Performances + Events
Leadership
Guiding a culture of excellence.
New England Conservatory’s leadership and boards carry forward a vision: to inculcate the highest standards of excellence and nurture the artistry and creative growth of our students.
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Leadership
Leadership Statement
New England Conservatory is led in partnership by President Andrea Kalyn and Chief Executive Officer Kathleen Kelly, who together oversee the institution’s artistic vision, academic community, strategic growth, and operational sustainability.
Andrea Kalyn
President of NEC
New England Conservatory’s 17th and first female president, Andrea Kalyn began her tenure in 2019. 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 leadership. She is fundamentally committed to advancing the place of music in the world and to strengthening connections among composers, performers, and audiences.
Kalyn is securing the future for the next generation of exceptional NEC artists and music educators. Under her leadership, the conservatory 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, NEC’s distinctive Integrative Curriculum was born, launching in Fall 2024 — a reimagined student experience that challenges historic silos by integrating classroom learning with studio practice and performance, fosters collaboration and innovation through project-based learning, and prepares students for dynamic professional lives. 2024 also marked the launch of NEC’s Institute for Concert Artists, a comprehensive and transformative experience for artists of extraordinary talent on the threshold of major performing careers.
Kalyn’s commitment to collaboration is further reflected in NEC’s growing community partnerships, with the purpose of expanding access to music education for all ages. As part of the recently established Division of Expanded Education, NEC’s fully-funded Early Childhood Education Pilot Program has provided more than 500 of Boston’s youngest learners their first musical experiences. Within the college, a new concentration in Teaching Artistry builds on NEC’s Community Performances and Partnerships program, offering students the experience of working with schools, senior living communities, hospitals, and many other groups, and the opportunity to hone their skills as teaching artists.
A musicologist and pianist, Kalyn holds a PhD from the Eastman School of Music, where her research centered on 20th-century American music. She serves on the Board of Trustees of WGBH and the ProArts Consortium, for which she previously served as chair.
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, New England Conservatory
New England Conservatory’s 17th and first female president, Andrea Kalyn began her tenure in 2019. 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 leadership. She is fundamentally committed to advancing the place of music in the world and to strengthening connections among composers, performers, and audiences.
Kalyn is securing the future for the next generation of exceptional NEC artists and music educators. Under her leadership, the conservatory 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, NEC’s distinctive Integrative Curriculum was born, launching in Fall 2024 — a reimagined student experience that challenges historic silos by integrating classroom learning with studio practice and performance, fosters collaboration and innovation through project-based learning, and prepares students for dynamic professional lives. 2024 also marked the launch of NEC’s Institute for Concert Artists, a comprehensive and transformative experience for artists of extraordinary talent on the threshold of major performing careers.
Kalyn’s commitment to collaboration is further reflected in NEC’s growing community partnerships, with the purpose of expanding access to music education for all ages. As part of the recently established Division of Expanded Education, NEC’s fully-funded Early Childhood Education Pilot Program has provided more than 500 of Boston’s youngest learners their first musical experiences. Within the college, a new concentration in Teaching Artistry builds on NEC’s Community Performances and Partnerships program, offering students the experience of working with schools, senior living communities, hospitals, and many other groups, and the opportunity to hone their skills as teaching artists.
A musicologist and pianist, Kalyn holds a PhD from the Eastman School of Music, where her research centered on 20th-century American music. She serves on the Board of Trustees of WGBH and the ProArts Consortium, for which she previously served as chair.
Kathleen Maddox Kelly
Chief Executive Officer, New England Conservatory
Kathleen Kelly serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of New England Conservatory (NEC). As CEO, she drives NEC’s operational execution, enterprise infrastructure, revenue growth, and long-term capital sustainability, overseeing primary administrative portfolios spanning Finance, Facilities, Risk Management, Strategy, Enrollment, Board Relations, and Expanded Education.
A transformative leader with over 25 years of experience in higher education, public media, and the performing arts, Kelly joined NEC in 2016 as Vice President for Advancement and Engagement. Prior to her appointment as Chief Executive Officer in 2026, she served as Executive Vice President, leading institution-wide multi-year strategic initiatives and organizational expansion. In this role, she spearheaded the operationalization of the Expanded Education division, elevating preparatory and adult music education into major engines of programmatic reach and net revenue growth. As head of NEC’s philanthropic operations, Kelly has reshaped the institution’s approach to global constituent engagement, driving an extraordinary increase in total fundraising revenue and expanding the annual donor base.
Prior to her tenure at NEC, Kelly led strategic planning and major fundraising campaigns for institutions including WGBH, Concord Academy, Milton Academy, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Northeastern University, and Providence College — collectively securing over $500 million in philanthropic support.
Kelly holds a Master of Education in Counseling and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from Providence College. She completed executive leadership, innovation, and governance coursework at the Academy for Innovative Higher Education Leadership (Arizona State University & Georgetown University), Cornell University, and Northeastern University. Active in governance across Boston’s nonprofit sector, she serves on the Board of Trustees for Ursuline Academy and as an Ambassador for Beacon Academy.
Chief Officers
Chief Strategy Officer
Michael is the Chief Strategy Officer at New England Conservatory of Music. In this role, he oversees the implementation of NEC’s strategic vision, partnering with leadership and collaborating across the institution to ensure effective sequencing, planning, and development of institutional priorities. His portfolio also includes management over portions of Advancement as well as Building Operations, maintaining effective practices for gift documentation, and overseeing the daily operations and long-term planning for NEC’s historic campus in Boston.
Chief Legal Officer
Laurie Bishop serves as New England Conservatory’s Chief Legal Officer and principal legal advisor, providing strategic counsel to senior leadership and overseeing all legal, regulatory, and compliance matters affecting the Conservatory. Laurie is also a partner at Hirsch Roberts Weinstein LLP where her practice includes advising colleges, universities, and nonprofit organizations on their policies and procedures, and aiding them in various risk-management decisions. Prior to joining NEC, Laurie served as General Counsel of Berklee College of Music for over a decade.
Dean and Chief Academic Officer (Interim)
As Interim Dean and Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Jacqueline El-Sayed ensures the delivery of high-quality educational programs, fosters educational excellence and facilitates innovation in teaching and learning for student success and professional preparation. She oversees the college’s academic agenda and compliance, faculty contracts and payroll, and preparation for reaccreditation.
She comes to NEC via ‘The Registry,’ having served in numerous higher education and not for profit leadership roles, including CEO, Chief Academic Officer, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Associate Provost, Teaching and Learning Center Director, tenured full professor, and Board member positions. Her leadership has been recognized on the national level as an American Council on Education Fellow, NLA Fellow, ASEE Fellow, Distinguished Service Awards and ASEE Hall of Fame.
Her life time love of music began with piano at a young age and evolved to include a love of mathematics, engineering, experiential learning and organizational systems thinking. She is an expert on learning communities and her work has been funded $50m+ from government and private foundations. She is married and has three adult children.
Chief Growth Officer
Katherine Drago Luellen is a proven leader in arts enrollment with an unparalleled ability to understand and meet the needs of prospective students and their families. For over a decade, she has worked tirelessly to create partnerships, funding sources, and pathways for students to arts training programs. She has extensive knowledge of secondary and higher education admission practices and maintains a vast network of recruitment influencers around the globe.
Katie currently serves as the Chief Growth Officer at New England Conservatory (NEC), where she leads the admissions, financial aid, and enrollment strategies to drive NEC’s mission forward. Previously, she held leadership positions such as Executive Dean of Enrollment Management at Interlochen Center for the Arts, Director of Admissions at Boston University School of Music, Director of Recruitment & Enrollment at Carnegie Mellon University School of Music, Assistant Dean of Admission & Student Services at Longy School of Music of Bard College, and Assistant Director of Admission/Music Admission Coordinator at the University of Puget Sound.
In addition to her administrative roles, Katie is a passionate advocate for equity and inclusion in the arts. She serves on the board of Equity Arc, an organization dedicated to supporting BIPOC musicians and promoting inclusivity within the industry. She is also an instructor at Interlochen Online, teaching College Counseling for Artists.
A sought-after speaker, Katie has presented at various professional conferences and organizations, including the Pacific Northwest Association of College Admission Counselors, Decision Desk U, Music Admission Roundtable, High Performing Educator Podcast, Parents League of NY, Independent Educational Consultants Association, Classical Singer, and Opera America. She has also served on the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Board in Pittsburgh and New England and the Northwestern University Alumni Association Board in Pittsburgh and Boston.
An accomplished musician, Katie spent over ten years performing professionally in opera, concert, and musical theatre, performing at the Santa Fe Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, and on the Broadway National Tour of The Phantom of the Opera. Her most recent performances include the title role in Tobias Picker’s Thérèse Raquin with Microscopic Opera in Pittsburgh and Mercedes in Carmen with Bay Chamber Concerts.
Katie holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice and a Musical Theatre Certificate from Northwestern University and a Master of Music in Voice and Opera from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. She recently completed her Doctor of Education in Leadership and Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College.
Chief Development Officer
Jackie Martocchio is the Chief Development Officer at New England Conservatory, where she has served in various roles on the Advancement and Engagement team since 2020. Jackie oversees a team responsible for building philanthropic relationships and implementing programs and events to increase engagement and support across the NEC community.
Prior to joining NEC, Jackie planned and executed large-scale alumni class and affinity reunions for Harvard Law School. She has over 15 years of experience in higher education, particularly in development, alumni relations, and event planning at other higher educational institutions such as Boston University and Suffolk University. Jackie holds an M.A. in Integrated Marketing Communications from Suffolk University and a B.A. in Communications with a minor in History from Northeastern University.
Dean and Chief Artistic Officer
As NEC’s Dean and Chief Artistic Officer, Hank Mou is an integral partner across the institution to achieve the strategic goals necessary for the long-term success of NEC’s indelible mission. Together with Dean and Chief Academic Officer, he leads college faculty and staff in strengthening the student experience, advancing the continued transformation of our curriculum, and ensuring that NEC fulfills our mission of preparing musicians at the highest level for professional lives of distinction, relevance, and impact.
Prior to NEC, Hank served as as Associate Vice President of Artistic Operations at San Francisco Conservatory of Music for five years, overseeing the artistic planning and production of all SFCM events and serving as the primary liaison to SFCM’s Alliance of organizations (Opus 3 Artists, Askonas Holt, Pentatone), collaborating effectively with faculty, staff, partners, and artists to create performances, artistic projects, and educational programming that have prepared students for modern careers in the field of music.
Chief Information Officer (Interim)
As NEC’s Interim Chief Information Officer, Blair Simmons oversees operations in Information Technology and Recording & Performance Technology Services. During the past five years, Blair has helped transform NEC’s IT landscape by serving as the technical lead for implementing new enterprise systems and modernizing how students and faculty use critical technology. Blair is involved in developing and maintaining NEC’s Information Security and Business Continuity Plans. Efforts to continually improve network reliability, innovations in the classroom, excellence in performance production support, usability of campus software applications, and data management methods are in progress.
Through his 30-year journey as an information technology professional in higher education, Blair has shaped the futures of colleges and universities specializing in Business, Health Sciences, Art, and Music throughout the United States. His technical expertise and leadership in strategic planning and delivery of innovative solutions have helped a generation of future professionals prepare for successful careers. Blair is a music enthusiast, with a long history as a performing guitarist.
Chief Human Resources Officer (Interim)
Frances Taplett is the Interim Chief Human Resources Officer at New England Conservatory. In this role, she brings a strategic and people centered approach to building high-performing organizations.
With a foundation in strategic management consulting at BCG and higher education at the Broad Institute at Harvard and MIT, she combines analytical and data driven human capital. She will lead the full employee lifecycle, including talent acquisition, onboarding, total rewards, and HR operations.
Chief Financial Officer (Interim)
Robert Webber serves as New England Conservatory’s Interim Chief Financial Officer. In this role, he oversees the Finance department and works closely with management and governance to advance the Conservatory’s strategic priorities. Robert is a Certified Public Accountant and has considerable experience in the higher education and public accounting industries.
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
- Peter Seka ’88, Secretary
- Nikolaos Athanasiou ’01
- Anne Bartlett
- Henry Becton
- Becky Bermont
- Kennett F. Burnes ’22 hon. DM
- Elisabeth Frusztajer
- Timothy W. Fulham
- Anna Goldenheim
- Edwin D. Graves, Jr. ’87 MM
- Eric A. Gray
- Deborah Elfers Haffenreffer ’82
- Saj-nicole Joni
- Joyce Lee
- Elizabeth Lintz ’97
- 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
- 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
- Walter S. Bernheimer II
- Renée Burns
- Gloria dePasquale ’71, ’73
- Yelena Dudochkin
- Yukiko Egozy ’01 MM
- Thomas A. Erickson
- Marque Gilmore
- Marvin E. Gilmore, Jr. ’51
- William Hochberg
- Jeffrey Hutchins
- Esther Kaplan
- Beth Kaufman
- Barry Kean
- Kristo Kondakçi ’13, ’15 MM
- John Loder
- Melody McDonald ’70
- Janice Meyerson ’75 MM
- Mark Minelli
- Angelo Montrone
- Brendan Murphy
- Hilda Ochoa-Brillembourg
- Sean O’Loughlin MM ’97
- Conrad Pope ’73
- Fernande Raine
- Jessica Reece
- Allan G. Rodgers
- Margarita Rudyak
- Aviva Selling
- Pedro Sifre
- Amir Siraj MM ’23
- Eve Slater
- Deborah L. Smith
- Eliza Sullivan
- C. Winfield Swarr ’62, ’65
- Anthony Trecek-King
- Jane Tsuang ’86
- Michael Williams ’77, ’81
- Janet Wu
- Hope Lincoln Baker
- Virginia Lilly Nicholas
- Donna Maria Regis ’79
- Kathleen I. Schuller-Bleakie
