News & Spotlights

Dr. Marvin E. Gilmore Jr. ’51 DP, ’24 hon. DM is a distinguished WWII Veteran, civil rights activist and business entrepreneur, recently named a Boston “Hero” on the 1965 Freedom Plaza that surrounds the Embrace sculpture in Boston Common. A U.S. Army D-Day Veteran, his illustrious career and cultural legacy include establishing Unity Bank—the first Black-owned bank in Massachusetts, opening a Cam

Alumna Anouk Chemla '26 has been named one of eleven semifinalists in the 2026 Herbie Hancock Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition, which takes place October 10–11 at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. Selected from hundreds of applicants worldwide, Chemla earned her Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies at NEC after initial classical piano training in Paris. Her career trajectory includ

The NEC community extends its warmest congratulations to alumnus Sean Callery ’87, who has won the 2026 Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score). Callery was recognized alongside co-composer Sara Barone at the 78th Emmy Awards for their evocative dramatic score on the Netflix thriller series The Beast in Me, specific

Violinist Geneva Lewis '20, '22 AD continues to build an impressive international reputation, combining major concerto appearances with a passionate commitment to chamber music. Based in New York City, Lewis is preparing for another significant milestone with the upcoming release of her debut album, New York Perspectives, set for release on October 2. Recorded with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orches

When NEC alumna Wendy Williams Keyes ’80 arrived at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in August 2009, public concerts, theater, and music schools were forbidden throughout Saudi Arabia. Tasked with founding the university’s Office of the Arts on the shores of the Red Sea, Keyes set out to build a vibrant cultural home for an international community representing 126 nat

NEC alumnus Brian Kaufman '10 MM has released the debut self titled album of Brass for Uncommon Times on Naxos. Kaufman, who completed his Master of Music in Conducting at NEC under the guidance of conducting faculty members including Charles Peltz, is now Chair of the Department of Music at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Reflecting on the social and political shifts of our era, fro

Richard Chwastiak is Director of Cape Symphony Presents at Cape Arts + Entertainment in West Barnstable, Massachusetts, where he leads the organization's concert presenting and booking division as a strategic growth platform within a legacy cultural institution. Since launching Cape Symphony Presents in 2022, he has expanded programming across more than two dozen venues throughout Cape Cod, introd

Our alumni are consistently representing the brilliance of NEC. Check out some of the audition placements that NEC alumni have scored within the past few months below, and congratulations to all!Ben Ullery ’05 MM - Principal Viola, Los Angeles PhilharmonicErika Rohrberg '16 Prep, '23 MM - Piccolo, The Florida OrchestraKian Hirayama '24 MM - Principal Oboe, Eastern Connecticut Symphony OrchestraAlv

The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) has officially appointed violinist Jeremías Sergiani-Velázquez '14 to its string faculty. Sergiani-Velázquez currently serves as Principal Second Violin of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, bringing extensive orchestral, chamber, and solo experience back to the institution where he once studied.Born in Córdoba, Argentina, Sergiani-Velázquez began playing the vio

Violinist Yebin Yoo ’22, ’24 MM has been selected as one of 12 elite international semifinalists for the 10th Windsor Festival International String Competition in England. Chosen from an applicant pool spanning 35 countries, the South Korean-born performer will present a 25-minute recital before a distinguished jury as she competes for prizes valued at over £40,000, including cash, a recording pac

NEC alum and former faculty member Beatrice Jona Affron '92 MM has been appointed Associate Music Director of the New York City Ballet (NYCB). Affron, who studied conducting at NEC under Pascal Verrot, and privately with Robert Spano, officially stepped into her new role on August 1, 2026, as the company prepares for its 2026–27 season. Working alongside Music Director Andrew Litton, she will over

Boston Lyric Opera announced their 2026-27 Jane & Steven Akin Emerging Artists which includes several NEC alumni! Soprano: Dani Zhang '26 ADMezzo-soprano: Juliette Kaoudji '20, '22 MM, '23 GDTenor: Suowei Wu '25 MM, '26 GDCountertenor: Ricky Lee Owens, Jr. '26 GDBass-baritone: Zizhao Wang '18, '20 MM, '21 GDConductor: Clancy Ellis '26 GD The Boston Lyric Opera’s Jane & Steven Akin Emerging Artists

The Ithaca College School of Music, Theatre, and Dance awarded the 2025-2026 Biennium to NEC alumnus Jim Stephenson '90 for his submission of Symphony No. 5 and an honorable mention for his submission Declaration!The Walter Beeler Memorial Composition Prize was created to further encourage the composition and performance of new, high-quality wind band literature in honor and memory of Ithaca Colle

NEC has once again demonstrated its dominant force in contemporary improvisational music, sweeping top accolades in the 74th Annual DownBeat Critics Poll across both main and Rising Star categories. From master big-band arrangers to historical icons and avant-garde innovators, artists affiliated with NEC continue to define the state and future trajectory of jazz.Leading the main categories, Vancou

Renowned flutist Helen Campo has earned widespread acclaim throughout her career, including legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein who wrote, "Miss Campo plays the flute the way I wish I could sing." Since making her solo debut at just 14 years old, she has performed hundreds of times at prestigious venues globally, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Hong Kong Cultural Center. As the

Boston Summer Opera, where Hannah Shanefield '20 MM serves as Executive Director, has been awarded a grant from the Community Fund for Wellesley, a Fund of the Community Foundation for MetroWest, to support its upcoming production of Rossini's The Barber of Seville and expand community-centered opera programming in Wellesley! Performances are on Saturday, August 22 at 7:30 PM at Wellesley Hills Co

Alumnus Tyler Bourque '23 MM will be joining the Louisiana State University Faculty as Instructor of Clarinet for the 2026–2027 school year.Bourque has served as principal clarinet of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra since August 2019 and maintains an active career as a freelance musician. His orchestral experience spans a number of celebrated ensembles, including the Albany Symphony Orchestra,

“Strikingly beautiful, distinctive and exhilarating, with expressive vocals that will find a way into hearts and minds” (No Depression)Chamber-folk duo Ari & Mia are award-winning songwriters, and tour globally, critically acclaimed as New England's Americana sister act. Raised on folk songs and conservatory trained, their voices, cello, fiddle, and banjo intricately combine in breathtaking harmon

The NEC Alumni Summer Mix is a curated playlist that celebrates the incredible versatility, creativity, and genre-defying talent of our graduates. Designed as a vibrant summer soundtrack, the playlist includes 10 tracks, focusing on recent releases from alumni. True to the spirit of NEC's diverse contemporary and classical programs, the collection effortlessly bridges the gaps between classical, j

NEC alumna Allegra Levy ’11 won a jingle contest promoting a new, free child-care program in New York City. More than 300 New Yorkers submitted jingles celebrating the City's new 2-K program. The final five entries were selected by Bronx-born rapper Cardi B and Washington Heights native Lin-Manuel Miranda before being put to a public vote. Mayor Mamdani first announced the jingle contest alongside