New England Conservatory’s Jazz Studies And Contemporary Musical Arts Departments Announce Fall 2023 Concerts Featuring Expansive Programming Across Genres

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Courtesy Ebru Yildiz

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications
August 28, 2023
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Highlights include residencies with Sara Serpa and Dave Holland, George Russell centennial concert, music by Ken Schaphorst, and CMA Small Ensemble Fest

New England Conservatory (NEC) announces an expansive fall season of performances, featuring a diverse roster of ensembles and programming. Ensembles large and small perform in NEC’s world-class venues, including Jordan Hall and the Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre.

Jazz Studies welcomes award winning vocalist and alum

Sara Serpa

vocals
b.1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Sara Serpa for a residency focusing on her acclaimed multi-media work Intimate Strangers. Other fall highlights include a residency with NEA Jazz Master bassist

Dave Holland

bass
b.1946

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Holland and two concerts by the NEC Jazz Orchestra, one honoring the centennial of

George Russell

composer / conductor
1923 - 2009

" data-original-title="" title="">George Russell and another focusing on the music of NEC Jazz Studies Co-chair

Ken Schaphorst

composer / conductor
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">Ken Schaphorst.

After last year’s fiftieth anniversary season, the Contemporary Musical Arts Department plans events featuring its stellar students and faculty including a Small Ensemble Festival and 1923, a special event with

Anthony Coleman

piano
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Anthony Coleman.

Unless indicated, all concerts and events are free and open to the public. For more information on all concerts and a complete event calendar, visit necmusic.edu.

Wed, August 30 | Jazz Jam Session

8:00 p.m., Brown Hall
MORE INFO

Tues, September 5 | CMA Opening Night Faculty Concert

7:30 p.m., Jordan Hall
MORE INFO

A live concert featuring faculty of the Contemporary Musical Arts Department, with music from Persian, Appalachian, Middle Eastern, African, and Jewish traditions, Jazz, Avant-Garde, new works and more.

Sun, September 10 | Contemporary Musical Arts Open House

3:15 p.m., Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
MORE INFO

Join CMA faculty

Lautaro Mantilla

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Lautaro Mantilla, Steve Netsky, and

Hankus Netsky

" data-original-title="" title="">Hankus Netsky for introductory workshops on rhythm and improvisation, songwriting, and Klezmer music. Bring your instruments, your voices, and your ears, and prepare to jump in. Everyone is welcome, so bring your family and friends—no previous experience is necessary!

Sun, September 10 | CMA Open Mic

7-10 p.m., Eben Jordan Ensemble Room MORE INFO

Students from the Contemporary Musical Arts Department share their music in live solo and small ensemble performances, in genres ranging from folk to rock to jazz to avant-garde, from many corners of the globe.

Wed, October 4 | Sara Serpa Residency Concert

8 p.m., Brown Hall
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Award-winning singer, composer, improviser and NEC alum Sara Serpa and NEC students will perform excerpts from Intimate Strangers, Serpa’s acclaimed multi-media work offering musical insight into the journeys and experiences of migrants, refugees and displaced people. Together they’ll create vivid soundscapes based on Nigerian author Emmanuel Iduma’s book A Stranger’s Pose. Serpa’s 2021 album Intimate Strangers earned a place as one of the best albums of 2021 from The New York Times, The Nation, Rimas e Batidas, ArtsFuse, and Jazz.pt. For the second part of the concert, Serpa and NEC students will be joined by NEC alums guitarist André Matos and pianist Dov Manski performing a range of repertoire including music from their new album Night Birds.

Thurs, October 19 | NEC Jazz Orchestra Celebrates George Russell Centennial

7:30 p.m., Jordan Hall
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Ken Schaphorst leads the NEC Jazz Orchestra in its first concert of the year highlighting the music of George Russell, an innovative figure in the evolution of modern jazz, the music’s only major theorist, one of its most profound composers and a trailblazer whose ideas transformed and inspired some of the greatest musicians of our time. Russell taught at NEC from 1969-2004. The program will include Russell’s “Ezz-thetic," “All About Rosie," “Stratusphunk," and parts of “The African Game."

Thu, October 26 | Dave Holland Residency Concert

8 p.m., Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
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Legendary bassist Dave Holland, an NEC Visiting Artist-in-Residence, performs with NEC students.

November 14 | 1923

7:30 p.m., Jordan Hall
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1923 was a pivotal year in music history, with the first acknowledged masterpieces of jazz, including early recordings of

Bessie Smith

vocals
1894 - 1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Bessie Smith,

Louis Armstrong

trumpet and vocals
1901 - 1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Louis Armstrong,

King Oliver

trumpet
1881 - 1938

" data-original-title="" title="">King Oliver and

Sidney Bechet

saxophone, soprano
1897 - 1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Sidney Bechet; the premiere of Stravinsky’s Les Noces; the beginnings of country music on record; the invention of an 80-string koto; tango legend Carlos Gardel taking Argentinian Citizenship; Henry Cowell going inside the piano wit Aeolian Harp; the first sound films; the first commercial radio; early fascination with technology; and major premieres of pieces by Varese, Prokofiev, Bartok, and Schoenberg. In this concert, directed by faculty member Anthony Coleman, the CMA Department will look at the way music???? years ago—engaged with world events, technological innovations, and more.

Sun, December 3 | CMA Small Ensemble Festival

11 am – 10 pm, Eben Jordan Ensemble Room

Celebrate winter with a festival of Contemporary Musical Arts ensembles, featuring music, food and dance all day long. The festival showcases the breadth, depth and diversity of CMA ensembles including Andean Music, Early Jazz, World Music, Contemporary Vocal, Mandé West African Music, Ceol (Irish) Music, Songwriters' Workshop, Contemporary Rock and CMA Chamber Ensemble.

Thurs, December 7 | NEC Jazz Orchestra Plays the Music of Ken Schaphorst

7:30 p.m., Jordan Hall
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NEC Jazz Studies Co-Chair Ken Schaphorst leads the orchestra in a concert of his music. Repertoire performed will include Blink, Looking East, North Mountain, Translucency.

Tues, December 12 | Jazz Composers’ Workshop Orchestra

8:00pm, Brown Hall
MORE INFO

The Jazz Composers’ Workshop Orchestra is devoted to rehearsing and performing works by NEC Jazz Composition students. Coached by pianist/composer and NEC jazz faculty member

Frank Carlberg

composer / conductor

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Carlberg, the ensemble gives its composers the opportunity to learn how to rehearse and conduct a band, as well as have their works heard.

About New England Conservatory (NEC)

Founded by Eben Tourjée in Boston, Massachusetts in 1867, the New England Conservatory (NEC) represents a new model of music school that combines the best of European tradition with American innovation. The school stands at the center of Boston’s rich cultural history and musical life, presenting concerts at the renowned Jordan Hall. Propelled by profound artistry, bold creativity and deep compassion, NEC seeks to amplify musicians’ impact on advancing our shared humanity, and empowers students to meet today’s changing world head-on, equipped with the tools and confidence to forge multidimensional lives of artistic depth and relevance.

As an independent, not-for-profit institution that educates and trains musicians of all ages from around the world, NEC is recognized internationally as a leader among music schools. It cultivates a diverse, dynamic community, providing music students of more than 40 countries with performance opportunities and high-caliber training from 225 internationally esteemed artist-teachers and scholars. NEC pushes the boundaries of music-making and teaching through college-level training in classical, jazz and contemporary improvisation. Through unique interdisciplinary programs such as Entrepreneurial Musicianship and Community Performances & Partnerships, it empowers students to create their own musical opportunities. As part of NEC’s mission to make lifelong music education available to everyone, the Preparatory School and School of Continuing Education delivers training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students and adults.

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