Boston Symphony Orchestra

In 1881, Henry Higginson called upon 19 members of the New England Conservatory faculty to serve as section leaders in his new Boston Symphony Orchestra. The connection persists—today nearly half of the BSO is composed of Conservatory faculty and alumni. The BSO has added NEC alumni to its string rosters during five successive seasons. Two of the newest additions, violinist Julianne Lee and cellist Blaise Dejardin, were hired while still enrolled at NEC.

Each year NEC celebrates its BSO brass faculty and their students at a Brass Bash concert. Since the 1990s, BSO assistant conductors have been frequent guests at NEC, leading concerts by student orchestras.

NEC representation in the BSO

first violin

Malcolm Lowe, concertmaster, NEC College faculty
Bo Youp Hwang, NEC Preparatory faculty
Kelly Barr, NEC Preparatory faculty
Jason Horowitz '93, '96 A.D., NEC Preparatory faculy
Julianne Lee '07 G.D.

second violin

Haldan Martinson '97 M.M., principal
Valeria Vilker Kuchment, NEC College faculty
Glen Cherry '95

viola

Edward Gazouleas, NEC College faculty
Michael Zaretsky, NEC Preparatory faculty
Rachel Fagerburg '81
Kasuko Matsusaka, NEC Preparatory faculty

cello

Mickey Katz '03
Blaise Dejardin '07 M.M., '08 G.D.

bass

Edwin Barker '76, principal
Lawrence Wolfe '70, NEC College faculty
James Orleans, NEC College faculty
Todd Seeber, NEC College faculty
John Stovall '83
Benjamin Levy '02

flute

Elizabeth Rowe, principal, NEC College faculty

oboe

John Ferrillo, principal, NEC College faculty
Mark McEwen, NEC College faculty
Keisuke Wakao, NEC College faculty
Robert Sheena, english horn, NEC Preparatory faculty

clarinet

Thomas Martin, associate principal and E-flat clarinet, NEC College faculty
Craig Nordstrom, bass clarinet, NEC College faculty

bassoon

Richard Svoboda, principal, NEC College faculty
Richard Ranti, associate principal, NEC College faculty
Gregg Henegar, contrabassoon, NEC College faculty

horn

James Sommerville, principal, NEC College faculty
Richard Sebring '77, associate principal, NEC College faculty
Jay Wadenpfuhl, NEC College faculty
Jason Snider, NEC College faculty
Jonathan Menkis, NEC College faculty

trumpet

Thomas Rolfs '78, principal
Benjamin Wright, NEC College faculty

trombone

Toby Oft, principal, NEC College faculty
Douglas Yeo, bass trombone, NEC College faculty

tuba

Mike Roylance, principal, NEC College faculty

percussion

Frank Epstein '69 M.M., NEC College and Preparatory faculty
J. William Hudgins, NEC College faculty

harp

Ann Hobson Pilot, principal, NEC College and Preparatory faculty

voice and chorus

John Oliver '67 M.M., conductor, Tanglewood Festival Chorus

Past BSO members with NEC affiliation

This is a partial list that will grow based on additional research.

Marylou Speaker Churchill '67, violin, former NEC College and Preparatory faculty
Harry Ellis Dickson '29 DP, '30 DP, '87 hon. D.M., violin
Max Hobart, violin, NEC Preparatory faculty
Louis Krasner, violin, former NEC faculty

George Norwood Humphrey '29, viola
Eugene Lehner, viola, former NEC faculty

Carol Procter '63, '65 M.M., cello

Dennis Roy '89, double bass

Fenwick Smith, flute, NEC College faculty

Ralph Gomberg, oboe, former NEC faculty
Wayne Rapier, oboe, former NEC faculty

Scott Andrews '94, clarinet

Daniel Katzen, horn, former NEC faculty
Richard Mackey '50, horn, NEC College faculty

Peter Chapman, trumpet, NEC College faculty
Steve Emery, trumpet, NEC College faculty
Gerard Goguen '51 DP, trumpet, former NEC faculty
Charles Schlueter, trumpet, NEC College faculty
Roger Voisin '30, '91 hon. D.M., principal trumpet, former NEC faculty

Ronald Barron, principal trombone, NEC College faculty
Norman Bolter '77, trombone, NEC College faculty
William Gibson, principal trombone, former NEC faculty

Vic Firth '52, '92 hon. D.M., timpani

Louis Langford (Came) Pappoutsakis '37, harp, former NEC faculty

2010-02-10