saxophone Performance The Helena Foundation Presidential Scholarship Fund was established in 1999, and elevated to a Presidential Scholarship in 2006 through the additional generosity of James A. Earl and his son, Jimmy C. Earl. The Scholarship is named in memory of James Earl’s mother, Margaret Helena Earl, and represents NEC’s first Presidential Scholarship awarded to a jazz student.  Donna Hieken Flute Presidential Scholarship Fund Yechan Min ’25 MM, Flute Performance Charles and Donna Hieken were steadfast supporters of NEC, establishing the Donna Hieken Flute Chair in 2005 to honor Mrs. Hieken and her career as an instructor and flautist. The Hiekens’ passion for education and lifelong love for music led to the endowment of the Donna Hieken Flute Scholarship in 2015 to memorialize Mrs. Hieken. It was elevated to a Presidential Scholarship in 2017 through the generosity of Charles and his son, Seth Hieken. 

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The Presidential Scholarship Awards, continued

Carol T. and Robert P. Henderson Presidential Scholarship Hyun-Gyu Ji ’26 MM, Piano Performance Life Trustee Carol Henderson and her husband, Robert, established the Carol T. and Robert P. Henderson Presidential Scholarship in 2002 in recognition of NEC’s ongoing priority to provide increased financial aid for its students.  Laurence Lesser Presidential Scholarship Fund Ethan Murphy ’27 BM, Cello Performance Former Trustee Edward Phillips and his wife, Margaret, along with The New England Mutual Life Insurance Company, established the Laurence Lesser Presidential Scholarship in recognition of the artistry and leadership of President Emeritus Lesser.  John Moriarty Presidential Scholarship Fund Jingdan Zhang ’26 AD, Opera Studies Interested in the career development of young professionals, NEC Life Trustee and longtime supporter Lee Day Gillespie established the John Moriarty Presidential Scholarship to honor John Moriarty’s many years of work with young artists and his contribution to the training of young singers at NEC. 

Charlotte F. Rabb Presidential Scholarship Fund Yutong Sun ’25 AD, Piano Performance This fund was established in 1989 by Irving Rabb in honor of his wife, Charlotte, “Dolly,” on their 50th wedding anniversary.

Mrs. Rabb was a Trustee, President’s Council member, and supporter of NEC’s students through financial aid and countless hours as a dedicated volunteer from 1970 until her passing in 2000.  Edward P. and Margaret Richardson Presidential Scholarship Yunchan Lim ’26 AD, Piano Performance Margaret Eustis Richardson and her late husband, former NEC Trustee and President’s Council member Dr. Edward Peirson Richardson, established the Edward P. and Margaret Richardson Presidential Scholarship in 1989 after many years of family involvement.  Wendy Shattuck ’75 Presidential Scholarship Fund for Vocal Studies Sohyun Cho ’26 GD, Vocal Performance The Wendy Shattuck ’75 Presidential Scholarship Fund for Vocal Studies was established in 2004 by Life Trustee Wendy Shattuck and her husband, Sam Plimpton.

Ms. Shattuck graduated from NEC in 1975 with a degree in vocal performance, and both Wendy and Sam have been active and generous members of NEC’s Board committees and events. 

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Abraham Skernick Memorial Presidential Scholarship Seeun Hyung ’26 MM, Cello Performance The late Dr. Marjorie McDonald endowed this scholarship in 2001 on the occasion of her 75th birthday. A retired psychiatrist and former violist with the Boston Philharmonic, Dr. McDonald served on NEC’s President’s Council. She established this scholarship to honor the skill and talent of her teacher, violinist Abraham Skernick, principal violist of the Cleveland Orchestra for 27 years.  Helen Haxton Stare Presidential Scholarship in Voice Josie Larsen ’25 AD, Opera Studies The Helen Haxton Stare Voice Scholarship was established in 1980 by NEC Life President’s Council member, the late Dr. Frederick Stare and Mrs. Irene M. Stare, to honor Dr. Stare’s late wife and NEC Trustee, Helen Haxton Stare. Following the passing of Dr. Stare, violinist Irene Stare elevated this endowed fund to a Presidential Scholarship in 2007.

Irene M. Stare Presidential Scholarship in Violin Hayoung Choi ’25 MM, Violin Performance This scholarship was established in 1986 as the Irene M. Stare Violin Scholarship Fund by the late violinist Mrs. Irene M. Stare and NEC Life President’s Council member Dr. Frederick Stare. It was elevated to a Presidential Scholarship in 2007 through a generous gift from Mrs. Stare.  Joan and Henry Wheeler Presidential Scholarship Valentine Umeh ’27 BM, Vocal Performance Former Board member and longtime friends of NEC, the late Joan and Henry Wheeler endowed the Joan and Henry Wheeler Presidential Scholarship in 2001. The fund, established in honor of NEC’s Opera Program, provides financial aid for talented students that apply to study in the program. 

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2024 Staff Service Awards President’s Service Awards

Grace Allendorf, Administrative Director of Community Performances and Partnerships David Vaz, Assistant Director of Facilities Services

In 2005 NEC established the President’s Service Award to further recognize the contributions of NEC staff employees. This award recognizes superior service in support of NEC’s daily operations; a willingness to go “above and beyond” in the performance of responsibilities; a collegial spirit and respect for members of the NEC Community; and at least five years of demonstrated dedication to NEC in a staff position. 

Rachdorf Award Michael Antonitis, Executive Director of Strategy & Operations NEC established a staff award to honor Robert Rachdorf, Head of Building Operations, who passed away in 1998 after thirty-two years of dedicated service to NEC. The terms of the Rachdorf Award are: a sense of responsibility for, and demonstrated dedication to, making NEC the best place possible for its different constituencies, including students, faculty, and staff; an ability to use resources wisely and with great creativity; humility and selflessness in service to the NEC community; and at least five years of service to NEC as a full-time staff member. 

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