Performances + Events
Soprano and NEC Concert Artist Josie Larsen ’23 MM, ’25 AD
In February, New England Conservatory’s pathbreaking Contemporary Musical Arts department will present a concert titled What Does Earth Need? A Call to Action (February 25). The event explores the relationship musical artists have with the world. And, while the focus of the CMA concert is specific to climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental justice, the larger question of what Earth needs is answered in part by musicians and the artistry with which they communicate ideas and inspire audiences toward their better selves.
Among the most awe-inspiring artists in the NEC community are the musicians in the Conservatory’s Institute for Concert Artists and Professional Programs. The spring season of NEC’s Concert Artists Series, which showcases those singular talents, opened anew in January with a captivating performance by violinist and NEC Concert Artist Joshua Brown ’22, ’24 MM, ’26 AD. The Concert Artists Series continues with performances by Trio Eris, NEC’s Piano Trio in Residence (March 13), soprano Josie Larsen ’23 MM, ’25 AD (March 30), and pianists Yutong Sun ’19, ’21 MM, ’22 GD, ’25 AD (March 14), Changyong Shin ’25 AD (March 15), and Evren Ozel ’21, ’23 MM, ’25 AD (April 28). The series also includes a concert featuring all of NEC’s extraordinary Concert Artists together on one stage (March 25).
As the Conservatory looks to the artistry of this remarkable next generation, it also looks back on the momentous contributions of those who have carved pathways not just on the concert stage but to the heart of our diverse culture and our understanding of ourselves and one another. In March, NEC’s Black Student Union and Castle of Our Skins, an organization founded by pioneering NEC alumni, celebrates Black History Month and the legacy of NEC alumna Coretta Scott King ’51, ’71 Hon. DM (March 8) who famously met her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in 1952 on the steps of Jordan Hall. Three-quarters of a century after that fateful meeting, Castle of Our Skins fosters cultural understanding here in our community and beyond. In February, during Black History Month, NEC presents a West African Art Music Festival (February 12–14) celebrating the rich history and deep influence of music from that part of the world.
Also celebrating cultural connections during the spring semester, NEC’s Jazz Studies department and Intercultural Institute present Zildjians, Atlantic Records and Jazz: The Legacy of Istanbul in America (February 27). The culmination of multiple events honoring the legacy of Istanbul in America, the concert features faculty drummer Nasheet Waits, esteemed saxophonist Sam Newsome, a mehter band — Ottoman Janissary/military band — including faculty and students led by faculty member Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, and the NEC Jazz Orchestra led by Ken Schaphorst. In addition to a new work by Sanlıkol that combines the mehter band and jazz orchestra, this compelling concert also celebrates, in a nod to the memory of the label’s founder Ahmet Ertegun, classic jazz tunes from the Atlantic Records catalog, including tunes by John Coltrane, Ray Charles, Jimmy Giuffre, and Grammy Award-winning Turkish-American producer Arif Mardin.
The spring season at NEC also celebrates traditions that have long brought the community together, including the 40th year of First Mondays (March 3, April 7, May 5), the chamber music series curated by renowned cellist and NEC faculty member Laurence Lesser. A three-part series celebrating the music of Fauré and His Students (February 4 & 23, March 4) showcases NEC’s revered Piano Department.
These and many more events — opera, chamber music, orchestral performances, faculty and student recitals, new music programs, residencies, and master classes with some of the most distinguished artists and pedagogues of our time — showcase the breadth of artistry that lives and is fostered at NEC.
Questions about what the Earth needs abound. What the NEC community offers in spirited response to such questions are the hope and possibility of inspiration, and the muscle of art and music. Join NEC in its concert venues to experience the sublimity of thoughtful, world-class performances by the leading artists of today and tomorrow.
Visit NEC’s Performances and Events Calendar for a full listing of goings-on.
