Class of 2026 Spotlights

Published on June 1, 2026

Riley Barker ’26 MM

Degree: Master of Music

Major: Collaborative Piano

"This fall, I will be pursuing more collaborative piano projects, specifically taking part in the McGill Schulich School of Music x Université de Montréal piano vocal arts residency program where I will expand my skills in opera, vocal coaching, and art song interpretation. I intend to use moving to Montreal as a springboard for an international career which takes me to Europe and beyond."

Rhiannon Hurst ’26 MM

Degree: Master of Music

Major: Jazz Studies

"Post-graduation, my plan is to continue performing and gigging throughout New England while finishing and releasing the album connected to my Fenwick Scholar project, Vanguard for a New Age: Artivism through Jazz. The project centers around the music and voices of women in jazz, inspired by Terri Lyne Carrington’s New Standards: 101 Leadsheets By Women Composers, and has combined performance, research, recording, and community engagement."

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How The Brain Reacts to Live Music: Arun Asthagiri '20 Prep, '24 Participates in a Collaboratory Study with NEC and Northeastern University

June 1, 2026
Neuroscientist, musician, and technologist Arun Asthagiri '20 Prep, '24 has participated in a study on how the brain reacts to live music as a collaboratory project between NEC and Northeastern University.Arun is an interdisciplinary scientist and musician who has played the violin for nearly two decades, earning a Bachelor of Music from NEC before pursuing a PhD at Northeastern University’s Music

Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Rhoda Bernard '94

June 1, 2026
Dr. Rhoda Bernard is the Founding Managing Director of the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education and the Assistant Chair of the Music Education Department at Berklee College of Music. She holds a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in government from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Music with academic honors in jazz voice from New England Conservatory. She earned both her Master of Education