Performances + Events
Leadership
Guiding a culture of excellence.
New England Conservatory’s senior leadership and boards carry forward a vision: to inculcate the highest standards of excellence and nurture the artistry and creative growth of our students.
Leadership Contact
Leadership
Andrea Kalyn
President of NEC
Andrea Kalyn, New England Conservatory’s 17th and first female President, began her tenure in January 2019. Dr. Kalyn’s deep commitment to musical excellence, her strong relationship with faculty, and her profound sense of responsibility for music education are hallmarks of her exemplary leadership. Dr. Kalyn is fundamentally committed to advancing the place of music in the world and to strengthening connections among composers, performers, and audiences.
Under Dr. Kalyn’s leadership, NEC launched its first-ever Collaboration Challenge—an open invitation to the entire NEC community to submit ideas that would build on the Conservatory’s tradition of educational excellence and innovation. From this challenge, three new collaborative academic and student life programs emerged—Theory Reimagined, Song Lab, and the First-Year Experience. Major funding from a new Catalyst Fund supports current and future initiatives including new curricular opportunities, tech-enabled spaces, and technology-empowered platforms.
Due to her collaborative leadership and nimble planning, NEC emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic as a stronger community dedicated to serving Greater Boston neighborhoods and partner programs through music. With new staff and faculty appointments and the undertaking of an ambitious strategic plan, Dr. Kalyn is securing the future of NEC for the next generation of exceptional artists and music educators.
A trained musicologist and pianist, Dr. Kalyn holds a PhD in musicology from the Eastman School of Music, where her research centered on 20th century American music. She serves on the Board of Trustees of WGBH, the Board of Directors of the League of American Orchestras, and chairs the ProArts Consortium.
Prior to her arrival at NEC, Dr. Kalyn served as Dean of Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she also was a professor of music. During her tenure, Dr. Kalyn secured major capital funding, significant donations of musical instruments, and a major gift from jazz legend Sonny Rollins. Entrepreneurship and collaboration was evident throughout her curricular work, which included founding Oberlin’s entrepreneurship programs, accelerator and pitch competitions; founding the Oberlin-Como Piano Academy in partnership with the Lake Como International Academy; creating the department of Pedagogy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement; the creation of a new major in jazz voice; extending the American Roots residency; overseeing the launch of the Artist Diploma in Piano Technology; developing new partnerships with Steinway & Sons and the Shanghai Conservatory; and designing the Center for Convergence. Under her leadership, Oberlin opened the William and Helen Birenbaum Innovation and Performance Space, an underground performance club; restructured its composition department; commissioned new works; and relaunched the Oberlin Music recording label distributed by Naxos
The work of music—creating it, performing it, studying it, teaching it—is a fundamentally humanistic endeavor. It is work borne of relationship—of mentoring and collaboration and sharing. And it is work with a point; it is work that can have a powerful impact, both within and beyond the profession.”
NEC president andrea kalyn
Andrea Kalyn
President of NEC
Andrea Kalyn, New England Conservatory’s 17th and first female President, began her tenure in January 2019. Dr. Kalyn’s deep commitment to musical excellence, her strong relationship with faculty, and her profound sense of responsibility for music education are hallmarks of her exemplary leadership. Dr. Kalyn is fundamentally committed to advancing the place of music in the world and to strengthening connections among composers, performers, and audiences.
Under Dr. Kalyn’s leadership, NEC launched its first-ever Collaboration Challenge—an open invitation to the entire NEC community to submit ideas that would build on the Conservatory’s tradition of educational excellence and innovation. From this challenge, three new collaborative academic and student life programs emerged—Theory Reimagined, Song Lab, and the First-Year Experience. Major funding from a new Catalyst Fund supports current and future initiatives including new curricular opportunities, tech-enabled spaces, and technology-empowered platforms.
Due to her collaborative leadership and nimble planning, NEC emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic as a stronger community dedicated to serving Greater Boston neighborhoods and partner programs through music. With new staff and faculty appointments and the undertaking of an ambitious strategic plan, Dr. Kalyn is securing the future of NEC for the next generation of exceptional artists and music educators.
A trained musicologist and pianist, Dr. Kalyn holds a PhD in musicology from the Eastman School of Music, where her research centered on 20th century American music. She serves on the Board of Trustees of WGBH, the Board of Directors of the League of American Orchestras, and chairs the ProArts Consortium.
Prior to her arrival at NEC, Dr. Kalyn served as Dean of Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she also was a professor of music. During her tenure, Dr. Kalyn secured major capital funding, significant donations of musical instruments, and a major gift from jazz legend Sonny Rollins. Entrepreneurship and collaboration was evident throughout her curricular work, which included founding Oberlin’s entrepreneurship programs, accelerator and pitch competitions; founding the Oberlin-Como Piano Academy in partnership with the Lake Como International Academy; creating the department of Pedagogy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement; the creation of a new major in jazz voice; extending the American Roots residency; overseeing the launch of the Artist Diploma in Piano Technology; developing new partnerships with Steinway & Sons and the Shanghai Conservatory; and designing the Center for Convergence. Under her leadership, Oberlin opened the William and Helen Birenbaum Innovation and Performance Space, an underground performance club; restructured its composition department; commissioned new works; and relaunched the Oberlin Music recording label distributed by Naxos.
Senior Administration
Kathleen Kelly
Executive Vice President
Jordan Hall, Room 120
Kathleen Kelly brings more than 25 years of experience in designing and implementing entrepreneurial fundraising strategies, leading campaign planning, driving stakeholder engagement initiatives, and building impactful relationships with diverse constituencies, including board leadership and prospective donors. Kelly oversees a team responsible for philanthropic relationship building and revenue generation, along with implementing programs to increase engagement across the global NEC community.
Prior to joining NEC, Kelly led strategic planning and successful fundraising initiatives garnering more than $250 million for institutions including WGBH, Concord Academy, Milton Academy, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Northeastern University, and Providence College. Kathleen holds a M.Ed. in Counseling and a B.A. in Social Science with a concentration in History from Providence College.
Heather Woods
Vice President and Chief Information Officer
SB, Room 228
Prior to NEC, Heather Woods served for more than 20 years at Wellesley College, most recently as Associate CIO, where she provided strategic and operational leadership for the College’s Library and Technology Services.
While at Wellesley, she also served as a member of the College’s Strategic Planning Committee, co-chairing the working group on Community; shepherded the technology design and implementation of Wellesley’s multi-year Science Hill construction project; and led mission-driven innovation in the the Library and Technology Services organization, curriculum support, user experience, and infrastructure. Woods has presented on organizational leadership, academic technologies, library and technology partnerships, and GDPR. She is a HERS Leadership Institute Alumna and a Leading Change Institute Fellow.
As Chief Information Officer, she oversees NEC’s Library and Technology services, including the Blumenthal Family Library, Information Technology Services, and Recording and Performance Technology Services.
Courtney Barth
Vice President and Chief of Staff
Jordan Hall, Room 114
Courtney A. Barth is a distinguished and versatile leader with over 30 years of experience spanning for-profit and nonprofit business operations, fund development, constituent relations, and project management. Throughout her career, Barth has held pivotal roles in fundraising and marketing at prestigious organizations such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, WBUR, Suffolk University, and Rogerson Communities. Her exceptional leadership and strategic vision have consistently driven success and fostered growth within these institutions.
As Vice President and Chief of Staff at NEC, Barth works closely with President Kalyn, senior leadership, and the Board of Trustees to enhance the institution’s productivity and effectiveness in fulfilling its mission and achieving its top priorities. Additionally, Barth oversees teams dedicated to engaging the Board of Trustees and President’s Council in their governance efforts and managing marketing, communications, and external relations.
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Evelyn Barnes
Chief Financial Officer
33G, Business Office Suite 1st Floor
Evelyn Barnes joined New England Conservatory (NEC) as Chief Financial Officer in April 2024, bringing more than 25 years of finance and operations experience. Evelyn’s leadership experience in nonprofit finance is extensive.
Before joining NEC, she was the Chief Financial Officer for Madison Park Development Corporation, a nonprofit affordable housing real estate developer. She has served as the Chief Financial Officer for several large nonprofit organizations: the Boston Symphony Orchestra; City Year, a national education nonprofit organization; The Community Builders, the largest nonprofit urban housing developer in the U.S.; the YWCA in Boston; and Midnight Mission in Los Angeles. She also served as the Deputy Director of the Los Angeles Community Design Center. Boston Business Journal named Evelyn the 2010 “CFO of the Year.”
She received her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Boston University and has a professional designation in financial planning from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Board of Trustees
Members of NEC’s Board of Trustees are the fiduciaries who steer the organization toward a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, and by ensuring New England Conservatory has the resources to advance its mission.
The Board of Trustees is responsible for governing the resources of the institution, including the evaluation and approval of an annual budget, the investment results of the endowment, fundraising successes and challenges, member nominations, and the academic results and standing of the institution.
- Thomas W. Blumenthal, Chair
- Barbara Glauber, Vice Chair
- Blair Hendrix, Vice Chair
- John Loder, Secretary
- Nikolaos Athanasiou ’01
- Allison Bailey
- Anne Bartlett
- Henry Becton
- Enid L. Beal
- Becky Bermont
- Kennett F. Burnes ’22 hon. DM
- Mei-Ann Chen ’95, ’98 MM
- Deborah Bennett Elfers ’82
- Uzochi N. Erlingsson
- Timothy Fulham
- Anna Goldenheim
- Edwin D. Graves, Jr. ’87 MM
- Eric A. Gray
- Saj-nicole Joni
- Kimberly McCaslin
- Murray Metcalfe
- Margaret Nichols
- Robert Rosiello
- Peter Ross
- Sally Rubin
- Peter Seka ’88
- Chad T. Smith ’95, ’98 MM
- Michael Thonis
- Thomas Wilkins ’82
- Frances Bolton Wilmerding
- Ex officio: Andrea Kalyn, President
- Joseph L. Bower ’18 hon. DM
- Barbara de Bragança
- Carroll L. Cabot
- Gene D. Dahmen
- Corinne Ferguson
- Samuel L. Hayes III
- Carol T. Henderson
- John L. Hornor ’53, ’55 MM, ’57 AD
- Richard P. Morse
- Katharine M. Pell
- Harold I. Pratt ’17 hon. DM
- David W. Scudder ’03 hon. DM
- Wendy Shattuck ’75
- Norton Q. Sloan
- Prudence L. Steiner
- James L. Terry ’93 hon. DM
- Jack H. Vernon
President’s Council
- Frances Bolton Wilmerding, Chair
- Thomas W. Blumenthal, Chair, Board of Trustees
- Rumiko Adamowicz
- Clinton Bajakian ’87
- Gyasi Barber ’13 MM
- Bruce Barter
- Peggy Barter
- Walter S. Bernheimer II
- Renée Burns
- Gloria dePasquale ’71, ’73
- Yelena Dudochkin
- Yukiko Egozy ’01 MM
- Peter Erichsen
- Thomas A. Erickson
- Marvin E. Gilmore, Jr. ’51
- William Hochberg
- Jeffrey Hutchins
- Shankar Jagannathan
- Esther Kaplan
- Beth Kaufman
- Barry Kean
- Jennifer Maloney ’88
- Jane Manopoli
- Melody McDonald ’70
- Janice Meyerson ’75 MM
- Paul M. Montrone
- Brendan Murphy
- Hilda Ochoa-Brillembourg
- Conrad Pope ’73
- Fernande Raine
- Jessica Reece
- Allan G. Rodgers
- Stephen Rodriguez ’05 MM
- Margarita Rudyak
- Aviva Selling
- Pedro Sifre
- Eve Slater
- Deborah L. Smith
- Emilie Steele
- Marylen Sternweiler
- Eliza Sullivan
- C. Winfield Swarr ’62, ’65
- Anthony Trecek-King
- Jane Tsuang ’86
- Michael Williams ’77, ’81
- Janet Wu
- Joan Yogg
- Hope Lincoln Baker
- Virginia Lilly Nicholas
- Donna Maria Regis ’79
- Kathleen I. Schuller-Bleakie
