A Far Cry

New England Conservatory is a cauldron of new ideas, some so big that they become organizations in their own right. We proudly showcase these partners.

A Far Cry, Boston's self-conducted chamber orchestra, explores the traditional boundaries of Western classical music, experimenting with the ways music is prepared, performed, and experienced.

Founded in 2007 as a tightly-knit collective of young professional Boston-area string players, A Far Cry developed an innovative structure of rotating leadership, both on stage and behind the scenes. This, in contrast to typical orchestras, empowers the musician and aims to distill a valuable diversity of opinion into a unified voice.

New England Conservatory was instrumental in the formation of A Far Cry. Many of the founding members were educated and met each other at the Conservatory, and NEC's unconducted Chamber Orchestra was one of the sources of inspiration that helped the group to take shape. A rich haven of friends and mentors, NEC continues to play an important part in the lives of many Criers, and the NEC connection continues in this concert with arrangements of Kurt Weill songs by Nicholas Urie '07, '09 M.M.

The Long Gaze

Tonight, A Far Cry returns to Jordan Hall with a wide-ranging program featuring local luminaries. Tufts University composer John McDonald presents the world premiere of his newly commissioned work Gentle but Uneasy Dance Music. Benjamin Britten's haunting Les Illuminations features not one but two local stars: soprano Kristen Watson and tenor Zachary Wilder. Anton Webern's early String Quartet (1905) provides an otherworldly interlude before Kristen and Zachary return, in a rocking selection of Kurt Weill songs, in new arrangements by Nicholas Urie.

McDonald Gentle but Uneasy Dance Music world premiere

Britten Les Illuminations with Kristen Watson, soprano; Zachary Wilder, tenor

Webern String Quartet (1905)

Weill arr. Urie Songs with Watson and Wilder