2016–2017 Wild Card Honors Ensemble
Night Tree
Winifred Horan, faculty coach
Lily Honigberg, Chris Overholser, fiddle
McKinley James, cello
Zach Mayer, baritone saxophone
Sunniva Brynnel, accordion
Julian Loida, percussion
2015–2016 Wild Card Honors Ensemble
Jayu Quartet
Hankus Netsky, faculty coach
Wonmi Jung, voice
Do Yeon Kim, gayageum
Chris McCarthy, piano
Eli Cohen, percussion
2014–2015 Wild Card Honors Ensemble
Alfaia Quartet
Ted Reichman, faculty coach
Henrique Eisenmann, piano
Kenan Adnawi, oud
Gustavo D'Amico, saxophone
Kirsten Lamb, double bass
2013–2014 Wild Card Honors Ensemble
Choro Bastardo
Amir Milstein, faculty coach
Ilya Portnov, harmonica
Ben Andrews, violin
Henrique Eisenmann, piano
Cristian Budu, pandero
2009–2010 Wild Card Honors Ensemble
Sail Away Ladies
Hankus Netsky and Dominique Eade, faculty coaches
Mia Friedman, fiddle and vocals
Eden MacAdam-Somer, fiddle and vocals
Ariel Friedman, cello and vocals
Sarah Jarosz, banjo and vocals
Are you looking for a springboard for your group to become a permanent, professional ensemble? Are you ready for a showcase performance in NEC's Jordan Hall—one of the world's top concert halls?
The bonds you form with your colleagues in an NEC Honors Ensemble may lead to staying together for the remainder of your studies at NEC—or you may find or confirm a life-long vocation through this program.
Groups that exhibit both extraordinary accomplishment and a commitment to work together are encouraged to audition midway through fall semester for NEC's Honors Ensemble program. An outside panel of jurors reviews classical chamber music groups. NEC faculty select jazz and "wild card" groups. The groups selected through this process become NEC Honors Ensembles for the remainder of the school year, during which time they receive special mentoring and the guarantee of a Jordan Hall recital.
Past Honors Ensembles
Jayu Quartet (2015–16)
Alfaia Quartet (2014–15)
Choro Bastardo (2013–14)
Balkan Brass Project (2010–11)
Sail Away Ladies (2009–10)