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Press Releases
New England Conservatory Announces Fall Season Featuring Campus-Wide Festival Celebrating American Modernism
Semester highlights include Nathan Cole, Lawrence Brownlee, Paul Neubauer, and Minsoo Sohn master classes and performances by Theo Bleckmann and John Hollenbeck’s GEORGE
BOSTON—New England Conservatory (NEC) announces its Fall 2024 performance season, with the highly anticipated return of the NEC Festival, from November 10–17. This year’s edition celebrates American musical innovation with a week of free and accessible programming in Jordan Hall and other campus venues. The festival commemorates two American originals: Charles Ives on the 150th anniversary of his birth and the visionary composer, educator, and folklorist Ruth Crawford Seeger.
The festival kicks off on Sunday, November 10 with the Contemporary Musical Arts (CMA) department’s Barn Dance in Brown Hall from 2–5 p.m. All are invited to an afternoon of traditional American and Jewish dancing, accompanied by live music from the American Roots and Jewish Music ensembles. No partners or prior experience are needed, as world-renowned instructors Alex Cumming and Adah Hetko will provide dance instruction.
November 14 is a double-header: The evening starts at 6 p.m. in the Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre with a fully-staged production of John Musto and Mark Campbell’s Later the Same Evening produced by NEC’s Opera department with conductor Robert Tweten and stage direction by Joshua Major. At 8 p.m.—later the same evening—Jazz Studies and NEC’s Song Lab present Ives in Song, in Jordan Hall.
On Tuesday, November 12, untold American voices and perspectives are featured through the works of Ruth Crawford Seeger, the newly commissioned work, I, Too, by CMA faculty member Farayi Malek, and Pulitzer Prize-winning guest artist Raven Chacon’s American Ledger No. 1.
This event is part of a larger Guest Artist Residency with Chacon from November 11 to November 13, showcasing his innovative approach that bridges Diné (Navajo) worldviews with Western classical, avant-garde, and art-music traditions.
Additional festival events include NEC Chamber Orchestra's conductorless performance on November 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Jordan Hall, featuring Seeger’s Andante for Strings, and Ives’ Symphony No. 3 in addition to Haydn’s Symphony No. 44. On November 13, the NEC Symphony Orchestra performs Antonín Dvorák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World” and Ives’ Symphony No. 2 in Jordan Hall. Theo Bleckmann will be on campus on Wednesday, October 30 for a residency and concert during which he’ll be performing his music with NEC’s extraordinary student ensembles. The celebration of Ives builds on the many performances and talks held at NEC earlier in 2024, continuing the Conservatory's exploration of his work.
Fall Semester Highlights
Faculty member Tanya Blaich is in recital with soprano Heidi Stober ’03 MM at 7:30 p.m. in Jordan Hall on October 15. Piano faculty Minsoo Sohn ’99, ’01 GD, ’04 AD presents a recital in Jordan Hall on October 31 at 7:30 p.m. and hosts a public piano seminar class at 10 a.m. on November 15. John Hollenbeck’s ensemble GEORGE is in residency October 21–24, featuring workshops and Q&As with the public.
Save the dates for master classes given by world-renowned artists, including tenor Lawrence Brownlee, September 12; saxophonist and composer Gaia Wilmer, September 16; violist Paul Neubauer, October 6; violinist Nathan Cole, who comes to campus on November 19 following his recent appointment as concertmaster with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
NEC will pay tribute to the late pianist Russell Sherman on Sunday, September 29 at 4 p.m. in Jordan Hall with a celebration of life, featuring an original biopic and reception.
In its 121st season, performances at NEC's Jordan Hall and all events across campus are free and open to the public unless otherwise specified.
Must-see performances on NEC’s campus to add to your calendar
All performances and events may be found at: necmusic.edu/on-campus/
Wednesday, September 4, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Sunday, September 8, 2024 | Noon – 6:45 p.m. | Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Open Mic: CMA Students (and Friends)
Sunday, September 8, 2024 | 7:00 p.m. | Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Colombian Music Crossroads Workshop with Frente Cumbiero
Monday, September 9, 2024 | 6:00 p.m. | Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Colombian Percussion Workshop with Frente Cumbiero
Tuesday, September 10, 2024 | 10:00 a.m. | Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Master class with Tenor Lawrence Brownlee*
Thursday, September 12, 2024 | 6:00 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Master class with Gaia Wilmer and Jaques Morelenbaum
Monday, September 16, 2024 | 12 p.m. | Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Faculty Recital: Alexander Korsantia, Piano
Sunday, September 22, 2024 | 3:00 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Tuesday, September 24, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
NEC Philharmonia, Hugh Wolff, conductor: Clyne, Bartók, Rachmaninoff
Wednesday, September 25, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
NEC Symphonic Winds, William Drury, conductor
Thursday, September 26, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Celebrating the Life of Russell Sherman
Sunday, September 29, 2024 | 4:00 p.m. | Jordan Hall
NEC Philharmonia, David Loebel, conductor: Beach, Ives, R. Strauss, Tchaikovsky
Monday, September 30, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Master class with Violist Paul Neubauer**
Sunday, October 6, 2024 | 4:00 p.m. | Burnes Hall
First Monday at Jordan Hall: Opening Concert of the 40th Season
Monday, October 7, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Recital: Yutong Sun '25 AD, Piano
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
NEC Chamber Orchestra: Schreker, Shostakovich, Suk
Wednesday, October 9, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
NEC Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Winds, Patricia Cornett and William Drury, conductors
Thursday, October 10, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Faculty Recital: Tanya Blaich, Piano; Heidi Stober ’03 MM, Soprano
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Wednesday, October 16, 2024 | 6:00 p.m. | Williams Hall
NEC Jazz Orchestra: The See’r: Charles Ives at 150
Thursday, October 17, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Recital: Evren Ozel '25 AD, Piano
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
GEORGE: John Hollenbeck, Anna Webber, Sarah Rossy, chiquitamagic
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 2024 | 4:00 p.m. | Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
NEC Symphony, David Loebel, conductor: Thomas, Prokofiev, Beethoven
Wednesday, October 23, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
NEC Chamber Singers, Erica J. Washburn, conductor: Great Music for a Great Space
Thursday, October 24, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Thursday, October 24, 2024 | 6:00 p.m.
Friday, October 25, 2024 | 7:30 p.m.
Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre
Anthony Coleman Faculty Recital
Tuesday, October 29, 2024 | 8 p.m. | Brown Hall
NEC Philharmonia, Stefan Asbury, conductor: Smetana, León, Shostakovich
Wednesday, October 30, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Theo Bleckmann Residency Concert
Wednesday, October 30, 2024 | 8 p.m. | Burnes Hall
Faculty Recital: Minsoo Sohn, Piano
Thursday, October 31, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Monday, November 4, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
NEC Philharmonia, Hugh Wolff, conductor: Lee, Schumann, Tchaikovsky
Wednesday, November 6, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Ken Schaphorst Big Band and NEC Jazz Orchestra
Wednesday, November 6, 2024 | 7:30 p.m.. | Regattabar, Cambridge, MA
NEC Festival: Charles Ives, Ruth Crawford Seeger, and American Music Innovation
November 10 - 17, 2024
NEC Contemporary Musical Arts: Barn Dance
Sunday, November 10, 2024 | 2 - 5 p.m. | Brown Hall
NEC Chamber Orchestra: Ives, Crawford Seeger, Haydn
Monday, November 11, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Tuesday, November 12, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Festival Jazz Forum with Sarah Charles and Caroline Davis
Wednesday, November 13, 2024 | 10 a.m. | Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
NEC Symphony, David Loebel, conductor: Dvorák, Ives
Wednesday, November 13, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
NEC’s Jazz Department and Song Lab Present Ives In Song
Thursday, November 14, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. | Jordan Hall
NEC Opera: Musto "Later the Same Evening"
Thursday, November 14, 2024 | 6:00 p.m.
Friday, November 15, 2024 | 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 16, 2024 | 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 17, 2024 | 3:00 p.m.
Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre
An Evening of Chamber Music with NEC’s Chamber Singers, Don and Vivian Weilerstein, and more
Friday, November 15, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Master class with Violinist Nathan Cole**
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Burnes Hall
NEC Baroque Orchestra, Susanna Ogata, leader^
Wednesday, November 20, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
NEC Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, & Symphonic Choir, William Drury and Joseph Higgins, conductors
Thursday, November 21, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Sunday, November 24, 2024 | 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. | Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Undergraduate Opera Seminar: Opera Scenes
Monday, November 25, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre
First Monday at Jordan Hall: December
Monday, December 2, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Opera Scenes: An Evening of Handel and Shakespeare
Tuesday, December 3, 2024 | 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 5, 2024 | 6:00 p.m.
Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre
NEC Symphonic Choir, Erica J. Washburn, conductor: Duruflé Requiem
Thursday, December 5, 2024 | 7:00 p.m. | Church of the Covenant, 67 Newbury Street, Boston
NEC Jazz Orchestra, Ken Schaphorst conducting
Thursday, December 5, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
NEC Chamber Singers, Symphonic Winds, Navy Band Northeast: Into the Holidays!
Monday, December 9, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
Jazz Composers Workshop Orchestra, Frank Carlberg conducting
Tuesday, December 10, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. | Brown Hall
NEC Philharmonia, Hugh Wolff, conductor: Schoenberg, Bartók, Mahler
Wednesday, December 11, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Jordan Hall
NEC Lab Orchestra Graduate Student Conductors
Thursday, December 12, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. | Brown Hall
* Funded by the Ruth S. Morse Fund for Visiting Scholars in Voice.
** Funded by the Richard P. and Claire W. Morse Visiting Artist Fund.
^ Funded by the Pratt Residency and Performance Series for Early Music.
The Pratt Residency and Performance Series for Early Music, established by Harold I. and Frances G. Pratt at NEC in 2019, seeks to invite and engage the NEC community with performers and scholars in the Historically Informed Performance field. Masterclasses, symposia, and performances by nationally- and internationally-recognized scholars and performers are funded through this endowment. In addition, the Performance and Residency Series aims to provide NEC students with the opportunity to study early music and historically-informed performance with experts in the field, as well as to expand the historical instrument collection at NEC.
^^ Funded by The Perkin Fund.
About New England Conservatory (NEC)
Founded by Eben Tourjée in Boston, Massachusetts in 1867, 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.
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 improvisation. 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, the Expanded Education division delivers training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students, and adults.
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Media Contacts
Kendra Butters
Vice President for Marketing, Communications & External Relations
New England Conservatory
(508) 954-0210
Stephanie Janes
Classical Publicist
(617) 419-0445
stephanie@stephaniejanespr.com
Ann Braithwaite
Jazz and Contemporary Musical Arts (CMA)
(781) 259-9600
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