Benjamin Sosland Named Provost and Dean
New England Conservatory announced yesterday the appointment of Benjamin Sosland as Provost and Dean. Currently serving as Interim Dean and Director of the Music Division at New York’s Juilliard School, Sosland assumes the new position on July 5.
As NEC’s chief academic and artistic officer, he will oversee all aspects of the school’s programs in the College, Preparatory School and School of Continuing Education.
He succeeds Thomas Novak, Vice President and Provost, who has provided exemplary leadership to NEC for 20 years, including serving as Interim President from July 2015 through December 2018.
Andrea Kalyn, President of New England Conservatory of Music, said:
"I am delighted to announced Ben’s appointment as Provost and Dean of the faculty. His deep commitment to artistry, his wide-ranging musical curiosity and his inclusive, collaborative approach reflect the very ethos of NEC. He is a passionate advocate for the enduring power of music in the world, and a caring and creative leader who keeps students at the center of every decision. I look forward to the ways in which he will advance thoughtful artistic and curricular innovation and development, as well as building on NEC’s culture of excellence and community for transformational impact.”
Sosland responded:
"It is an extraordinary honor for me to join NEC as its next Provost and Dean. NEC is a standard-bearer of musical excellence with a forward-looking, innovative spirit at its core. The more I have gotten to know the people who comprise its community – a peerless faculty, dedicated staff and inspiring student body – the more I have realized that NEC is also a warm and welcoming place brimming with promise and potential. I can’t wait to work with President Kalyn and the entire team as we embark on the next chapter of NEC’s storied history.”
As the founding administrative director of Juilliard Historical Performance, Sosland was 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. Under his leadership, the department has been established as one of the foremost of its kind, combining a rigorous curriculum with frequent performances on the national and international stage. Sosland is also the Founding Assistant Dean for Juilliard’s Kovner Fellowship, overseeing the school’s elite scholarship program, and a member of its Graduate Studies faculty, teaching courses on topics ranging from entrepreneurship for musicians to the dramatic works of Monteverdi, Paris between the wars, and the literary operas of Benjamin Britten.
Sosland is a frequent pre-concert lecturer at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and has served on the jury at the Van Wassenaer International Early Music Competition. He was the research associate and program editor for the New York Festival of Song, and was a score consultant for the Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning “Live in HD” series for seven seasons.
A trained tenor, Sosland has performed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Gotham Chamber Opera and American Opera Projects, besides making guest appearances at festivals including Marlboro Music Festival, Ravinia Festival’s Steans Institute for Young Artists, and the Aspen and Bowdoin Summer Music Festivals. He holds an undergraduate degree in voice from the Eastman School of Music and both master’s and doctoral degrees from the Juilliard School.
About New England Conservatory of Music (NEC)
Founded by Eben Tourjée in Boston, Massachusetts in 1867, the New England Conservatory (NEC) represents a new model of music school that combines the best of European tradition with American innovation. The school stands at the center of Boston’s rich cultural history and musical life, presenting concerts at the renowned Jordan Hall. Propelled by profound artistry, bold creativity and deep compassion, NEC seeks to amplify musicians’ impact on advancing our shared humanity, and empowers students to meet today’s changing world head-on, equipped with the tools and confidence to forge multidimensional lives of artistic depth and relevance.
As an independent, not-for-profit institution that educates and trains musicians of all ages from around the world, NEC is recognized internationally as a leader among music schools. It cultivates a diverse, dynamic community, providing music students of more than 40 countries with performance opportunities and high-caliber training from 225 internationally esteemed artist-teachers and scholars. NEC pushes the boundaries of music-making and teaching through college-level training in classical, jazz and contemporary improvisation. Through unique interdisciplinary programs such as Entrepreneurial Musicianship and Community Performances & Partnerships, it empower students to create their own musical opportunities. As part of NEC’s mission to make lifelong music education available to everyone, the Preparatory School and School of Continuing Education delivers training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students and adults.
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