Bassist/composer Hannah Marks (’26), a master’s student in New England Conservatory’s Jazz Studies program studying with Frank Carlberg and Anna Webber, and alumni pianist Jonathan Paik (’23) have been chosen for 2026 Residency Commissions by The Jazz Gallery. Given to three emerging artists annually, the commissions grant talented composers and bandleaders the resources to work on large-scale projects that will have enduring and transformative effects on their creative development.
“I'm extremely proud of Jonathan Paik and Hannah Marks for being commissioned by the Jazz Gallery,” says Jazz Studies Department Chair Ken Schaphorst. “It's always satisfying when our students and alums are recognized for their creative work, something NEC has always encouraged and supported.”
Marks tours internationally with NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater's project “We Exist!”, and has performed with Geoffrey Keezer, Nasheet Waits, Terri Lyne Carrington, Anna Webber, Miles Okazaki, Ingrid Jensen, Kalia Vandever, Matt Wilson, Ted Nash, Morgan Guerin, Marcus Printup, and Sasha Berliner.
Marks is passionate about jazz education, serving on faculty at Fordham University during the academic year, and at Interlochen Arts Camp, Stanford Jazz Workshop, and Jazz Camp West during the summer.
Since 2002, the Residency Commission program has supported 52 artists’ creations of 55 new works, many of which have since been commercially released and several of which have been nominated for GRAMMY Awards; however, our focus for the program is not the end products. We are more concerned with providing the process for the artists, most of whom are receiving a commission for the first time in their careers.
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.
“I'm extremely proud of Jonathan Paik and Hannah Marks for being commissioned by the Jazz Gallery,” says Jazz Studies Department Chair Ken Schaphorst. “It's always satisfying when our students and alums are recognized for their creative work, something NEC has always encouraged and supported.”
About Hannah Marks
Hannah Marks is a bassist, composer, and educator living in New York City. Her second album Feed the Fire, produced by NEC faculty member Jason Moran and featuring her risk-taking acoustic jazz quartet, will be released in June 2026 on Endectomorph.Marks tours internationally with NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater's project “We Exist!”, and has performed with Geoffrey Keezer, Nasheet Waits, Terri Lyne Carrington, Anna Webber, Miles Okazaki, Ingrid Jensen, Kalia Vandever, Matt Wilson, Ted Nash, Morgan Guerin, Marcus Printup, and Sasha Berliner.
Marks is passionate about jazz education, serving on faculty at Fordham University during the academic year, and at Interlochen Arts Camp, Stanford Jazz Workshop, and Jazz Camp West during the summer.
About Jonathan Paik
Jonathan Paik is a Los Angeles-born, New York-based pianist, keyboardist and improvisor/composer. His playing been heard with the likes of David Binney, Alfredo Colon, Joe Morris, Charles Altura, and Charles Downs. He is the founder and leader of the firespitting quartet FUGITIVE, one-half of electronic duo BUSBOY, and a regular member of Alfredo Colon's quintet, Victor Solano's SUNDATE, and Jahnvi Madan's quartet. His playing has also been heard with the likes of David Binney, Joe Morris, Charles Altura, and Charles Downs. In the pop world, he's supported artists such as Zack Villere and Roy Blair on keys and key bass. He plays to honor his lineages, both his Korean heritage and the great tradition of Black American piano masters, and to unconditionally lift up the music and people around him.About the Jazz Gallery | Residency Commission
A not-for-profit jazz cultural center founded in 1995, The Jazz Gallery has a strong track record of nurturing compositional talent, having commissioned new work annually since 2002. The Residency Commission (for emerging artists) grants talented composers and bandleaders the resources to work on large-scale projects that will have enduring and transformative effects on their creative development and output. They encourage each artist to think outside their standard compositional toolbox and create something they may not otherwise have experimented with.Since 2002, the Residency Commission program has supported 52 artists’ creations of 55 new works, many of which have since been commercially released and several of which have been nominated for GRAMMY Awards; however, our focus for the program is not the end products. We are more concerned with providing the process for the artists, most of whom are receiving a commission for the first time in their careers.
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.
For more information contact Braithwaite & Katz Communications.
