NEC Symphonic Choir, NEC Chamber Singers + Erica J. Washburn: Voices of NEC

Artist(s)

The NEC Symphonic Choir is the Conservatory’s resident community chorus. Ranging from 80 to 90 members and open to all students, regardless of major and year, as well as community members by audition, this ensemble offers its musicians the opportunity to perform music from all styles and periods of choral literature, extending beyond traditional Western masterpieces to the music of non-European cultures. The Symphonic Choir collaborates with NEC’s large instrumental ensembles, as well as with ensembles in greater Boston, and gives its concerts in NEC’s Jordan Hall.

The NEC Chamber Singers is an ensemble, open to all majors at NEC, of 24–30 musicians who perform challenging works from all style periods, with a particular emphasis on 19th–21st century a cappella works. The choir rehearses three times a week and experiences choral music-making in an intimate ensemble setting, typically in the round. Each NEC Chamber Singer is a musician seeking to understand the principles and nuance of superior choral artistry so that they may be prepared for professional opportunities and expectations outside of the Conservatory. The choristers diligently prepare their music outside of scheduled rehearsals which makes the brief time spent together musically invaluable. The ensemble typically performs eight to ten times each academic year: on campus in the Conservatory’s Jordan Hall and at off campus venues in and around greater Boston.