New England Conservatory Appoints Cellist Nicholas Canellakis to Faculty

For Immediate Release – October 19, 2026 – New England Conservatory is pleased to announce that cellist and alumnus Nicholas Canellakis ’08 MM will join the faculty in the Fall 2027 semester. 

Canellakis is one of today’s most sought-after and innovative cellists whose career spans performance, composition, arranging, teaching, filmmaking, and creative digital media curation. Canellakis performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, and his comedic videos and short films have attracted millions of views worldwide. At NEC, Canellakis will teach between eight and 10 students.

“It’s very meaningful for me to be returning to New England Conservatory, where I pursued my master’s degree and grew enormously as a musician,” Canellakis said. “NEC’s legacy for cello is particularly renowned, and I’m honored to be joining such a revered group of pedagogues, including my former teacher, Paul Katz. I can’t wait to work with these talented and hardworking young musicians and help shepherd them toward fulfilling lives in music.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Nicholas Canellakis to the cello faculty at New England Conservatory,” NEC Dean and Chief Artistic Officer Hank Mou said. “Nicholas is an extraordinary musician whose artistry extends well beyond the concert stage to include his work as a filmmaker, educator, and creative voice. His imagination, entrepreneurial spirit, and ability to connect with audiences across generations reflect the evolving possibilities of an artistic life today. We look forward to the many ways his multifaceted creativity will inspire our students and enrich the artistic community at NEC.”

Canellakis’s recent performance highlights include concerto appearances with the Orlando, Virginia, Albany, Delaware, Stamford, Richardson, Lansing, and Bangor symphonies; the Erie Philharmonic; The Orchestra Now; the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, where he served as artist-in-residence; and the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. He also appears in recitals throughout the United States with longtime duo collaborator, pianist and composer Michael Stephen Brown. Recent appearances will include those at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the Four Arts in Palm Beach, New Orleans Friends of Chamber Music, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and Wolf Trap.

Canellakis is a longtime artist of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, performing regularly in Alice Tully Hall and on international tours to such venues as Wigmore Hall, the Louvre, the Seoul Arts Center, and the National Concert Halls of Shanghai and Taipei.

A frequent guest at leading chamber music festivals, he has appeared at Santa Fe, Music@Menlo, Bridgehampton, La Jolla, Moab, Chamberfest Cleveland, and Rockport festivals. As artistic director of Chamber Music Sedona in Arizona, he has expanded the organization’s programming, education initiatives, and community engagement.

Beyond the concert stage, Canellakis is an accomplished filmmaker, actor, and comedian. His short films My New Cello and the award-winning Thin Walls have been screened at major film festivals and are available to stream online. His comedic shorts and other creative content have amassed more than 40 million views across digital platforms. His 2023 album, (b)romance, featuring original compositions and arrangements with Michael Stephen Brown, was released on First Hand Records.

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and New England Conservatory, Canellakis studied with Orlando Cole, Peter Wiley, Paul Katz, and Madeleine Golz. He began his career with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center through its Bowers Program, formerly CMS Two, and was in residence at Carnegie Hall with Ensemble Connect. He also serves on the cello faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music.

Canellakis performs on an 1840 Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume cello.

About New England Conservatory (NEC)

Founded by Eben Tourjée in Boston, Massachusetts in 1867, the New England Conservatory (NEC) represents a new model of music school that combines the best of European tradition with American innovation. The school stands at the center of Boston’s rich cultural history and musical life, presenting concerts at the renowned Jordan Hall. Propelled by profound artistry, bold creativity, and deep compassion, NEC seeks to amplify musicians’ impact on advancing our shared humanity and empowers students to meet today’s changing world head-on, equipped with the tools and confidence to forge multidimensional lives of artistic depth and relevance.

The Conservatory’s roster of alumni includes hundreds of music's most influential artists. That list includes Coretta Scott King, Florence Price, Tessa Lark, George Li, Inmo Yang, Yura Lee, Stefan Jackiw, Anthony Leon, Erica Petrocelli, Minsoo Sohn, Cecil Taylor, and Denyce Graves.

As an independent, not-for-profit institution that educates and trains musicians of all ages from around the world, NEC is recognized internationally as a leader among music schools. It cultivates a diverse, dynamic community, providing music students of more than 40 countries with performance opportunities and high-caliber training from 225 internationally esteemed artist-teachers and scholars. 

NEC pushes the boundaries of music-making and teaching through college-level training in classical, jazz and contemporary musical arts. The newly launched Institute for Concert Artists propels young artists to the heights of their careers. Through unique interdisciplinary programs such as Entrepreneurial Musicianship and Community Performances & Partnerships, it empowers students to create their own musical opportunities. As part of NEC’s mission to make lifelong music education available to everyone, NEC’s Expanded Education delivers training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students and adults.

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