A Free Series of Concerts Showcasing New England Conservatory’s

Exceptional Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation Ensembles 

34 One-Hour Concerts Over 12 Evenings at NEC’s Pierce Hall

Tuesday, March 24 – Tuesday, April 21

Discover the jazz innovators of tomorrow with In the Mix, 34 free 1-hour concerts, Tuesday.

March 24 — Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at New England Conservatory’s Pierce Hall on the first floor of NEC’s St. Botolph Building, 241 St. Botolph Street, Boston.  These concerts, featuring NEC’s Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation Ensembles, take place at 7, 8 and 9 p.m. each evening and are free and open to the public. Go to www.necmusic.edu or call 617-585-1122 for more details.

Each ensemble meets weekly and is coached by a member of NEC’s renowned faculty including Jason Moran, John Lockwood, Anthony Coleman, Jerry Bergonzi, Dominque Eade, Cecil McBee, John McNeil, Bob Nieske, Rakalam Bob Moses, Ted Reichman, Bert Seager, Brian Levy, Joe Morris, Henrique Eisenmann, Frank Carlberg, Tanya Kalmanovitch, Linda Chase, Eden MacAdam-Somer, Hankus Netsky, Amir Milstein, Jerry Leake and Mal Barsamian.  Ensembles are listed below by name of the coach.

 

Tuesday, March 24

7 p.m.             Henrique Eisenmann Ensemble

Corinne Cahill, voice; Tree Palmedo, trumpet; Abraham Mennen, tenor saxophone;
Kyumin Shim, piano; Sang Ouk Jung, bass; Michael Dick, drums.

8 p.m.             Brian Levy Ensemble

Youngjoo Lee, voice; Ben Nichols, tenor saxophone; Josh Gilbert, trumpet;
Jon Nankof, guitar; Dan Raney, bass; Michael Dick, drums.

 

Wednesday, March 25

7 p.m.             Joe Morris Ensemble A

Charmaine Lee, voice; Aaron DuBenion, trumpet; Travis Bliss, tenor saxophone; Shane Simpson, piano; Caio Afiune, guitar; Damian Scalise, guitar; Francisco Vielma, drums; Do Young Kim, bass.

8 p.m.             Joe Morris Ensemble B

Jeffrey Cox, trumpet; Will Bridges, alto saxophone; Rex Bennett, trombone;
Chris McCarthy, piano; Jon Nankof, guitar; Sang Ouk Jung, bass; Mario Gabrizio, drums;Noah Preminger, tenor saxophone.

 

Thursday, March 26

7 p.m.             Bob Nieske Ensemble A

Jordan Skomal, trumpet; Tom Chalmers, trombone; Noah Preminger, tenor saxophone;
Utar Artun, piano; Do Young Kim, bass; Mario Fabrizio, drums.

8 p.m.             Bob Nieske Ensemble B

Corinne Cahill, voice; Gabriel Dowdy-Terracciano, violin; Jeffrey Cox, trumpet; Shihai Li, alto saxophone; Jose Soto, piano; Oliver Strasser, guitar; Isaac Levien, bass; Eli Rojas, drums.

9 p.m.             Cecil McBee Ensemble

Wonmi Jung, voice; Brian Aronow, tenor saxophone; Daniel Sagastume, baritone saxophone; Derek Hawkes, trombone; Jon Elbaz, piano; Dan Raney, bass; Ryan Sands, drums.

 

Monday, March 30

7 p.m.             Frank Carlberg Ensemble

Youngjoo Lee, voice; Daniel Hersog, trumpet; Austin Yancey, baritone; Chris McCarthy, piano; Thiago Gomes, guitar; Umar Zakaria, bass; Jongsun Park, drums.

8 p.m.             John McNeil Ensemble A

Natalie Dietz, voice; Josh Gilbert, trumpet; Richard Garcia, alto saxophone; Blake Manternach, trombone; Philip Golub, piano; Vaughn Stoffey, guitar; Dan Raney, bass; Eli Rojas, drums.

9 p.m.             John McNeil Ensemble B

Robert Pate, voice; Nelson Maneo, violin; Kevin Sun, tenor saxophone; Eric Stilwell, trombone; Phillip Golub, piano; Andres Abenante, guitar; Eli Rojas, drums.

 

Wednesday, April 1

7 p.m.            Dominique Eade Ensemble A

Anna Carlberg, voice; Sofia Kriger, voice; Melinda Rodriguez, voice; Jonathan Elbaz, piano; Lorenzo Marquez, guitar; Zachary Lavine, bass; Jonathan Starks, drums.

8 p.m.             Dominique Eade Ensemble B

Mariel Austin, voice; Chloe Brisson, voice; Joseph Copeland, voice; Wonmi Jung, voice; Alexandra Keller, voice; Farayi Sumbureru, voice; Xiongguan Zhang, guitar; Evan Allen, piano; Evan Carley, bass.

9 p.m.             Dominique Eade Ensemble C

Natalie Dietz, voice; Carolyn Furniss, voice; Charmaine Lee, voice; Jenny Herzog, voice; Chris McCarthy, piano; Max Light, guitar; Wes Troeger, bass; Aaron Edgcomb, drums.

 

Monday, April 6

7 p.m.             Frank Carlberg Ensemble

Wonmi Jung, voice; Jeffrey Michaels, trumpet; Gabriel Dowdy-Terracciano, violin; Blake Manternach, trombone; Jose Soto, piano; Andres Abenante, guitar; Wes Troeger, bass.

8 p.m.             Anthony Coleman Jazz Ensemble

Carrie Furniss, voice; Travis Bliss, tenor saxophone; Shane Simpson, piano; Max Light, guitar
Simon Wilson, bass; Russell Holzman, drums.

9 p.m.             John Lockwood Ensemble

Aaron DuBenion, trumpet; Daniel Sagastume, baritone; Jonathan Elbaz, piano; Jonathan Nankof, guitar; Zachary Lavine, bass; Jonathan Starks, drums.

 

Tuesday, April 7

7 p.m.             Jerry Bergonzi Ensemble A

Jordan Skomal, trumpet; Gustavo D’Amico, tenor sax; Peter Jonatan, piano; Xiongguan Zhang, guitar; Zachary Lavine, bass; Ryan Sands, drums.

8 p.m.             Jerry Bergonzi Ensemble B

Elinor Spiers, violin; Shihai Li, alto saxophone; Ben Nichols, tenor saxophone; Isaac Wilson, piano; Vaughn Stoffey, guitar; Do Young Kim, bass; Jongsun Park, drums.

9 p.m.             Jerry Bergonzi Ensemble C

Priya Carlberg, voice; Rubin Holbein, trumpet; Luca Ferrara, guitar; Evan Carley, bass; Eli Cohen, drums.

 

Wednesday, April 8

7 p.m.             Bert Seager Ensemble

Melinda Rodriguez, voice; Rubin Hohlbein, trumpet; Aidan Scrimgeour, piano; Luca Ferrara, guitar; Evan Carley, bass; Eli Cohen, drums.

8 p.m.             Rakalam Bob Moses Ensemble

Jonghyun Lee, voice; Josh Gilbert, trumpet; Gustavo D’Amico, tenor sax; Sam Fribush, piano; Jacob Drab, guitar; Umar Zakaria, bass; Francisco Vielma, drums.

9 p.m.             Ted Reichman Ensemble

Jeffrey Michaels, trumpet; Sarah Hughes, alto sax; Rex Bennett, trombone; Shane Simpson, piano; Simon Willson, bass; Russell Holzman, drums.

 

Tuesday, April 14

7 p.m.             Linda Chase Interdisciplinary Ensemble

Burcu Gulec, voice; Jenny Herzog, voice/dance; Pilar Zorro, violin; Jacob Hiser, piano/violin; Eliot Cardinaux, piano; Aidan Scrimgeour, piano/melodica.

8 p.m.             Mal Barsamian Middle Eastern Ensemble

Lukas Papenfusscline, Voice; Sophia Kriger, Voice; Artavazd Tadevosyan, duduk; Lucia Pupura-Pontoniere, violin; Pilar Zorro, Violin; Dylan McKinstry, Mandolin; Oliver Strasser, Guitar; Umar Zakaria, Bass.

9 p.m.             Joe Morris Contemporary Improv Ensemble

Jenny Herzog, voice; Abraham Mennen, saxophone; Patrick M’Gonigal, violin; Dylan McKinstry, mandolin; Kinan Adnawi, oud; Sonny Lalachandani, sitar; Wendy Eisenberg, guitar; Eliot Cardinaux, piano; Kirsten Lamb, bass; Matt Maneri, violin.

 

Wednesday, April 15

7 p.m.             Eden MacAdam-Somer American Roots Ensemble

Katie Martucci, voice/violin; Lucia Pupura-Pontoniere, voice/violin; Caroline Kuhn, voice/banjo; Franziska Seehausen, clarinet/guitar; Davey Harrison, mandolin; Alex Monti, guitar/bass; Hyungyu Kang, piano/accordion; Taichiro Ei, percussion.

8 p.m.             Hankus Netsky Jewish Music Ensemble

Franziska Seehausen, clarinet; Artavazd Tadevosyan, duduk; Eck Sierra, sax; Matt Maneri, violin; DoYeon Kim, gayageum; Damon Smith, piano; Alex Monti, bass; Eli Cohen, percussion.

9 p.m.             Amir Milstein Choro Ensemble

Caroline Kuhn, voice; Patrick M’Gonigal, violin; Rafael Horowitz Freedman, oboe; Davey Harrison, mandolin; Will Greene, guitar; Sam Fribush, piano/steel pan; Jacob Hiser, piano/violin; Kirsten Lamb, bass; Aaron Edgcomb, percussion; Yaniv Yacoby, percussion.

 

Monday, April 20

7 p.m.             Tanya Kalmanovitch Jazz Non Majors Ensemble

Feng-Chen Lu, flute; Josh Mastel, alto saxophone; Sandon Lohr, French horn; Onyou Kim, violin; Marthe Husum, viola; Rosalind Ventris, viola; Alison Drenkow, cello; Seth Burkhart, drums.

8 p.m.             Jason Moran Ensemble A

Richard Garcia, alto sax; Travis Bliss, tenor sax; Austin Yancey, baritone sax; Kyumin Shim, piano; Thiago Gomes, guitar; Neil Patton, bass; Dor Herskovits, drums.

9 p.m.             Jason Moran Ensemble B

Kai Sandoval, trumpet; Lihi Haruvi, alto sax; John Cushing, trombone; Isaac Wilson, piano; Xiongguan Zhang, guitar; Isaac Levien, bass; Michael Dick, drums.

 

Tuesday, April 21

7 p.m.             Eden MacAdam-Somer CI Non Majors Ensemble

Ethan Siegel, violin; Lily Honigberg, violin; Orin Laursen, violin; Julia Connor, violin; Josh Mastel, mandolin; Maren Rothfritz, viola; Allison Drenkow, cello.

8 p.m.             Anthony Coleman Survivors Breakfast Ensemble

Burcu Gulec, voice; Do Yeon Kim, gayageum; Taekjoon Kim, flute; Eckbert Sierra, sax; Sarah Hughes, sax; Patrick M’Gonigle, violin; Pilar Zorro, violin; Gabe Gladstein, violin; Allie Simpson, viola; Robin Lohrey, piano; Will Greene, guitar; Wendy Eisenberg, guitar; Hugo Abraham, bass; Aaron Edgcomb, percussion; Mark Goldstein, composer; Leo Hardman-Hill, composer.

9 p.m.             Jerry Leake West African and Afro-Cuban Drumming Ensemble

Eli Cohen; Mario Fabrizio; Jonathan Starks; Jeff Michaels.

 

NEC’s Jazz Studies Department was the first fully accredited jazz studies program at a music conservatory. The brainchild of Gunther Schuller, who moved quickly to incorporate jazz into the curriculum when he became President of the Conservatory in 1967, the Jazz Studies faculty has included six MacArthur “genius” grant recipients (three currently teaching) and four NEA Jazz Masters, and alumni that reads like a who’s who of jazz. Now in its 44th year, the program has spawned numerous Grammy winning composers and performers. As Mike West writes in JazzTimes: “NEC’s jazz studies department is among the most acclaimed and successful in the world; so says the roster of visionary artists that have comprised both its faculty and alumni.”  The program currently has 114 students; 67 undergraduate and 47 graduate students from 12 countries.

Founded in 1972 by musical visionaries Gunther Schuller and Ran Blake, New England Conservatory’s Contemporary Improvisation program is “one of the most versatile in all of music education” (JazzEd).  Now in its 41st year, the program trains composer/performer/ improvisers to broaden their musical palettes and develop unique voices.  It is unparalleled in its structured approach to ear training and its emphasis on singing, memorization, harmonic sophistication, aesthetic integrity, and stylistic openness.  Under Blake’s guidance for its first twenty-six years, the program expanded its offerings under subsequent chairs Allan Chase and Hankus Netsky. Alumni include Don Byron, John Medeski, Jacqueline Schwab, and Aoife O’Donovan; faculty include Carla Kihlstedt, Blake, Dominique Eade, and Anthony Coleman. “A thriving hub of musical exploration,” (Jeremy Goodwin, Boston Globe), the program currently has 43 undergrad and graduate students from 14 countries.