Alumni Spotlight: Alyssa Wang ’19 MM
Alyssa Wang is a passionate and versatile conductor, violinist, and composer. A recipient of the 2023 Solti Foundation Career Assistance Award and the 2022 St. Botolph Emerging Artist Award, Alyssa has enjoyed exploring diverse creative paths with a focus on audience inclusivity and engagement. She is the Co-Founder, Artistic Director, and Principal Conductor of the Boston Festival Orchestra, which presents an annual summer festival, chamber music series, and opera. In 2021, she joined the Boston Ballet as Assistant Conductor, conducting full ballet productions throughout the year and serving as Music Director for the annual Next Generation project with Boston Ballet School. As a violinist, Alyssa has soloed with ensembles across the country and is the newest member musician of the Boston Chamber Music Society. She has been featured in numerous contemporary recording projects, such as Carlos Simon’s Grammy-nominated album, Requiem for the Enslaved (Decca), Nancy Galbraith’s Violin Concerto with Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and David Post’s Violin Sonata (Centaur). As a composer, she premiered her own violin concerto, Swept Away, with the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh, who commissioned the work in February 2023.
Alyssa earned her Bachelor of Music from Carnegie Mellon University under the tutelage of Andrés Cárdenes, and a Master of Music at the New England Conservatory where she studied with Malcolm Lowe. She is the winner of the Carnegie Mellon School of Music Concerto Competition and the Silbermann Chamber Music Competition. She has also won several awards such as the Pittsburgh Female College Association Prize and the Carnegie Mellon Women’s Award. During her senior year at Carnegie Mellon, Alyssa helped run the Heritage Scholarship Campaign, which raised over $180,000 to start a substantial undergraduate merit scholarship for future School of Music students. In addition to her life in music, Alyssa is an avid photographer, writer, and social dancer
Why did you choose NEC?
I was interested in attending NEC because of how involved the institution was and still is with the surrounding arts community in Boston. I always thought of Boston as an incredibly creative and artistically diverse place, and it was amazing to familiarize myself with the city through NEC.
What have you been up to since graduating from NEC? What projects have you been working on? Do you have any goals you are looking to accomplish?
I've been so fortunate to start my professional career as a violinist, conductor, and composer in Boston. My proudest project is co-founding and conducting the Boston Festival Orchestra, which I could not have accomplished without fellow NEC alumnus, Nicholas Brown ’19 MM. Together we present our own summer festival, chamber series, opera, and educational programs and are now in our fourth season.
I am also the Assistant Conductor of the Boston Ballet. This has been a life-changing experience to work alongside the BB Orchestra and company of world-class dancers. I was also recently inducted into the Boston Chamber Music Society as a member violinist, and will start partaking in some commissioning projects in the near future as well. Although I am kept very busy, I am thrilled to be involved in many different parts of Boston’s music scene.
What are some of your favorite memories from your time at NEC?
I consider myself very lucky to have performed in Jordan Hall as a student, and even today it still feels special to perform there.
Share a story about one of your favorite faculty or studio instructors.
My violin lessons with Malcolm Lowe were incredibly unique. He transformed the way I conceptualized sound, projection, and acoustic spaces. He expected an astounding amount of repertoire every lesson so I got very good at preparing things quickly!
How have your NEC experiences shaped your artistic approach?
I attended NEC to make connections, get involved with the local music scene, and continue developing my artistic voice. Learning alongside the many talented students and faculty had an enormous impact on me, and interacting with the music scene in Boston as a whole opened my eyes to how high one could strive in all aspects of music-making.
Share any other stories about what has inspired you at NEC and beyond.
I will always remember my welcome orientation in Jordan Hall on my first day at NEC. Seeing the student performances made me realize the institution's exceptional caliber. It was an exciting start to my NEC journey and I was determined to make the most of my time there.
Do you have any advice for young musicians/current NEC students?
One of the few silver linings of the pandemic, which happened right after I graduated, was that I had a chance to reflect on the kinds of skill sets in the industry I was interested in pursuing. Leaning into the mentality of "versatility is good" and "labels mean nothing" really helped me pursue some bold experiences that have grown into very fulfilling projects.
Learn More About Alyssa:
Current Job: Co-Founder, Artistic Director, & Conductor of the Boston Festival Orchestra, Assistant Conductor of the Boston Ballet, and Violinist at the Boston Chamber Music Society
Major: Violin Performance & Instrumental Conducting
Degree: Master of Music
Class Year: 2019
Instrument: Violin
Website: https://www.alyssa-wang.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyssawang1895/?hl=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-wang1895
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