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New England Conservatory’s Jazz And Contemporary Musical Arts Departments Present A Tantalizing Amalgam Of Performers, Styles, And Events For The Fall 2026 Season
Highlights include a John Coltrane Centennial Concert, the John McNeil Memorial Concert, including residency concerts with Dave Holland and Gordon Beeferman, and a master class with Gaia Wilmer.
The Jazz Studies and Contemporary Musical Arts departments at New England Conservatory (NEC) present a vibrant fall season filled with concerts, master classes, jam sessions and other events. Nearly all NEC events are free, and many will be livestreamed. Visit NEC’s Performances and Events calendar for comprehensive listings and more information.
The season begins in early September with an Opening Night CMA faculty concert celebrating the varied artists and styles the department encompasses, including jazz, avant-garde, traditional, classical, and pop from the African diaspora and Asian, Middle Eastern, Jewish, and American traditions. A few days later, the CMA Open House invites one and all to bring family, friends, and instruments to experience the focus and flavor of the department through introductory workshops and a student-led Open Mic session.
The innovative composer, pianist, and improviser Gordon Beeferman presents an October residency including an artist talk and concert featuring CMA Department Chair Eden MacAdam-Somer and students. The program includes “The Sway,” commissioned by and written for MacAdam-Somer in honor of CMA’s 50th anniversary. In November, students and faculty and special guest Shahzad Ismaily are showcased in Water, a unique concert produced by MacAdam-Somer and Anthony Coleman inviting listeners on a fluid musical journey through sound, ritual, memory, and transformation. The program features George Brecht's Drip Music alongside traditional, original, and contemporary works that flow freely across musical styles and cultural traditions. The CMA fall season wraps up with a CMA Small Ensemble Festival celebrating the season with food, dance, and performances by ensembles ranging from Early Jazz to Irish to West African.
Jazz Studies brings legendary bassist, composer, and bandleader Dave Holland back to NEC for a residency including master classes and a special concert. October kicks off with the John McNeil Memorial Concert celebrating the life and legacy of the acclaimed trumpeter, composer, educator, and longtime faculty member. The fall lineup also features a faculty recital with acclaimed trumpeter Jason Palmer as well as the first concert of the year for the NEC Jazz Composers Workshop Orchestra. This year’s edition of NEC’s annual nod to John Coltrane celebrates the great saxophonist’s 100th birthday with the John Coltrane Centennial Concert featuring the NEC Jazz Orchestra in works from across Coltrane’s remarkable career. The Jazz at Eben Jordan series returns with nine fall concerts showcasing NEC’s talented jazz ensembles, and the Bower Jam Sessions offer an opportunity for musicians of all levels to hone their improvising skills.
NEC faculty member Mark Zaleski heads up these fun and educational jam sessions which are free and open to the public. Musicians of all levels are welcome to join and hone their improvising skills. Sessions may also include special guests. The series continues on Tuesdays, September 15, 22 and 29 as well as November 17 and 24.
NEC kicks off the year with a powerful live concert by Contemporary Musical Arts faculty, celebrating the eclectic voices of the community with a program drawing on jazz and the African diaspora, Asian, Middle Eastern, Jewish, and American traditions, avant-garde, classical music, pop, and more. Performances by Department Chair Eden MacAdam-Somer, Assistant Chair Akram Haddad, Hankus Netsky, Anthony Coleman, Mal Barsamian, Nima Janmohammadi, Lautaro Mantilla, Liz Knowles, Erin Hogan, Jerry Leake, and many others are featured.
Join CMA faculty Eden MacAdam-Somer, Hankus Netsky, Erin Hogan, Warren Senders, and Steve Netsky for some introductory workshops on harmony singing, songwriting, improvisation, Hindustani singing, Klezmer music, and more. Bring your instruments, your voices, and your ears and prepare to jump in. Everyone is welcome—no previous experience is necessary. Stick around for a student-led Open Mic session at 7:00pm.
The day-long CMA Open House wraps up with an open mic featuring CMA students sharing their original music and creative interpretations through live solo and small ensemble performances, exploring genres from folk, rock, and jazz to avant-garde traditions from around the world.
Grammy nominated composer and NEC faculty member Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2016 premiering his commissioned piece Harabat/The Intoxicated with the American Composers Orchestra. Other recent works have been heard at Tanglewood’s Ozawa Hall and Jordan Hall. Hailing from Cyprus and Turkey, he is a jazz pianist, a multi-instrumentalist, a singer, and ethnomusicologist. He has been praised by critics all over the world for his unique, pluralist, multicultural and energetic musical voice. The Boston Globe noted that Sanlıkol’s “music is colorful, fanciful, full of rhythmic life, and full of feeling. The multiculturalism is not touristy, but rather sophisticated, informed, internalized; Sanlıkol is a citizen of the world”, “…and said that “he is another who could play a decisive role in music’s future in the world.”
New England Conservatory welcomes legendary bassist, composer, and bandleader Dave Holland back to campus for a special residency. Holland will engage with students through master classes, coaching sessions, and discussions before taking the stage for an evening of exceptional music-making that reflects his decades-long influence on the evolution of jazz.
New England Conservatory honors the life and legacy of acclaimed trumpeter, composer, educator, and longtime faculty member John McNeil with a special tribute concert featuring distinguished guest artists, colleagues, alumni, and friends. This celebration will reflect on McNeil’s contributions to jazz as a performer, mentor, and innovator whose influence continues to resonate across generations of musicians. Performers include alumni pianists Randy Ingram , Carmen Staaf, and Mark Shilansky plus Ethan Iverson (faculty); alumni saxophonists Jeremy Udden and Frank Kozyra; faculty trumpeters Mark Tipton and Peter Kenagy, plus alum Dave Adewumi; vocalist Allegra Levy (alum); bassist Bob Nieske (alum and faculty); and drummer Austin McMahon (faculty).
Acclaimed composer, pianist, and improviser Gordon Beeferman leads a discussion exploring his creative practice, interdisciplinary collaborations, and the role of experimentation in contemporary music.
Special residency concert with composer, pianist, and improviser Gordon Beeferman, “a wide-eyed polymath who masterfully toes the lines of myriad genres” (Brooklyn Rail), joined by CMA Department Chair Eden MacAdam-Somer, faculty Joe Morris, and students. The program features Beeferman's works, drawing on a multitude of genres and influences, including songs, compositions and improvisations on solo piano, and scored improvisations for trio and large ensemble. A highlight of the concert is The Sway, a piece commissioned by and written for Eden MacAdam-Somer in honor of the CMA department's 50th anniversary. This extraordinary work for solo performer on voice, violin, and percussive dance, which will be featured on MacAdam-Somer’s upcoming recording, joins others on the program in blurring the lines between contemporary improvisation, classical virtuosity, and avant-jazz innovation.
The NEC Jazz Orchestra will explore the many ways in which the blues are expressed in music for voice and big band. Early, more traditional examples of blues will be featured, including Count Basie’s “Every Day I Have the Blues” and Duke Ellington’s “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue,” alongside more contemporary blues offshoots, such as Julius Hemphill’s “Hard Blues” and Gil Evans’s “La Nevada.”
Composer, arranger, saxophonist and bandleader Gaia Wilmer’s work bridges jazz with Brazilian music and free improvisation. Active in both the United States and Brazil, she is renowned for her bold reimaginings of the music of some of Brazil’s most noted composers including Egberto Gismonti, Caetano Veloso and, most recently, Gilberto Gil on the critically acclaimed album Parabólico.
Produced by Eden MacAdam-Somer and Anthony Coleman, Waterinvites listeners on a fluid musical journey through sound, ritual, memory, and transformation. Performed by students and faculty of NEC’s Contemporary Musical Arts Department, with special guest multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily, this genre-spanning concert explores water as both a physical element and a powerful artistic metaphor, featuring George Brecht's Drip Music alongside traditional, original, and contemporary works that flow freely across musical styles and cultural traditions. From meditative textures to rhythmic currents, improvisation to composed works, Water celebrates the many ways music can reflect, embody, and reimagine one of our most essential shared resources.
Join the Gunther Schuller Society, NEC students, faculty, and alumni for an evening celebrating Schuller’s revolutionary vision of music and education. Inspired by the historic 1957 Brandeis concert that launched his concept of the Third Stream, the program explores how his spirit of innovation continues to resonate today, bringing together contemporary improvisation with traditional Chinese, Hindustani, Jazz, and Yiddish music alongside Schuller’s Transformation, reimaginings of his “Magic Tone Row,” and The Sway, Gordon Beeferman’s work for voice, violin, and percussive dance, written for Eden MacAdam-Somer in honor of CMA’s 50th anniversary. Performers include NEC alumna saxophonist Sam Spear, CMA faculty Eden MacAdam-Somer and Hankus Netsky, and students from the CMA and Jazz Studies departments.
The Jazz from Eben Jordan series returns for another exciting season, showcasing the extraordinary talent of New England Conservatory's students and faculty. Tonight's concert features ensembles led by acclaimed bassist Cecil McBee and pioneering guitarist, composer, and improviser Joe Morris. An evening of adventurous improvisation, creative collaboration, and the vibrant energy of NEC's jazz community.
Join us for a Contemporary Musical Arts chamber music showcase, with performances by the Contemporary Vocal (Erin Hogan), Jewish Music (Hankus Netsky), and Mandé West African (Balla Kouyaté).
Join the NEC Jazz Composers Workshop Orchestra for their first concert of the 2026–27 academic year. Under the direction of pianist, composer, and NEC faculty member Frank Carlberg, the ensemble performs original works by student composers, bringing new ideas to life through the power and versatility of the jazz orchestra. This concert offers a glimpse into the creative process and showcases the next generation of jazz composers at New England Conservatory.
Trumpeter, composer, and NEC faculty member Jason Palmer is one of the most in demand musicians of his generation. He has performed with Roy Haynes, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Smith (the organist), Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ravi Coltrane, Mark Turner, Jeff Ballard, Lee Konitz, Phil Woods, Common, Roy Hargrove, Lewis Nash. In addition to performing on over forty albums as a sideman, Jason has recorded 14 albums under his own name on labels Ayva, Steeplechase, Newvelle, and most recently with Giant Step Arts.
Jazz Studies Assistant Chair Mark Tipton conducts the New England Conservatory Jazz Orchestra with internationally renowned saxophonist and NEC faculty member Jerry Bergonzi in a vibrant celebration of the music and artistry of the visionary saxophonist and composer John Coltrane, one of the most influential and beloved figures in jazz history. Coltrane created groundbreaking works including Giant Steps, My Favorite Things, and A Love Supreme and nearly six decades after his passing, Coltrane’s music continues to inspire celebration, discovery, and artistic excellence around the world. Featuring interpretations of works drawn from across Coltrane’s remarkable career, this concert honors a musician whose creativity, passion, and fearless pursuit of new artistic horizons helped redefine the possibilities of jazz.
Celebrate the season with a festival of Contemporary Musical Arts Ensembles, featuring music, food, and dance all day long. The event features performances by the Ted Reichman Electronic Music and Anthony Coleman ensembles along with Irish Ceol (Liz Knowles), Early Jazz (Anthony Coleman), Persian (Nima Janmohammadi), Alternative/Indie/Punk Rock (Lautaro Mantilla), World Music (Akram Haddad), Songwriters Workshop (Steve Netsky), and Studio 265 (Eden MacAdam-Somer) ensembles.
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 young artists to the heights of their careers. 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, NEC’s Expanded Education delivers training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students and adults.
The season begins in early September with an Opening Night CMA faculty concert celebrating the varied artists and styles the department encompasses, including jazz, avant-garde, traditional, classical, and pop from the African diaspora and Asian, Middle Eastern, Jewish, and American traditions. A few days later, the CMA Open House invites one and all to bring family, friends, and instruments to experience the focus and flavor of the department through introductory workshops and a student-led Open Mic session.
The innovative composer, pianist, and improviser Gordon Beeferman presents an October residency including an artist talk and concert featuring CMA Department Chair Eden MacAdam-Somer and students. The program includes “The Sway,” commissioned by and written for MacAdam-Somer in honor of CMA’s 50th anniversary. In November, students and faculty and special guest Shahzad Ismaily are showcased in Water, a unique concert produced by MacAdam-Somer and Anthony Coleman inviting listeners on a fluid musical journey through sound, ritual, memory, and transformation. The program features George Brecht's Drip Music alongside traditional, original, and contemporary works that flow freely across musical styles and cultural traditions. The CMA fall season wraps up with a CMA Small Ensemble Festival celebrating the season with food, dance, and performances by ensembles ranging from Early Jazz to Irish to West African.
Jazz Studies brings legendary bassist, composer, and bandleader Dave Holland back to NEC for a residency including master classes and a special concert. October kicks off with the John McNeil Memorial Concert celebrating the life and legacy of the acclaimed trumpeter, composer, educator, and longtime faculty member. The fall lineup also features a faculty recital with acclaimed trumpeter Jason Palmer as well as the first concert of the year for the NEC Jazz Composers Workshop Orchestra. This year’s edition of NEC’s annual nod to John Coltrane celebrates the great saxophonist’s 100th birthday with the John Coltrane Centennial Concert featuring the NEC Jazz Orchestra in works from across Coltrane’s remarkable career. The Jazz at Eben Jordan series returns with nine fall concerts showcasing NEC’s talented jazz ensembles, and the Bower Jam Sessions offer an opportunity for musicians of all levels to hone their improvising skills.
Fall Jazz and CMA Schedule
Tuesday, September 8 / 7:00pm / Bower Stage, Student Life and Performance Center
Bower Jam SessionsNEC faculty member Mark Zaleski heads up these fun and educational jam sessions which are free and open to the public. Musicians of all levels are welcome to join and hone their improvising skills. Sessions may also include special guests. The series continues on Tuesdays, September 15, 22 and 29 as well as November 17 and 24.
Wednesday, September 9 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Opening Night CMA Faculty ConcertNEC kicks off the year with a powerful live concert by Contemporary Musical Arts faculty, celebrating the eclectic voices of the community with a program drawing on jazz and the African diaspora, Asian, Middle Eastern, Jewish, and American traditions, avant-garde, classical music, pop, and more. Performances by Department Chair Eden MacAdam-Somer, Assistant Chair Akram Haddad, Hankus Netsky, Anthony Coleman, Mal Barsamian, Nima Janmohammadi, Lautaro Mantilla, Liz Knowles, Erin Hogan, Jerry Leake, and many others are featured.
Sunday, September 13 / 2:00pm / Pierce Hall
CMA Open HouseJoin CMA faculty Eden MacAdam-Somer, Hankus Netsky, Erin Hogan, Warren Senders, and Steve Netsky for some introductory workshops on harmony singing, songwriting, improvisation, Hindustani singing, Klezmer music, and more. Bring your instruments, your voices, and your ears and prepare to jump in. Everyone is welcome—no previous experience is necessary. Stick around for a student-led Open Mic session at 7:00pm.
Sunday, September 13 / 7:00pm / Pierce Hall
CMA Open MicThe day-long CMA Open House wraps up with an open mic featuring CMA students sharing their original music and creative interpretations through live solo and small ensemble performances, exploring genres from folk, rock, and jazz to avant-garde traditions from around the world.
Tuesday, September 15 / 7:00pm / Bower Stage, Student Life and Performance Center
Bower Jam SessionsThursday, September 17 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Mehmet Sanlikol Faculty RecitalGrammy nominated composer and NEC faculty member Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2016 premiering his commissioned piece Harabat/The Intoxicated with the American Composers Orchestra. Other recent works have been heard at Tanglewood’s Ozawa Hall and Jordan Hall. Hailing from Cyprus and Turkey, he is a jazz pianist, a multi-instrumentalist, a singer, and ethnomusicologist. He has been praised by critics all over the world for his unique, pluralist, multicultural and energetic musical voice. The Boston Globe noted that Sanlıkol’s “music is colorful, fanciful, full of rhythmic life, and full of feeling. The multiculturalism is not touristy, but rather sophisticated, informed, internalized; Sanlıkol is a citizen of the world”, “…and said that “he is another who could play a decisive role in music’s future in the world.”
Tuesday, September 22 / 7:00pm / Bower Stage, Student Life and Performance Center
Bower Jam SessionsTuesday, September 22 – Thursday, September 24
Dave Holland ResidencyNew England Conservatory welcomes legendary bassist, composer, and bandleader Dave Holland back to campus for a special residency. Holland will engage with students through master classes, coaching sessions, and discussions before taking the stage for an evening of exceptional music-making that reflects his decades-long influence on the evolution of jazz.
Tuesday, September 22 / 1:00pm / Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Dave Holland Jazz Composition & Theory Master ClassWednesday, September 23 / 1:00pm / Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Dave Holland Jazz Ensembles Master ClassThursday, September 24 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Dave Holland Residency ConcertTuesday, September 29 / 7:00pm / Bower Stage, Student Life and Performance Center
Bower Jam SessionsSunday, October 4 / 8:00pm / Jordan Hall
John McNeil Memorial ConcertNew England Conservatory honors the life and legacy of acclaimed trumpeter, composer, educator, and longtime faculty member John McNeil with a special tribute concert featuring distinguished guest artists, colleagues, alumni, and friends. This celebration will reflect on McNeil’s contributions to jazz as a performer, mentor, and innovator whose influence continues to resonate across generations of musicians. Performers include alumni pianists Randy Ingram , Carmen Staaf, and Mark Shilansky plus Ethan Iverson (faculty); alumni saxophonists Jeremy Udden and Frank Kozyra; faculty trumpeters Mark Tipton and Peter Kenagy, plus alum Dave Adewumi; vocalist Allegra Levy (alum); bassist Bob Nieske (alum and faculty); and drummer Austin McMahon (faculty).
Wednesday, October 14 / 10:30 am / Pierce Hall
Gordon Beeferman Residency Artist TalkAcclaimed composer, pianist, and improviser Gordon Beeferman leads a discussion exploring his creative practice, interdisciplinary collaborations, and the role of experimentation in contemporary music.
Thursday, October 15 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
Gordon Beeferman Residency Concert Featuring Eden MacAdam-SomerSpecial residency concert with composer, pianist, and improviser Gordon Beeferman, “a wide-eyed polymath who masterfully toes the lines of myriad genres” (Brooklyn Rail), joined by CMA Department Chair Eden MacAdam-Somer, faculty Joe Morris, and students. The program features Beeferman's works, drawing on a multitude of genres and influences, including songs, compositions and improvisations on solo piano, and scored improvisations for trio and large ensemble. A highlight of the concert is The Sway, a piece commissioned by and written for Eden MacAdam-Somer in honor of the CMA department's 50th anniversary. This extraordinary work for solo performer on voice, violin, and percussive dance, which will be featured on MacAdam-Somer’s upcoming recording, joins others on the program in blurring the lines between contemporary improvisation, classical virtuosity, and avant-jazz innovation.
Thursday, October 22 / 7:30pm / Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre
NEC Jazz Orchestra: Blues and the Abstract TruthThe NEC Jazz Orchestra will explore the many ways in which the blues are expressed in music for voice and big band. Early, more traditional examples of blues will be featured, including Count Basie’s “Every Day I Have the Blues” and Duke Ellington’s “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue,” alongside more contemporary blues offshoots, such as Julius Hemphill’s “Hard Blues” and Gil Evans’s “La Nevada.”
Monday, October 26 / 4:00pm / Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Gaia Wilmer Master ClassComposer, arranger, saxophonist and bandleader Gaia Wilmer’s work bridges jazz with Brazilian music and free improvisation. Active in both the United States and Brazil, she is renowned for her bold reimaginings of the music of some of Brazil’s most noted composers including Egberto Gismonti, Caetano Veloso and, most recently, Gilberto Gil on the critically acclaimed album Parabólico.
Tuesday, November 10 / 7:30pm / Jordan Hall
CMA Presents Water with special guest multi-instrumentalist Shahzad IsmailyProduced by Eden MacAdam-Somer and Anthony Coleman, Waterinvites listeners on a fluid musical journey through sound, ritual, memory, and transformation. Performed by students and faculty of NEC’s Contemporary Musical Arts Department, with special guest multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily, this genre-spanning concert explores water as both a physical element and a powerful artistic metaphor, featuring George Brecht's Drip Music alongside traditional, original, and contemporary works that flow freely across musical styles and cultural traditions. From meditative textures to rhythmic currents, improvisation to composed works, Water celebrates the many ways music can reflect, embody, and reimagine one of our most essential shared resources.
Tuesday, November 17 / 7:00pm / Bower Stage, Student Life and Performance Center
Bower Jam SessionsSunday, November 22 / 8:00pm / Jordan Hall
Gunther Schuller Legacy Concert: The Spirit of ’57: Schuller’s Third Stream Revolution and the Music of TodayJoin the Gunther Schuller Society, NEC students, faculty, and alumni for an evening celebrating Schuller’s revolutionary vision of music and education. Inspired by the historic 1957 Brandeis concert that launched his concept of the Third Stream, the program explores how his spirit of innovation continues to resonate today, bringing together contemporary improvisation with traditional Chinese, Hindustani, Jazz, and Yiddish music alongside Schuller’s Transformation, reimaginings of his “Magic Tone Row,” and The Sway, Gordon Beeferman’s work for voice, violin, and percussive dance, written for Eden MacAdam-Somer in honor of CMA’s 50th anniversary. Performers include NEC alumna saxophonist Sam Spear, CMA faculty Eden MacAdam-Somer and Hankus Netsky, and students from the CMA and Jazz Studies departments.
Monday, November 23/ 7:00pm / Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Jazz from Eben Jordan: Cecil McBee and Joe Morris Student EnsemblesThe Jazz from Eben Jordan series returns for another exciting season, showcasing the extraordinary talent of New England Conservatory's students and faculty. Tonight's concert features ensembles led by acclaimed bassist Cecil McBee and pioneering guitarist, composer, and improviser Joe Morris. An evening of adventurous improvisation, creative collaboration, and the vibrant energy of NEC's jazz community.
Tuesday, November 24 / 7:00pm / Bower Stage, Student Life and Performance Center
Bower Jam SessionsWednesday, November 30 / 7:00 – 10:00pm / Pierce Hall
CMA Small Ensemble ConcertJoin us for a Contemporary Musical Arts chamber music showcase, with performances by the Contemporary Vocal (Erin Hogan), Jewish Music (Hankus Netsky), and Mandé West African (Balla Kouyaté).
Tuesday, December 1 / 7:30pm / Brown Hall
NEC Jazz Composers Workshop OrchestraJoin the NEC Jazz Composers Workshop Orchestra for their first concert of the 2026–27 academic year. Under the direction of pianist, composer, and NEC faculty member Frank Carlberg, the ensemble performs original works by student composers, bringing new ideas to life through the power and versatility of the jazz orchestra. This concert offers a glimpse into the creative process and showcases the next generation of jazz composers at New England Conservatory.
Thursday, December 3 / 7:00pm / Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Jazz from Eben Jordan: Brazilian, John Lockwood and Mark Zaleski Student EnsemblesMonday, December 7 / 7:00pm / Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Jazz from Eben Jordan: Jason Moran and Mark Tipton Student EnsemblesMonday, December 7 / 8:00pm / Brown Hall
Jason Palmer Faculty RecitalTrumpeter, composer, and NEC faculty member Jason Palmer is one of the most in demand musicians of his generation. He has performed with Roy Haynes, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Smith (the organist), Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ravi Coltrane, Mark Turner, Jeff Ballard, Lee Konitz, Phil Woods, Common, Roy Hargrove, Lewis Nash. In addition to performing on over forty albums as a sideman, Jason has recorded 14 albums under his own name on labels Ayva, Steeplechase, Newvelle, and most recently with Giant Step Arts.
Tuesday, December 8 / 7:00pm / Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Jazz from Eben Jordan: Early Jazz, Ted Reichman and Non-Majors Student EnsemblesWednesday, December 9 / 7:00pm / Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Jazz from Eben Jordan: Dominique Eade's Jazz Vocal and Songwriting Student EnsemblesThursday, December 10 / 7:30 pm / Jordan Hall
NEC Jazz Orchestra: John Coltrane Centennial ConcertJazz Studies Assistant Chair Mark Tipton conducts the New England Conservatory Jazz Orchestra with internationally renowned saxophonist and NEC faculty member Jerry Bergonzi in a vibrant celebration of the music and artistry of the visionary saxophonist and composer John Coltrane, one of the most influential and beloved figures in jazz history. Coltrane created groundbreaking works including Giant Steps, My Favorite Things, and A Love Supreme and nearly six decades after his passing, Coltrane’s music continues to inspire celebration, discovery, and artistic excellence around the world. Featuring interpretations of works drawn from across Coltrane’s remarkable career, this concert honors a musician whose creativity, passion, and fearless pursuit of new artistic horizons helped redefine the possibilities of jazz.
Sunday, December 13 / 11:00 am – 10:00pm / Pierce Hall
CMA Small Ensemble FestivalCelebrate the season with a festival of Contemporary Musical Arts Ensembles, featuring music, food, and dance all day long. The event features performances by the Ted Reichman Electronic Music and Anthony Coleman ensembles along with Irish Ceol (Liz Knowles), Early Jazz (Anthony Coleman), Persian (Nima Janmohammadi), Alternative/Indie/Punk Rock (Lautaro Mantilla), World Music (Akram Haddad), Songwriters Workshop (Steve Netsky), and Studio 265 (Eden MacAdam-Somer) ensembles.
Monday, December 14 / 7:00pm / Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Jazz from Eben Jordan: Bob Nieske and Frank Carlberg Student EnsemblesTuesday, December 15 / 7:00pm / Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Jazz from Eben Jordan: John Lockwood and Jerry Bergonzi Student EnsemblesWednesday, December 16 / 7:00pm / Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Jazz from Eben Jordan: Mark Walker Latin, Anna Webber, and Jason Palmer Student EnsemblesThursday, December 17 / 7:00pm / Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Jazz from Eben Jordan: World Rhythms, Jazz Composers and Gospel Student EnsemblesAbout 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.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 young artists to the heights of their careers. 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, NEC’s Expanded Education delivers training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students and adults.
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