Community Spotlight: Black History Month

Published on February 9, 2023

Black history is our shared history. Join us in celebrating the legacy, future, and rich contributions of Black artists and artistry at NEC—from Florence Price to Jaki Byard; from J. Rosamund Johnson to Coretta Scott King; from today's brilliant students to the musicians, leaders, and future-makers they are becoming.

This month, NEC's Black Student Union takes the lead as the Conservatory honors and celebrates Black History Month. Browse this month's concerts, conversations, events, and more below.

		Dr. Oral Moses Song Lab Master Class February 13 \| 1:30pm Bass-baritone, researcher and educator Dr. Oral Moses will coach graduate singers and collaborative pianists in performance practices for Spirituals and Songs by African American composers.

		Panel Discussion: Cultural Appropriation & The Performance of Spirituals February 13 \| 7:00pm In this panel discussion, issues tied to cultural appropriation and the performance of spirituals/art song will be taken up. Panelists include Oral Moses, Marshall Hughes, Daon Drisdom, and Farayi Malek, moderated by Monique Van Willigh.

		Dr. Oral Moses Master Class February 14 \| 2:00pm Dr. Oral Moses will coach graduate students in performance practices for two Spiritual choral works. Audience members will learn what performance practice elements are essential to engage when seeking to prepare meaningful and informed performances of the Spirituals repertoire.

		NEC Song Lab: Wade in the Water - An Evening of African American Spirituals *February 15 \| 7:00pm* This concert features performers from a number of different departments at NEC celebrating a breadth of expression of the spirituals in a variety of genres: song, choral, piano, string trio and R&B.

		Andrea Baker Master Class February 16 \| 6:00pm Join Andrea Baker, mezzo-soprano, for a master class followed by a short talk regarding her MOFA production "Sing Sistah Sing! Tales of Transatlantic Freedom," which explores the shared stories of the African Diaspora that reflect the link between the music and history of Scottish culture and politics with the heritage of the New World.

		Piano Seminar: Tania León *February 17 \| 10:00am* NEC's Piano Department invites the public to join students in exploring the challenges and complexities that pianists face in the world today, through presentations and master classes by guest artists and NEC faculty. In today's class, a conversation with composer and pianist, Tania León.

		Black is Canon February 19 \| 7:30pm “Black is Canon” is an event curated by the NEC Black student Union highlighting the musical/creative voices of our black students at NEC and in Boston!

		BSU Coretta Scott King Concert March 14 \| 7:30pm Join us for the Sixth Annual Coretta Scott King Tribute Concert as we celebrate Black excellence and honor those who came before us.

Other news

NEC Alumni Featured in Grammy Award Winning Recordings

February 8, 2023

Congratulations to all our NEC alumni who were featured in Grammy Award winning recordings!Maren Brehm ’97 sang on “BORN,” which won Best Choral Performance.Wayne Arthur ’11 sang on “Fire Shut Up in my Bones” with the Metropolitan Opera, which won Best Opera Recording. Wayne was also featured in “X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X” with Boston Modern Orchestra Project and the Odyssey Opera Chorus,

Ariel Mo ’20, ’22 MM, ’24 GD Receives an EM Grant

February 10, 2023

Congratulations to Ariel Mo ’20, ’22 MM, ’24 GD for winning a Fall 2022 EM Grant for her project, Water X! In this hybrid installation-concert, a minds journey out of tumult becomes intimately entwined with the flow of water from glacier to sea.Ariel currently studies in the Graduate Diploma program at NEC with Stephen Drury, and she previously received B.M. and M.M. degrees in piano performance a

		Dr. Oral Moses Song Lab Master Class February 13 \| 1:30pm Bass-baritone, researcher and educator Dr. Oral Moses will coach graduate singers and collaborative pianists in performance practices for Spirituals and Songs by African American composers.

		Panel Discussion: Cultural Appropriation & The Performance of Spirituals February 13 \| 7:00pm In this panel discussion, issues tied to cultural appropriation and the performance of spirituals/art song will be taken up. Panelists include Oral Moses, Marshall Hughes, Daon Drisdom, and Farayi Malek, moderated by Monique Van Willigh.

		Dr. Oral Moses Master Class February 14 \| 2:00pm Dr. Oral Moses will coach graduate students in performance practices for two Spiritual choral works. Audience members will learn what performance practice elements are essential to engage when seeking to prepare meaningful and informed performances of the Spirituals repertoire.

		NEC Song Lab: Wade in the Water - An Evening of African American Spirituals *February 15 \| 7:00pm* This concert features performers from a number of different departments at NEC celebrating a breadth of expression of the spirituals in a variety of genres: song, choral, piano, string trio and R&B.

		Andrea Baker Master Class February 16 \| 6:00pm Join Andrea Baker, mezzo-soprano, for a master class followed by a short talk regarding her MOFA production "Sing Sistah Sing! Tales of Transatlantic Freedom," which explores the shared stories of the African Diaspora that reflect the link between the music and history of Scottish culture and politics with the heritage of the New World.

		Piano Seminar: Tania León *February 17 \| 10:00am* NEC's Piano Department invites the public to join students in exploring the challenges and complexities that pianists face in the world today, through presentations and master classes by guest artists and NEC faculty. In today's class, a conversation with composer and pianist, Tania León.

		Black is Canon February 19 \| 7:30pm “Black is Canon” is an event curated by the NEC Black student Union highlighting the musical/creative voices of our black students at NEC and in Boston!

		BSU Coretta Scott King Concert March 14 \| 7:30pm Join us for the Sixth Annual Coretta Scott King Tribute Concert as we celebrate Black excellence and honor those who came before us.