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NEC Community Mourns the Passing of Margaret McAllister

March 2, 2026

NEC Community Mourns the Passing of Margaret McAllister

The New England Conservatory community mourns the passing of beloved Expanded Education Department faculty member Margaret McAllister, who died on February 14 at age 69. Margaret joined NEC’s Preparatory School faculty in 2008 and taught theory and composition.

Born in Scotland and raised in the United States, Margaret built her entire professional career in Boston. She earned a Bachelor of Music from the Berklee College of Music and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Boston University. She joined the Berklee faculty in 2007 as an associate professor of composition and music theory.

In addition to her work at NEC and Berklee, Margaret also taught at Boston College and maintained deep connections with many of Boston’s leading musicians and ensembles. She had recently been promoted to full professorship at Berklee, where she was awarded a sabbatical for this academic year, composing a new work for string quartet and women’s vocal quartet.

Margaret will be deeply missed. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, colleagues, and students. The Boston Globe published this obituary.

A visitation will be held on March 19 from 4 to 7 p.m. and a funeral will be held on March 20 at 9 a.m., both at the Lehman, Reen, McNamara Funeral Home, 63 Chestnut Hill Ave., Brighton, Mass.

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