July 2026 NEC Alumni Summer Mix | A vibrant summer soundtrack featuring recent releases from NEC Alumni
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, jazz, and indie rock.
The works featured on the playlist showcase both traditional mastery and the experimenting of musical boundaries. Listeners are treated to the intricate, modern classical expressions of the renowned JACK Quartet (including Andrew Rindfleisch '90 MM), alongside evocative performances by violist Amelia Hollander Ames ’03 MM and cellist/composer Jesse Morrison ’17 MM. On the acoustic side, classical guitarist Aaron Larget-Caplan ’01 brings his signature precision and stylistic warmth to the mix, providing an intimate feel to the collection.
The jazz and contemporary improvisation selections run deep, reflecting NEC’s historic influence on those genres. The playlist spotlights heavy-hitting jazz artists and bandleaders like bassist Hannah Marks ’26 MM, saxophonist Brian Landrus '07 MM, and pianist Zaccai Curtis ’03, ’05 GD, each bringing a distinct flavor of modern jazz composition. Adding a rich, cross-cultural rhythmic dimension to the mix is multi-percussionist and composer Brian Shankar Adler ’05.
These are complemented by the brilliant, experimental music of artists like guitarist/songwriter Wendy Eisenberg '16 MM and guitarist Eric Hofbauer ’98 MM (who also appears in the collaborative project EHX), bringing an edgy, indie, and avant-garde sensibility into the tracklist.
The NEC Alumni Summer Mix precisely displays how NEC alumni continue to reshape the modern musical landscape, offering a multifaceted and refreshing listen. Share your new releases with us through this form!
