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 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.
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 engaging the Board of Trustees and President’s Council in their governance efforts and 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.
Controller
Rich Bowman has served as the Controller at NEC since November 2022. Before joining NEC, Rich held controller positions at private nonprofit institutions for over 25 years, including 18 years at Babson College. He also brings over seven years of public accounting experience, specializing in nonprofit organizations as an auditor with KPMG and Leonard, Mulherin, and Greene.
Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and External Relations
Kendra Butters is the Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and External Relations at New England Conservatory, where she leads the team responsible for NEC’s branding, content strategy, marketing, and public relations. She joined NEC in January 2023 as Director of Marketing and Communications for Expanded Education and also served as Interim Director of Administration, overseeing the division’s daily operations.
Prior to NEC, Kendra served as the Director of Communications for the Boston Athletic Association and Boston Marathon, where she successfully led marketing and communications efforts during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing media relations, crisis communications, and the marathon’s first-ever cancellation. Her work included developing content strategies for digital and social platforms, contributing to EMMY Award-winning and EMMY-nominated broadcasts, and executing an integrated marketing campaign that resulted in the second-largest single day of donations for nonprofits associated with the Boston Marathon.
Kendra has also held roles at Harvard University, where she managed marketing initiatives for the Public Affairs department, including community-facing projects; at Boston College, where she focused on graduate student recruitment; and at the Boston Foundation, where she supported the Understanding Boston forums and sponsorship portfolio.
She began her career as a Teach For America corps member in the Mississippi Delta and holds an MBA from Boston College, a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Quinnipiac University, and a certificate in organizational behavior from the Harvard Extension School.
Dean of Students and Campus Life
Christina earned her BA in English from The College of New Jersey and her MA in Student Affairs Administration from Michigan State University. Christina Davis joined NEC as the Dean of Students and Campus Life in the fall of 2021.
With an extensive background as a student affairs professional, she has spent more than 20 years working at a range of institutions, including Syracuse University, Princeton University, MIT, the University of Southern California, Bates College, and Berklee College of Music/The Boston Conservatory at Berklee. In her role as Dean, Christina oversees the Counseling and Wellness Center, Residence Life/Dining, Disability Support Services, and students of concern via the CARE Team.
In her spare time, she explores all that Boston has to offer: the arts, museums, restaurants, independent bookstores, and historical sites. Christina also loves traveling, cooking, reading, and consuming all forms of quality pop culture.
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.
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 Dean and Chief Artistic Officer
Following a three-year tenure as NEC’s Provost and Dean of the Faculty, Benjamin Sosland is now serving as Interim Dean and Chief Artistic Officer. During his time as Provost, Sosland oversaw the day-to-day running of the college division, collaborating with the faculty to advance the institution’s commitment to artistic excellence by evolving the current educational model. Sosland made several important faculty appointments in Jazz, chamber music, strings, piano, and classroom studies and developed an administrative leadership team to support and enhance the student experience.
Prior to coming to NEC, he was the founding administrative director of Juilliard Historical Performance, responsible for creating, implementing, and overseeing the Juilliard School’s newest degree program, which has had “a transformative effect” (New York Times) on early music in New York. Sosland is also the Founding Assistant Dean for Juilliard’s Kovner Fellowship, overseeing the school’s elite scholarship program. He also served as a member of the Graduate Studies faculty, teaching courses on topics ranging from entrepreneurship for musicians to the literary operas of Benjamin Britten.
Passionate about forging equitable connections across campus and with the community, Sosland is deeply committed to curricular and programmatic innovation, student success, and strategic initiatives and is rooted in the belief that a conservatory education can be a springboard for a life of creative service.
Trained as a tenor, he holds an undergraduate degree in voice from the Eastman School of Music and master’s and doctoral degrees from the Juilliard School.
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
- Enid L. Beal
- Becky Bermont
- Kennett F. Burnes ’22 hon. DM
- Deborah Bennett Elfers ’82
- Uzochi N. Erlingsson
- Timothy Fulham
- 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
- Prudence L. Steiner
- 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
- Peter Erichsen
- Thomas A. Erickson
- Marvin E. Gilmore, Jr. ’51
- William Hochberg
- Jeffrey Hutchins
- Esther Kaplan
- Beth Kaufman
- Barry Kean
- Jennifer Maloney ’88
- Jane Manopoli
- 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
- Emilie Steele
- Marylen Sternweiler
- Eliza Sullivan
- C. Winfield Swarr ’62, ’65
- Anthony Trecek-King
- Jane Tsuang ’86
- Michael Williams ’77, ’81
- Janet Wu
- Joan Yogg
- Hope Lincoln Baker
- Virginia Lilly Nicholas
- Donna Maria Regis ’79
- Kathleen I. Schuller-Bleakie
