Performances + Events
As the last days of summer wind down and the school year begins, we share recent news from NEC alumni, students, and faculty members including Darynn Dean ’19, Emily Cedriana Donato ’17, Kazemde George ’14 NEC/Harvard, Marvin Gilmore ’51, the Merz Trio, Sami Stevens ’16 NEC/Tufts, Isaac Wilson ’15, and others.
Soprano Emily Cedriana Donato ’17 was awarded the Andrew R. Preis Award, earning first place and a $7,000 cash prize at Oratorio Society of New York’s 44th Annual Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition Finals Concert, which was held at the Riverside Church in New York City.
Marvin Gilmore ’51 was recently featured as a guest on the Home Base Nation Podcast in an episode entitled “Always Looking Ahead of the Ball.” In his conversation with host Dr. Ron Hirschberg, Gilmore—a World War II Army veteran—talks about topics ranging from racial injustice and his time in the war to his many incredible achievements, experiences, and community-building initiatives in business and the arts.
The LA Jazz Society featured the launch of “All About Love: Jazz + Gender,” a documentary by alumna Darynn Dean ’19 as a part of her Resolution Tour.
The documentary focuses on Darynn digging to find the answer to the question, “Where is her-story in jazz?” Engaging in vivid dialog with peers, educators, and award-winning jazz artists Jason Moran (NEC faculty) and Terri Lyne Carrington, she discusses obstacles and the hope-yet to come.
Inspired by bell hooks’s book, All About Love: New Visions, which embraces freedom, inclusion, and universal love, Darynn commits herself to action by assembling the first ever “All-Women Cross Big Band” between New England Conservatory of Music and Berklee College of Music.
Kazemde George ’14 NEC/Harvard announced the release of his debut album, I Insist, on October 22, 2021. The album features his original music for quintet including vocalist Sami Stevens ’16 NEC/Tufts, keyboard player Isaac Wilson ’15, bassist Tyron Allen II, and drummer Adam Arruda.
“Music tells a story, and people carry their culture with them. I learn about these things intentionally and create an amalgam of these stories, these histories. To me, building that within myself is all part of the same struggle, spreading the message. Alluding to the sentiment of We Insist! is important to me at this time in history, and it’s in the background of my music, even if the point’s not being made explicitly.”
Also, George and Stevens just got married in August; congratulations to them both!
The Merz Trio, NEC’s previous trio-in-residence, released their latest album, Ink, on August 20. The album centers around Ravel’s iconic piano trio interwoven with the trio’s new arrangements of works by Lili Boulanger, Nadia Boulanger, Josephine Baker, and Claude Debussy. Rounding out the album is the music of Mélanie Bonis, a Ravel-inspired composition by Merz pianist Lee Dionne ’20 GD, and readings of texts by Parisian writers and poets.
More News:
Faculty member Josh Major directed Falstaff with the Berkshire Opera Festival last month, which was featured in the Boston Globe
Recent alumna Emily Siar ’20 DM has been hired as a faculty member at Boston Conservatory in their Voice Pedagogy Department
Amir Siraj ’22 Harvard/’23 NEC MM recently published an article, entitled “The Solar System’s Oort Cloud May Harbor an Astonishing Number of Objects from Other Stars,” in Scientific American
Artist Diploma student Maria Ioudenitch ’20 MM, ’22 AD won first prize at the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition
Holly Hyun Choe ’17 MM made a debut in the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany as a part of the Schleswig Holstein Music Festival
Jenny Herzog ’16 MM was recently featured on WBUR News for her work on bringing communities together through dance as the founder of Tap for Joy
Matthew Shifrin ’21 recently wrote an article, entitled “I was born blind. Here’s how I’m using tech to access the power of facial expressions”, for the Boston Globe Magazine
