NEC Update Vol. 1, No. 28, September 19, 2005

Bob Brookmeyer named NEA Jazz Master

An afternoon with Danilo Perez

A week with Dave Holland

NEC violinists take prizes in Munich

Bob Brookmeyer named NEA Jazz Master

photo by Paul Foley

The nation's highest honor in the field of jazz since 1982, the designation of "NEA Jazz Master" has recently been announced for seven "living legends," including Bob Brookmeyer of the NEC faculty.

Presented by the National Endowment for the Arts, past "Jazz Master" awards have gone to alumnus Cecil Taylor '51 DP, former NEC faculty Ron Carter, and NEC Distinguished Artist-in-Residence Emeritus George Russell, along with such household names as Dizzy Gillespie and Sarah Vaughan.

Also among this year's Jazz Masters: clarinetist Buddy DeFranco, who premiered Russell's A Bird in Igor's Yard--possibly the first Third Stream composition--almost 60 years ago.

The 2005 Jazz Master awards were announced September 13, and the awards will be presented in January 2006 at a gala concert in New York during the annual conference of the International Association of Jazz Educators. NEC will host an alumni reception at the IAJE conference. Beginning this year the Verizon-sponsored NEA Jazz Masters Inititative takes the awardees into a wide variety of venues and media.

Explore NEC's faculty, beginning with Bob Brookmeyer.

An afternoon with Danilo Perez

photo by Paul A. Cortese '92 M.M.

At noon on September 22, pianist Danilo Perez of the NEC jazz faculty and his Trio interrupt a two-night stand at the Regattabar in Cambridge to offer a free masterclass at NEC on the art of the jazz trio. Last year's presentation was an overflow event, so come early and be prepared for some triple plays you won't see in Fenway Park!

A week with Dave Holland

photo by Andrew Hurlbut

Jazz bassist Dave Holland begins his first year as NEC Visiting Artist-in-Residence by bringing musical partner, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, for a week-long residency. Holland will work with students and offer public masterclasses alone and with Nelson. He and Nelson will also perform in concert, and the residency concludes with a concert where NEC students will play Holland's music. Holland will return for a second residency in the spring.

Holland's residency is sponsored by NEC Board of Visitors member Jimmy Earl '81.

NEC violinists take prizes in Munich

photo by Catherina Hess / ARD-Musikwettbewerb

Two NEC violinists have walked away with prizes from the ARD International Competition in Munich. Both are German natives and have studied at NEC with Donald Weilerstein, who occupies the Dorothy Richard Starling Violin Chair. Held this year during the first two weeks of September, the competition was originally created in 1952 by the broadcasting corporations of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Katja Lammermann (in photo), who completed her Graduate Diploma in May and has studied with Lucy Stoltzman in addition to Weilerstein, took Third Prize after a performance of the Brahms Violin Concerto with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra conducted by Yakov Kreizberg.

Korbinian Altenberger also completed his Graduate Diploma in May, and is now enrolled in NEC's Artist Diploma program. He advanced to the competition's semifinals, and was awarded the Theodor-Rogler-Foundation special prize for "best interpretation of the commissioned piece"--the leveling factor that requires all competitors to learn a piece to which no one has been previously exposed.

Several other NEC musicians also made the initial cut to enter the various rounds of the competition.

Find out more about how NEC fared at this competition.