Mon, April 22
In faculty member Jill Gatlin's course Climate Change Culture and Performance Practicum, part of NEC's Integrative Curriculum, students gained an understanding of climate science, the sociology and geography of climate injustice, representations of climate change in art, and methods of engaging audiences across the arts — and this was just one-half of their coursework. They also acquired invaluable professional skills through the project-based Performance Practicum, in which they used their new knowledge to design, produce, market, and execute a live concert in collaboration with their peers titled
What Washes Over: Sounds of Climate Grief and Action.Wed, April 17
New England Conservatory is delighted to announce that three musical luminaries will receive honorary degrees during its 153rd Commencement exercises on May 19 in Jordan Hall. Songwriter, recording artist, and philanthropist Paul Simon, who will also be the featured speaker; five-time Grammy-winning soprano, educator, and MacArthur Fellow Dawn Upshaw; and conductor Robert Spano, a four-time Grammy winner who is Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Music Director Laureate of the Atlanta Symphony after 20 seasons at the helm, and who has served as Music Director of the Aspen Music Festival and School since 2011, will all receive honorary Doctor of Music degrees.
Fri, April 12
NEC alumni Yoon-Ji Lee ’06 MM, ’07 GD and Nicole Rampersaud ’06 MM
were awarded 2024 Guggenheim Fellowships in the “Music Composition” category, announced on April 11. Lee and Rampersaud are two of 14 composers among the list of 188 total artists, scholars, and scientists selected for the honor by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
Wed, April 3
New England Conservatory’s Jazz Studies Department has appointed Grammy Award-winning trombonist and composer Kalia Vandever to its faculty beginning in the fall of 2024.
Tue, March 5
By adding a lab component to "Music of Ghana," a Music Theory course taught at NEC since 2014 by composer, theorist, and faculty member Dr. Felicia Sandler, NEC effectively bridges the gap between what students learn in the classroom and its real-life application. As Dr. Sandler immerses students in music theories tied to Ghanaian repertoires, they derive more meaning from their knowledge by also learning traditional dancing and drumming from prominent royal drummer Emmanuel Attah Poku, a Tufts professor who grew up in the palace of the Ashanti King and plays percussion for the royal court.