In its dynamic fall 2025 season,New England Conservatory (NEC) celebrates the legacy of visionary composer and educator Gunther Schuller. In 1967, Schuller began a decade as president of NEC, establishing the first fully accredited Jazz Studies Department at an American conservatory and launching the Third Stream Department. “Nothing like that had ever existed,” NEC Dean and Chief Artistic Officer Hank Mou said. “Gunther Schuller fostered collaborations between artists who hadn’t previously worked together and in doing so laid the groundwork for the creation of entirely new musical languages.”
The NEC Festival Jumpin’ in the Future: The Legacy of Gunther Schuller features performances and discussions at whose core is the fearless innovation Schuller brought to NEC which continues to this day. The Jazz Studies and Contemporary Musical Arts (originally Third Stream) departments present Contemporary Musical Arts Today: A Global Vision Realized, Of Reminiscences and Reflections,celebrating Schuller’s centennial, as well as a program honoring Ran Blake’s 90th birthday.
Just as NEC has always stood at the intersection of tradition and innovation, so, too, has the First Monday at Jordan Hall series. Founded by cellist Laurence Lesser, the series enters its 41st year led by violist Nicholas Cords, violinist Soovin Kim, and pianist HaeSun Paik. Fall concerts honor Lesser, the 50th anniversary of Shostakovich’s death, Schuller’s legacy, and Boston’s baroque-music community.
Music by NEC’s Composition Department faculty is highlighted in the Arthur Berger Memorial Concert, and “Home”: A Journey for Cultural Identity and Belonging. The NEC Philharmonia and NEC Symphony perform works by Hannah Kendall, Joan Tower, Bartók, Beethoven, Berio, Elgar, Franck, Haydn, Mahler, and Shostakovich. The NEC Chamber Orchestra performs music by Mieczysław Weinberg, Mozart, R. Strauss, and Stravinsky. NEC Opera stages Jonathan Dove’s Flight, and the NEC Jazz Orchestra performs music of Carla Bley. The fall season also features artist residencies, master classes, and recitals by faculty, students, and musicians in NEC’s prestigious Institute for Concert Artists.
As the Conservatory honors Schuller’s trailblazing vision, NEC’s Preparatory School is marking 75 years of shaping generations of musicians, families, and community members across Greater Boston. To celebrate this milestone, NEC Prep will host an anniversary event featuring master classes, panel discussions, and a concert in Jordan Hall, with additional alumni and community celebrations taking place throughout the year.
The fall programming recognizes Schuller’s enduring outsized influence on NEC faculty, students, alumni, and the global music community. In celebrating his legacy, the Conservatory looks to a future that builds on his example of breaking barriers and bringing together once-disparate artistic voices. “While tradition certainly informs our direction,” Conservatory President Andrea Kalyn said, “that direction moves forever forward. NEC is singular in its historically proactive exploration of what music education can and should look and sound like.”
NEC Fall 2025 Performances and Events
More information is available at NEC’s Performances and Events Calendar. Performances are free and open to the public, but tickets may be required.
Contemporary Musical Arts Opening Night Faculty Concert: Celebrating Ran Blake
Wednesday, September 3 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Contemporary Musical Arts Open House: Improvisation, Songwriting, Klezmer
Sunday, September 7 / 2-6:50pm / Eben Jordan Hall
Contemporary Musical Arts Student Open Mic: Folk, Rock, Jazz, World & More
Sunday, September 7 / 7-10pm / Eben Jordan Hall
Composers’ Series: John and Arlene Heiss Residency Concert – Lamnth
Sunday, September 14, 2025 / 8:00pm / Jordan Hall
Faculty Recital: Paul Biss with Miriam Fried and Jonathan Biss
Monday, September 22, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
NEC Philharmonia + Hugh Wolff: Mahler, Ravel
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Music For Food: Ancient Heroes
Sunday, September 28, 2025 / 7:00pm / Brown Hall
NEC Philharmonia + Stefan Asbury: Berio, Ravel, Elgar
Monday, September 29, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Faculty Recital: Lluís Claret, Pei-Shan Lee and Ayano Ninomiya
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Vocalist/Composer/NEC Alum Sara Serpa and Pianist Matt Mitchell
Thursday, October 2 / 7:30pm / Williams Hall
1:00pm masterclass at Eben Jordan Hall
Enchanted Circle: Ingrid Laubrock and Lee Hyla Trios
Sunday, October 5, 2025 / 8:00pm / Brown Hall
First Monday at Jordan Hall: Shostakovich, Ravel, Sofia Gubaidulina
Monday, October 6, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 / 8:00pm / Brown Hall
NEC Chamber Orchestra: Strauss, Mozart, Weinberg
Wednesday, October 8, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
NEC Symphonic Winds + Sylvia Alimena
Thursday, October 9, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Friday, October 10, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Composers’ Series: Arthur Berger Memorial Concert – Five Settings of European Poets
Wednesday, October 15, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
NEC Jazz Orchestra: Dreamkeeper – Music of Carla Bley
Thursday, October 16 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 / 8:00pm / Burnes Hall
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 / 6:00pm / Williams Hall
NEC Symphony + David Loebel: Tower, Haydn, Franck
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Thursday, October 23, 2025 / 6:30pm / Burnes Hall
NEC Chamber Singers + Erica J. Washburn: Beyond Boundaries and Borders
Thursday, October 23, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Thursday, October 23, 2025 / 6:00pm / Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre
Friday, October 24, 2025 / 6:00pm / Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre
NEC Touring Children’s Opera: Rusalka: The Littlest Mermaid
Saturday, October 25, 2025 / 10:00am / Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre
Faculty Recital: Cameron Stowe
Monday, October 27, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Faculty Recital: Borromeo String Quartet
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
NEC Philharmonia + Hugh Wolff: Kendall, Shostakovich
Wednesday, October 29, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
First Monday at Jordan Hall: Gunther Schuller, Brahms
Monday, November 3, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 / 6:00pm / Williams Hall
NEC Philharmonia and Symphonic Choir + David Loebel: Poulenc, Boulanger, Debussy
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Composers’ Series: “Home” – A Journey for Cultural Identity and Belonging
Thursday, November 6, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Works by Sophia Szokolay, Mehmet Sanlikol and Sid Richardson and NEC students.
Undergraduate Opera Seminar: Opera Scenes
Friday, November 7, 2025 / 7:30pm / Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre
Saturday, November 8, 2025 / 7:30pm / Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre
NEC Chamber Orchestra: Stravinsky
Wednesday, November 12, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet Piano Master Class
Wednesday, November 12, 2025 / 7:30pm / Williams Hall
BSO Prelude: “What I Hear” featuring Tania León
Thursday November 13, 2025 / 5:30pm / Williams Hall
Thursday November 13, 2025 / 6:30pm / Burnes Hall
NEC Wind Ensemble + William Drury
Thursday, November 13, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
NEC Prep’s 75th Anniversary Celebration Concert
Saturday, November 15, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Music For Food: Songs and Improvisations
Sunday, November 16, 2025 / 7:00pm / Brown Hall
Monday, November 17, 2025 / 7:00pm / Williams Hall
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 / 8:00pm / Williams Hall
NEC Festival: Jumpin’ in the Future: The Legacy of Gunther Schuller on his Centennial
Chamber Music + Sonatas: Schuller and the Spirit of Collaboration
Monday, November 17, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Contemporary Musical Arts Today: A Global Vision Realized
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
NEC Symphony + David Loebel: Schuller and Stravinsky’s Firebird
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
NEC Jazz Orchestra “Jumpin’ in the Future”: The Legacy of Gunther Schuller featuring guests Fred Hersch, George Schuller and Carl Atkins
Thursday, November 20, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall:
Of Reminiscences and Reflections: Celebrating Gunther Schuller’s 100th Birthday
Friday, November 21, 2025 / 8:00pm / Jordan Hall
Faculty Recital: Kenneth Radnofsky
Saturday, November 22, 2025 / 8:00pm / Burnes Hall
NEC Opera: Jonathan Dove’s “Flight”
Thursday, November 20, 2025 / 7:30pm
Friday, November 21, 2025 / 7:30pm
Saturday, November 22, 2025 / 7:30pm
Sunday, November 23, 2025 / 3:00pm
Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre
Faculty Recital: Weilerstein Duo with Leland Ko and Sara LeMesh
Sunday, November 23, 2025 / 8:00pm / Jordan Hall
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
First Monday at Jordan Hall: Celebrating Boston’s Baroque Community
Monday, December 1, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 / 8:00pm / Williams Hall
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
NEC Opera Scenes: An Evening of Handel and Shakespeare
Wednesday, December 3, 2025 / 6:00pm / Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre
Thursday, December 4, 2025 / 6:00pm / Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre
NEC Chamber Singers, NEC Symphonic Winds, and Navy Band Northeast: Holidays!
Monday, December 8, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Monday, December 8, 2025 / 8:00pm / Burnes Hall
NEC Jazz Composers’ Workshop Orchestra
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 / 8:00pm / Brown Hall
Borromeo String Quartet Seminar Concert
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 / 6:00pm / Williams Hall
NEC Philharmonia + Hugh Wolff: Handel, Bartók, Beethoven Violin Concerto
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Joshua Brown ’26 AD, violin soloist
Contemporary Musical Arts Small Ensembles: Songwriters, Persian, Indie/Punk/Art Rock
Wednesday, December 10 / 7:30-10 pm/ Eben Jordan Hall
NEC Opera: Musical Theater Performance
Thursday, December 11, 2025 / 6:00pm / Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre
Contemporary Musical Arts Small Ensemble Festival: Music, Food & Dance
Sunday, December 14 / 11:00am – 10:00pm / Eben Jordan Hall
Faculty Recital: Paula Robison
Sunday, December 14, 2025 / 6:00pm / Williams Hall
NEC Lab Orchestra + Graduate Student Conductors: Montgomery, Mendelssohn & More
Tuesday, December 16, 2025 / 8:00pm / Brown Hall
About New England Conservatory (NEC)
Founded by Eben Tourjée in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1867, 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.
The Conservatory’s roster of alumni includes hundreds of music’s most influential artists. That list includes Coretta Scott King, Florence Price, Tessa Lark, George Li, Inmo Yang, Yura Lee, Stefan Jackiw, Anthony Leon, Erica Petrocelli, Minsoo Sohn, Cecil Taylor, and Denyce Graves.
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 musical arts. The newly launched Institute for Concert Artists propels such young artists to the heights of their potential. Through unique interdisciplinary programs such as Entrepreneurial Musicianship and Community Performances & Partnerships, the Conservatory empowers students to create their own musical opportunities. As part of NEC’s mission to make lifelong music education available to everyone, NEC’s Expanded Education programs deliver training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students, and adults.
