Musicians and other artists often work in isolation, with no immediate reward in sight. So the awards and honors that sometimes recognize their work is a welcome connection to the world that draws inspiration and strength from their efforts.
Here are some respected forums in which members of the NEC community have been recognized.
What's New
Fischoff 2012
2012-05-14 Trio mod3tre, consisting of violinist Tessa Lark, cellist Deborah Pae, and pianist Misha Namirovsky, took the silver medal in the Senior Strings division of the 2012 Fischoff Competition. The group is coached by Vivian Hornik Weilerstein.
Find more NEC Fischoff winners.
Doris Duke Performing Artist Awards
2012-04-19 Third Stream (Contemporary Improvisation) alumnus Don Byron '84 is one of 21 individuals in the first class of Doris Duke Artists, presented by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Over the next 10 years the Foundation will fund the work of 200 performing artists, and those designated Doris Duke Artists will receive an unrestricted cash grant of as much as $275,000. "The first class of artists were chosen based on demonstrated evidence of exceptional creativity, ongoing self-challenge and the continuing potential to make significant contributions to their fields in the future," according to a statement from the Foundation. Byron, cited for his work in "exploring and reinterpreting an existing tradition," is one of six musicians in the initial group of honorees, who range from stage director Anne Bogart to choreographer Reggie Wilson.
Byron's most recent recording project, Love, Peace, and Soul, explores the gospel heritage of Thomas A. Dorsey and Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
Grammy Awards
2012-02-13 At the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, the opera Elmer Gantry was named "Best Contemporary Classical Composition." An alumni team of composer Robert Livingston Aldridge '80 M.M. and librettist Herschel Garfein '82 M.M. share the honors. Like many new operas, Elmer Gantry went through a long gestation, including workshop performances in Boston in 1992. Boston singers in the cast include Keith Phares '00 M.M. in the title role. This Naxos recording was also honored by the Grammys as "Best Engineered Classical Recording."
Louisiana 2011
2011-10-15 Michael Namirovsky, who entered the D.M.A. program at NEC this fall as a student of Hung-Kuan Chen, has taken first prize at the "Artist Level" in the Louisiana International Piano Competition, held every two years since 2005. Namirovsky's prize includes performances with the St. Petersburg Symphony in Russia and at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, along with a solo CD recording and $6,000 cash award. NEC has previously sent a winner to this competition, 2007 first-prize winner Dizhou Zhao '02, '05 M.M., '07 G.D.
MacArthur 2011
2011-09-20 Cellist Alisa Weilerstein, a member of NEC ensemble-in-residence the Weilerstein Trio, became the 10th NEC-affiliated musician to receive a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.
Gilmore 2011
2011-08-08 George Li, a 15-year-old student of Wha Kyung Byun enrolled in the NEC@Walnut Hill program, is believed to be the youngest awardee for the Gilmore Young Artist Award since the award was launched in 1990.
Tchaikovsky 2011
2011-06-30 NEC's prize winners at the XIV Tchaikovsky Competition, held in Moscow and St. Petersburg, were Narek Hakhnazaryan '11 A.D., gold medal in cello; JeHye Lee '08 M.M., '10 G.D., third prize in violin; and Nigel Armstrong '07 Prep, fourth prize in violin.
2012-05-22
CLAUDE DEBUSSY