The future of music, made here.

Remembering Violist and Former NEC Faculty Member Roger Tapping

January 21, 2022

Roger Tapping

The NEC community mourns the loss of Roger Tapping, a beloved teacher and talented violist who passed away on January 18, 2022 after a battle with cancer.

Roger was a former faculty member at NEC alongside his wife, cellist Natasha Brofsky, and their daughter Cordelia Tapping graduated from NEC’s undergraduate program in 2019. We send our condolences to Roger’s family and friends.

While on the faculty at NEC from 2008-2016, Roger served as Chair of Chamber Music, as well as taught studio viola and coached chamber music. Over the course of his illustrious career he was a member of the Juilliard String Quartet and the Takács Quartet (with whom he had won three Gramophone awards, one Grammy award, and earned three Grammy nominations). He also was on the faculty of many institutions and festivals, most recently at The Juilliard School. As a teacher and performer, he inspired countless musicians and music fans around the world.

Read full obituary

April 2021 Jordan Hall performance of Schumann’s Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Opus 47, featuring Roger Tapping, Natasha Brofsky, Pei-Shan Lee, and Donald Weilerstein.
recent news
Erin Hogan Says, “We Can Learn Bach and Björk”

September 15, 2025

Erin Hogan Says, “We Can Learn Bach and Björk”

Read More
NEC Prep Orientation Offers a Day of Discovery

September 8, 2025

NEC Prep Orientation Offers a Day of Discovery

Read More
Convocation 2025 Celebrates Curiosity and Discovery

September 4, 2025

Convocation 2025 Celebrates Curiosity and Discovery

Read More
  • Erin Hogan Says, “We Can Learn Bach and Björk”

    September 15, 2025

    Erin Hogan Says, “We Can Learn Bach and Björk”

  • NEC Prep Orientation Offers a Day of Discovery

    September 8, 2025

    NEC Prep Orientation Offers a Day of Discovery

  • Convocation 2025 Celebrates Curiosity and Discovery

    September 4, 2025

    Convocation 2025 Celebrates Curiosity and Discovery

  • Fall Concerts Showcase Pathbreaking Vision 

    August 25, 2025

    Fall Concerts Showcase Pathbreaking Vision 

  • New Artistic Co-Chairs Nurture the Spirit of NEC’s First Monday Series

    August 18, 2025

    New Artistic Co-Chairs Nurture the Spirit of NEC’s First Monday Series

  • BSO Violinist Sophie Wang ’18 MM, ’20 GD Revisits the Audition Process 

    August 11, 2025

    BSO Violinist Sophie Wang ’18 MM, ’20 GD Revisits the Audition Process