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Class of 1985
Dear Class of 1985,
Welcome to class notes online!
Your class notes are published on a continual basis as we receive your news, and appear below in the order they were received, along with your CD/book art or photos.
(last updated 3.20.08)
Submit your own class note here.
You may also submit news, CDs, books, and photos by mail to:
Class Notes
New England Conservatory
290 Huntington Avenue
Boston MA 02115
You will also find information on this page about your Reunion contacts, and other information relevant to your class year.
Help us find your lost classmates.
Some recent news from the class of 1985. Your class note will remain on this page for up to one year, or until you submit a new note to replace it.
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Conductor Aaron Kula ’85 M.M., recently released a new CD titled Beyond the Tribes with his ensemble, Klezmer Company Orchestra. Aaron, Director of Music Collections at Florida Atlantic University Libraries, founded KCO in 1997 as a professional ensemble-in-residence at FAU Libraries with a mission to“perform and promote music from a wide range of cultures and historical periods.” Using resources from the libraries’ collections KCO quite literally takes its music "from shelf to stage." Kula comes to Boston each summer to direct the NEC Festival Youth Orchestra. 3/20/08 |
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James Manning ’85 recently completed and published an album of songs that chronicle the lives of parents raising children with autism, entitled What Remains. As the father of a child with autism, James has had a very personal experience with this struggle and hopes to raise awareness of the disorder through his music. He released a CD of original music in response to the effect that autism has on Jamie’s son and their family. Five percent of the CD sales are donated to organizations supporting autism research and education. Jamie lives in Lexington, Mass. 9/18/07 |
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Cellist Andres Diaz ’85, ’87 A.D. has joined the faculty at Southern Methodist University's Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas. 7/3/07 |
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Raymond Gonzalez ’85 M.M. is presently a professor of guitar at UMass/Boston. In April of ’06, he published his fifth CD, Tunes From the Blue Fish for solo steel string guitar. He has returned to performing live after many years hiatus – he has been performing solo as well as with guitarists such as John Renbourn, Peter Land, and Brooks Williams. His 3rd Piano Sonata in 3 Short Movements had its “second premiere” in Italy in November 2006. His piece for mandolin and guitar is still being performed around the country after its premiere at an NEC “Enchanted Circle” concert in 1987. 7/3/07 |
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A book written by Glenn Kurtz ’85, Practicing – A Musician’s Return to Music, has been published by Alfred A. Knopf. The book describes the struggles of Kurtz's musical life as a classical guitarist, particularly his retreat from, and eventual return to guitar playing. The book also features lively descriptions of his years at NEC. 7/3/07 |
| Jim Kirker '85 got to play bassoon up front with the band for Ian Anderson's Music of Jethro Tull tour when they stopped in Boston this past summer. He also played Mozart's Symphonie Concertante for oboe, clarinet, French horn and bassoon in September with the Simon Sinfonietta. A reviewer wrote of Jim's playing in the second movement: "Mr. Kirker played with exceptional beauty." This winter, when not playing bassoon or fixing bassoons in his shop, he'll be pursuing his other career as a ski instructor at the Waterville Valley Ski Resort. 3/30/07 |
Help us find your lost classmates.
Unfortunately, NEC has lost touch with some of your classmates. If you have e-mail or other contact information for any of the people listed below, please let us know so that we can keep them informed of reunions and other NEC activities.
Oddur Bjornsson, Annette Champness, Jeongseon Choi, Jose Coronado, Oleg Gotskosik, Xiao-Ming Han, Shao Huang, Jennifer Moreau, Seong Mee Park, Marcio Resende, Timothy Smith, Yang Wang, Margaret Wojcik, Deborah Zanca.