Performances + Events
News from NEC students, alumni, and faculty including Julian Rhee, Minami Yoshida, SooBeen Lee, Joshua Brown, Nash Tomey, Ashleigh Gordon and Anthony R. Green, Matthew Spivey, I-Jung Huang, Audrey Wright, G Rockwell, Brian McCreath, and more; we also remember Jaimie Branch, Terry O. Doucima, and other members of the NEC community who passed away this year.
Recent Wins
Four NEC students made it to the finals of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis last weekend. Congratulations to second prize winner Julian Rhee ’22, ’24 MM, third prize winner Minami Yoshida ’21, ’24 MM, fifth prize winner SooBeen Lee ’21, ’23 MM, and sixth prize winner Joshua Brown ’22, ’24 MM!
Double bassist Nash Tomey ’14 won a position with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
Castle of our Skins, the acclaimed Boston-based series dedicated to celebrating Black artistry through musical concerts and educational series, co-founded by violist Ashleigh Gordon ’08 MM and composer Anthony R. Green ’08 MM, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with the release of “A Little History,” a fun-filled interactive workshop for students in grades 2-6.
Through original music and story-telling, this comprehensive project tells the simplified stories of nine legendary figures in Black History. Follow the link below to learn more about “A Little History,” and check out COOS’ full slate of events for this upcoming season.
Matthew Spivey ’03 became CEO of the San Francisco Symphony. Matthew studied clarinet at NEC and has been with the organization since 2015 as their chief programming officer; prior to moving to San Francisco, he also held positions with the L.A. Baltimore, Boston, and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras.
I-Jung Huang ’16 and Audrey Wright ’11, ’13 MM won positions with the New York Philharmonic.
Multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader G Rockwell ’24 took home first prize in the FreshGrass Awards for Banjo.
Brian McCreath ’90, who earned his degree in trumpet performance, is now the primary host and producer of the Boston Symphony Orchestra broadcasts on Boston’s public classical music station, WCRB.
NEC’s own Balourdet Quartet came in third place in the 2022 Banff International String Quartet Competition in Banff, Alberta, Canada.
Violinist Robyn Bollinger ’13, ’15 MM and bass trombonist Adam Rainey ’12, ’14 MM won positions with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Violist Daniel Orsen ’18 MM won a position with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Orsen was featured as soloist on Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola in September.
Jazz artist Amanda Ekery ’18 MM is the founder and director of the El Paso Jazz Girls, who celebrated their fifth anniversary this past summer. Amanda founded the group after noticing a lack of female representation in the jazz community. Listen to an interview with Amanda about El Paso Jazz Girls at the link.
Violinists Sophie Wang ’18 MM, ’20 GD and Jenny Ahn ’11 MM won positions with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Denise Tryon ’93 won the 2022 American Prize in Instrumental Performance for her album Hope Springs Eternal. Tryon is currently Associate Professor of Horn at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
In Memoriam: NEC Community Members
New England Conservatory is saddened by the losses this year of beloved members of our community: alumni, former faculty, and Trustees. While a selection of notable people are listed below, this is not a comprehensive list of the recently departed. We encourage you to click the links below to learn more about the legacies and accomplishments of these members of the community in their full obituaries.
More RECENT NEWS: In Case You Missed It
NEC Alumna Melissa Reardon Joins Borromeo String Quartet as Violist
NEC Community Shines At Cliburn International Piano Competition
