Caleb Quillen ’13 Appointed to NEC Faculty

Alumnus Caleb Quillen ’13, principal double-bassist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is joining NEC’s Faculty. Quillen joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra as principal double-bassist in 2025, assuming the role after the retirement of Edwin Barker, who served in the position for nearly five decades. He currently holds the Harold D. Hodgkinson Chair and performs regularly with the Boston Symphony Chamber Players. BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons has praised Quillen’s outstanding artistry.

Before his appointment in Boston, Quillen was a member of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Kansas City Symphony, and he has appeared with leading ensembles including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, and New York Philharmonic.

While at NEC, Quillen studied double bass with Donald Palma and Lawrence Wolfe '70, and later continued his training at Rice University with Paul Ellison and Tim Pitts. His professional development also includes fellowships at the Tanglewood Music Center and the New York Philharmonic Global Academy.

Quillen returns to NEC eager to work with students, drawing on his own experience as a former student at the Conservatory where performance and education were closely connected. His appointment underscores NEC’s continued commitment to artist-faculty whose active professional careers inform and enrich the student experience.

We are thrilled to welcome Caleb back to campus!