News & Spotlights

How does someone overcome the extraordinary adversity of being an innovative jazz artist to build a spectacular career? Long known as one of the world’s finest jazz pianists, Rick DellaRatta first received major recognition as a composer in 1999 when his symphonic piece, "Permutata," was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios. In 2004, he was recognized as a unique and inf

NEC Concert Artist Clayton Stephenson ’24 Harvard/NEC, ’27 AD, recently appeared on American Public Media’s Performance Today as a Young Artist-in-Residence. A behind-the-scenes feature documented Stephenson’s appearance on the program.Stephenson’s musical journey began with piano lessons in Brooklyn, where his first teacher encouraged him to develop a love for music. He went on to complete a dual

NEC alumni tenor Edward Ferran ’23 and baritone Yihe Wang ’22 MM, ’23 GD received honors at the 2026 Gerda Lissner Foundation Art Song Competition. Ferran won the competition’s top prize, receiving $12,000, while Wang earned the Encouragement Award, receiving $500.The Gerda Lissner Foundation was established by Mrs. Lissner, a devoted Metropolitan Opera subscriber for 77 years, to give aspiring cl

NEC students and alumni earned recognition at the 2026 Wieniawski International Violin Competition, one of the top international competitions for violinists. Alumna SooBeen Lee ’21, ’23 MM won third prize, receiving €15,000, while current student Jooha Choi ’27 MM was named a laureate and semi-finalist, receiving €5,000. Lee also received the Polish Radio Special Prize for the best performance of

NEC students and alumni Donghwi Kang ’29, Sunmin Kim ’23, and Haoyu Chen ’30 earned top placements at the Eighth Tbilisi International Piano Competition, held October 5–16, 2026, in Tbilisi, Georgia. Kang won third prize, receiving $7,000, Kim earned fifth prize and $4,000, and Chen received sixth prize and $3,000. The international competition brings together pianists ages 16 to 33 for four round

NEC alumni soprano Shiyu Zhuo ’24 MM and tenor Morgan Mastrangelo ’25 MM have been named recipients of the 2026 William Matheus Sullivan Musical Foundation Audition Awards. Both singers were among eight artists selected to receive $11,000 Sullivan Awards, which also make recipients eligible for continued role preparation support.Established through the estate of New York attorney and music patron

NEC students and alumni earned top honors at the inaugural Murdock International Piano Competition, organized by the Oregon Piano Institute. Seongwoo Moon ’25 MM, ’27 GD won first prize, Solomon Ge ’25 BM received second prize, and Huan Li ’25 MM, ’28 DMA was awarded third prize. In addition to his first-prize finish, Moon received a special prize for the best performance of Ivan Filipchyk’s Noctu

Renowned cellist and NEC alum Nicholas Canellakis ’08 MM will join the NEC cello faculty in Fall 2027. An internationally acclaimed performer, composer, educator, and filmmaker, Canellakis brings a multifaceted artistic career to NEC, where he will teach a studio of eight to ten students. “It’s very meaningful for me to be returning to New England Conservatory, where I pursued my master’s degree a

Soprano Teresa Tucci '23 MM has been selected for the 2026–2027 Emerging Artist Programs at both Edmonton Opera in Alberta and Opera on the Avalon in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Through the Emerging Artists Programs of the Edmonton Opera, she will take part in performances, residencies, and outreach work across Edmonton and the Yukon, including the Dawson City Summer Residency, Edmonton

Jazz saxophonist and composer Kevin Sun ’15 Harvard/NEC was recently featured in The Wall Street Journal for his latest albums, Kevin Sun I and Kevin Sun II. Praised for balancing a deep respect for jazz tradition with a playful, innovative approach, Sun continues to establish himself as a distinctive voice in contemporary jazz.Currently based in New York City, he has released seven albums as a le

The Ariel Quartet, NEC’s Professional String Quartet from 2008 to 2010 and whose members include NEC alumni, has released the third and final volume of its complete Beethoven string quartet recording cycle on October 2, 2026. The monumental project encompasses all 16 of Beethoven’s string quartets, culminating in the composer’s late quartets, often regarded as some of his most extraordinary works.

NEC alumna Jade Xijin Chen '24 MM was awarded third prize at the Butler International Opera Competition, earning prestigious recognition among an international field of talented opera singers. The competition brought together 24 semifinalists who performed arias in four languages, celebrating the diversity of operatic repertoire and individual artistic interpretation. Chen emphasized the importanc

Chinese conductor Tianyi Ren is an interdisciplinary artist and performing arts entrepreneur based in Boston and New York. He currently serves as Assistant Conductor with Boston Ballet, where he regularly conducts performances at Boston’s Citizens Opera House and works closely with Music Director Mischa Santora and the company’s artistic leadership.Ren is Founder and Artistic Director of Helix Ens

NEC alumni Lily Honigberg ’18, ’20 MM and Yi-Mei Templeman ’22, ’23 GD, ’24 MM are taking their talents on the global stage as backing string musicians on tour with indie rock singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers. Performing to arena-sized crowds across the globe, Honigberg and Templeman bring rich acoustic textures and nuanced arrangements to Bridgers' critically acclaimed repertoire. Honigberg serv

Cellist and NEC alumnus Alexander Hersh ’15, ’17 MM has unveiled a dynamic new project that bridges the worlds of music, film, and visual storytelling. Designed to extend the reach and impact of a musical premiere far beyond its initial live performance, Hersh's innovative initiative explores fresh ways to build immersive visual worlds around new compositions. At the center of this project is comp

Dr. Marvin E. Gilmore Jr. ’51 DP, ’24 hon. DM is a distinguished WWII Veteran, civil rights activist and business entrepreneur, recently named a Boston “Hero” on the 1965 Freedom Plaza that surrounds the Embrace sculpture in Boston Common. A U.S. Army D-Day Veteran, his illustrious career and cultural legacy include establishing Unity Bank—the first Black-owned bank in Massachusetts, opening a Cam

Alumna Anouk Chemla '26 has been named one of eleven semifinalists in the 2026 Herbie Hancock Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition, which takes place October 10–11 at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. Selected from hundreds of applicants worldwide, Chemla earned her Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies at NEC after initial classical piano training in Paris. Her career trajectory includ

The NEC community extends its warmest congratulations to alumnus Sean Callery ’87, who has won the 2026 Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score). Callery was recognized alongside co-composer Sara Barone at the 78th Emmy Awards for their evocative dramatic score on the Netflix thriller series The Beast in Me, specific

Violinist Geneva Lewis '20, '22 AD continues to build an impressive international reputation, combining major concerto appearances with a passionate commitment to chamber music. Based in New York City, Lewis is preparing for another significant milestone with the upcoming release of her debut album, New York Perspectives, set for release on October 2. Recorded with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orches

When NEC alumna Wendy Williams Keyes ’80 arrived at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in August 2009, public concerts, theater, and music schools were forbidden throughout Saudi Arabia. Tasked with founding the university’s Office of the Arts on the shores of the Red Sea, Keyes set out to build a vibrant cultural home for an international community representing 126 nat