NEC Update Vol. 1, No. 15, March 7, 2005

Star music supporters catch tomorrow's stars

N.Y. - Boston - D.C.: NEC's musical Triple Crown

"Cinderella" is a ball for NEC singers

New streaming audio: Ives deconstructed

Music educators gather in Boston

Star music supporters catch tomorrow's stars

photo by Miro Vintoniv

Performers feed on applause--and perhaps it is most meaningful when the applause comes from those who are financially supporting their work.

On February 26, the stars of Boston's philanthropic community came out for "A Feast of Music." This evening of dining and musical performances previews the star quality of NEC students whose studies are supported by the financial commitment of these star music lovers.

The event raised more than $360,000 for NEC student scholarships, and ended with guests dancing in the aisles to the sounds of the NEC Jazz Orchestra.

View postcards from "A Feast of Music."

N.Y. - Boston - D.C.: NEC's musical Triple Crown

photo by Rob Schmieder

In one frequent-flyer weekend at the end of February, NEC students captivated audiences up and down the East Coast.

Friday, February 25: The New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble (in photo) took the stage at New York's Carnegie Hall, performing Mozart and music of today.

Saturday, February 26: Boston Herald "Social Scene" scribe Dana Bisbee reported that "Boston was a celebrity Mecca the last few days," with NEC's "A Feast of Music" one of the events bringing local luminaries out for spectacular turns by student performers (see story above).

Monday, February 28: The Conservatory Project, held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., scheduled a showcase concert for NEC students. The Washington Post reported that "it was wonderful to get even a brief snapshot of these young musicians before they head off to the world's concert stages." The Kennedy Center maintains video files of the NEC student performances on its Web site, for those who couldn't make the trip to D.C.

Watch Kennedy Center performances by NEC students.

"Cinderella" is a ball for NEC singers

One of the world's most enduring fairy tales, Cinderella exists in some 500 versions in Europe alone. Jules Massenet's opera rendering of the tale, Cendrillon, is certainly one of the most melodic, and provides an opportunity to hear the singers of NEC's opera program at their best as they go to the Prince's super-ball.

Massenet's opera is based on Charles Perrault's telling--the one most familiar in France--and while no stepsisters cram feet into slippers in this version, there is enchantment aplenty, including Cendrillon's famous midnight curfew.

Purchase tickets online for NEC Opera Theater.

New streaming audio: Ives deconstructed

As a preview of NEC's festival exploring "Ives and His World," March 13 through 17, NEC's resident expert on Charles Ives offers a unique look at this quintessentially American composer.

John Heiss has been teaching a popular NEC course on Ives for decades. In an unusual lecture-demonstration, sampled in this month's "Live from NEC" streaming audio clip, Heiss deconstructs Ives's Symphony No. 1 (1895-1898), showing how the young composer, on his way to the 20th century, "stole" from familiar works by Beethoven and other 19th-century giants. A live student orchestra, onstage with Heiss, performs Ives excerpts on cue throughout the lecture.

Preview NEC's Ives festival with streaming audio.

Music educators gather in Boston

photo by Paul Foley

When the Massachusetts Music Educators Association Conference convenes in Boston this month, alumni attending the conference will have an opportunity to meet following a March 17 lecture by former NEC president Gunther Schuller.

Hear Schuller's stimulating ideas and meet up with fellow alumni educators, all in one evening!

Meet fellow alumni during the MMEA conference.