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.
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, 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.
Executive Council
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 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.
Leadership Council
Executive Director of Strategy and Operations
Michael is the Executive Director of Strategy and Operations 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.
Associate Vice President for Finance & Controller
Associate Vice President of Finance and Controller Kathleen Donahue is a seasoned financial controller with over 20 years of experience in nonprofit finance, specializing in financial management, budgeting, compliance, and managing accounting operations.
Prior to joining New England Conservatory, Kathleen was the CFO at TERC, an educational research and curriculum development nonprofit. Prior to her role at TERC, she was the CFO of ABCD (Action for Boston Community Development), one of Boston’s largest human services organizations. She has served as Controller for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and City Year, a national educational nonprofit organization.
Kathleen is a graduate of Suffolk University.
Dean and Chief Academic Officer
As Dean and Chief Academic Officer, Richard Giarusso ensures the delivery of high-quality educational programs, fosters educational excellence, and drives innovation in teaching and learning toward student success and professional preparation. He oversees the college’s academic agenda and compliance, faculty contracts and payroll, and the college budget. Additionally, he supports the cultivation of musicianship at the highest level through continued development of the integrative curriculum and partnering across the institution to advance NEC’s excellence and evolution into the future.
In his prior role as Dean of Academic Affairs at NEC, he led a restructuring of academic advising operations and catalyzed conversation with colleagues throughout the institution, leading to the launch of NEC’s new undergraduate curriculum in Fall 2024. Before coming to NEC, he was Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Musicology at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. Also active as a conductor and singer, he is the past music director of the Georgetown Chorale (DC), the Voce Chamber Singers (VA), and the Maryland Choral Society, and he maintains a career as a soloist and ensemble musician throughout the Atlantic corridor. Trained at Williams and Harvard, Richard is a life-long learner shaped by the guidance and inspiration of exceptional mentors who modeled the patterns of inquiry and exploration that he seeks to uphold in his life and work.
His non-musical interests include architecture and interior design, traditional French cookery, woodworking, Anglican spirituality, and the beauties of the natural world. He resides in Acton with his wife, son, and two very curious cats.
Vice President of Enrollment Management and 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 Vice President of Enrollment Management and 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.
Vice President of Advancement
Jackie Martocchio is the Vice President for Institutional Advancement 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.
Vice President of Expanded Education
Tonya McBride Robles comes to NEC with significant experience in arts administration with symphonies and choruses, including chief operating officer at both Nashville Symphony and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Earlier in her career, she taught general music in schools in Spain, Japan, and Ecuador while her husband served as a U.S. Naval Officer.
During her tenure at Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Tonya was a critical partner in reaching a five-year agreement with the musicians. She directed the creation, development, and implementation of a new digital concert series, BSO Sessions, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Tonya’s leadership, the orchestra toured internationally for the first time in 13 years, with a successful 2018 debut at the BBC Proms and the Edinburgh Festival, and released numerous critically acclaimed recordings. In both Nashville and Baltimore, Tonya led efforts to significantly increase BIPOC representation in artistic programming, creating new concert series and engaging new artistic partners.
Tonya received a Bachelor of Music Education and a Performer’s Certificate in Voice from Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, where she studied with Phyllis Bryn-Julson, and a Master of Public Administration from University of Maryland Global Campus.
Interim Director of Human Resources
Kathy Sambuco is the Interim Director of Human Resources at New England Conservatory, where she provides leadership in the areas of talent acquisition, employee relations, performance management, compensation and benefits, training and development, regulatory compliance, and human resources information systems.
Kathy brings over 25 years of Human Resources experience. Prior to joining New England Conservatory, she served in various leadership roles at cultural institutions and higher education including The Trustees of Reservations, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Merrimack College, Wheelock College, Emerson College, and Northeastern University. She is an active member of the Society of Human Resources Management, New England Employee Benefits Council, a former board member of Southern New England College and University Professional Association (SNE-CUPA) and Independent Schools Compensation Corporation (ISCC), and previous presenter at the national CUPA conference.
She holds a BS degree from Salem State University and MS in Human Resources Management from Lesley University.
Assistant Director of Campus Technology
As the Assistant Director of Campus Technology, Gus Zhang is dedicated to supporting NEC’s campus community with reliable tech solutions. With a background in IT management and a keen interest in enhancing educational experiences, Gus works closely with the team to ensure all technological needs are met efficiently.
Gus worked in various IT roles at Wellesley College and New England Conservatory, gaining valuable experiences in multiple areas of technology in the higher education sector. He holds a degree in Master of Technology Management from Brandeis University and is always eager to learn and grow in the ever-evolving field of technology.
Outside of work, Gus enjoys spending time with his family — finding balance between their professional and personal life. And when he has some “me-time,” he enjoys music and video games in his own basement studio. Committed to creating a seamless tech environment, Gus is here to support our vibrant community of musicians.
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
- Becky Bermont
- Kennett F. Burnes ’22 hon. DM
- Deborah Bennett Elfers ’82
- Uzochi N. Erlingsson
- Elisabeth Frusztajer
- 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
- 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
- Thomas A. Erickson
- Timothy Fulham
- Marque Gilmore
- Marvin E. Gilmore, Jr. ’51
- William Hochberg
- Jeffrey Hutchins
- Esther Kaplan
- Beth Kaufman
- Barry Kean
- Kristo Kondakçi ’13, ’15 MM
- Jennifer Maloney ’88
- 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
- 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
