Merry Peckham To Head NEC Chamber Music
New England Conservatory appoints Merry Peckham as its new chamber music chair, beginning Fall 2017.
Merry Peckham will join New England Conservatory's faculty next fall as chair of the Chamber Music department. Her post also includes the coaching of several chamber music ensembles every semester. In addition, she will work with the chamber music program in the Preparatory School, which further brings these two schools of the Conservatory together. Peckham succeeds Lucy Chapman, who will be on leave starting in the fall of 2017.
“More than 70 chamber music groups are registered at New England Conservatory every semester, and the quality of the program under Lucy Chapman’s guidance has been one of NEC’s greatest strengths” said Tom Novak, NEC’s Interim President. “Merry Peckham brings a wealth of experience to this position, having a long career as a chamber music performer and teacher, so our students are certain to benefit,” he said.
A founding member of the Cavani Quartet, Peckham has served on the faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music since 1998, and, this year, has served as string chamber music coordinator and coach at the Oberlin College Conservatory. She is also the Associate Director of the Summer Music School and Director of the Chamber Music Workshop at the Perlman Music Program and brings a wealth of experience to the position.
Chamber music was like a
narcotic for me.