Born in Stuttgart in 1933, Rilling founded the Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart in his twenties, and eleven years later, he also founded its orchestral partner, the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart. With these groups, he undertook the immense project of recording all of Bach's sacred cantatas and choral works on modern instruments.

The project took several decades, culminating in 170 CDs containing than 1,000 individual works.

In 1970, Rilling co-founded the Oregon Bach Festival with University of Oregon professor Royce Saltzman; the project began as a modest summer workshop, but quickly became one of the world’s leading classical music festivals. Rilling served as its Artistic Director for more than four decades, retiring in 2013.

While he was best known for the works of Bach, Rilling also conducted later music, and in 2001, he received the GRAMMY Award for Best Choral Performance for Krzysztof Penderecki’s Credo, commissioned and premiered by Oregon Bach Festival.

He received many honors for his work, including Germany’s Bach Medal and the Herbert von Karajan Music Prize.

Our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.

"Helmuth’s legacy is immeasurable," said Sabrina Madison-Cannon, Dean of the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance. "Through his profound musicianship and deep humanity, he transformed Oregon Bach Festival and the City of Eugene into a beacon of artistic and educational excellence. His influence will continue to resonate through generations of musicians and audiences worldwide."

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For the concert dates on March 12, 13, and 14, Hahn and Woods have now been replaced by NSO Associate Concertmaster Ying Fu and NSO Assistant Principal Cello Raymond Tsai.

Carlos Simon, who is currently the Kennedy Center’s Composer-in-Residence, wrote his Double Concerto Suite as an NSO co-commission. Bookending his work on the program will be Schumann’s Manfred Overture and Brahms’s Symphony No. 3. 

“We have chosen to withdraw from our concerts at The Kennedy Center this March,” Woods shared in a public statement. “We are sorry to not be with our friends and colleagues at the National Symphony Orchestra and hope to perform with them again in the future.”

This move also comes shortly after Hilary has announced her return to the stage after a serious injury.

While no reason was given for their decision to withdraw, Hahn and Woods’ announcement comes as many artists have chosen not to appear at the Kennedy Center in light of major changes to the venue since Trump’s takeover last February. The venue, which now bears Trump’s name on its building exterior, has also faced a fall in audience engagement and donor activity. 

Trump has also revealed plans to close the Kennedy Center for two years from July 4, 2026, for renovations, though insisted that he was “not ripping it down.” The planned closure has drawn protest from members of Congress and Kennedy Center Union Workers. 

Recently, the center’s president Richard Grenell has informed Kennedy Center staffers of impending layoffs ahead of the renovations, which will lead to “skeletal teams” and “some units totally reduced or on hold until we begin preparations to reopen in 2028,” Grenell said. 

“Far from being ‘tired, broken, and dilapidated,’ the Kennedy Center was beautifully renovated and expanded as recently as 2019,” members of Congress wrote to Trump. “Remaking this ‘national memorial’ as a monument to anyone or anything other than President Kennedy is plainly contrary to federal law and ultra vires.

“The closure of this national treasure could cancel more than 2,200 annual performances and exhibits and eliminate 400 free community events, to the sharp detriment of the Center’s two million annual visitors who are the intended audience and beneficiaries of the Act … It is also unclear how many, if any, Kennedy Center staff will continue to be employed through the prospective closure.”

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The work takes as its text a mixture of Indigenous letters and founding-era genocidal texts, revealing in the process the dark colonial foundations of America. Structurally, the work is held together by a contralto narrator, who embodies the Earth and walks the audience from the colonial “Doctrine of Discovery” to a final Threnoedia.

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Having won first prize in clarinet at the Paris Conservatory in 1959, his reputation as a soloist later saw him collaborate with composers Pierre Boulez, Luciano Berio, and Karlheinz Stockhausen on their contemporary works. 

Additionally, alongside pianist François Tusques, trumpeter Bernard Vitet, drummer Charles Saudrais, and tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen, Portal worked to expand on the work of leading American figures of avant-garde jazz as part of the nascent French free jazz movement. 

His 1965 album “Free Jazz” was considered a landmark in Europe’s efforts to broaden the borders of a genre largely rooted in the U.S. In 1969, he co-founded the New Phonic Art improvisational group, and a year later, founded his own Michel Portal Unit, an internationally renowned experimental free jazz group. 

Portal also played the saxophone and the Argentine bandoneon or the Hungarian taragot. In a 1978 interview, he said: “I am a chameleon with instruments and also a chameleon inside myself.”

In addition to his performing career, Portal wrote music for more than 50 films from the 1960s through to 2015, including the award-winning 1982 historical drama The Return of Martin Guerre. He also won three French Cesar awards for his film music.

Portal’s last album, released for his 85th birthday in 2021, won the jazz album of the year at France's Victoires music awards.

“Every musician that comes along has a certain way of playing in mind … and every musician has a clear reference in mind, a sort of “father.” … After the deaths of Ayler and Hendrix, and later of Miles Davis (who was a big reference for a lot of musicians), many people lost their way,” Portal said in 2004.

“But at the same time, without a clear reference, many musicians have focused on their own identity and way of playing, being honest with themselves,” he explained. “If you were to ask each one of these musicians what style they play, they would say ‘the only one that exists.’ Yet at some stage, the communication between musicians was lost … Without a reference point, the hinge on which communication exists becomes lost.

“I don’t want to become part of any fashionable trends, an ‘example’ of something; in France it is always a matter of fashion and each fashion is very, very short-lived,” he continued. “France is very intellectual, very avant-garde and people don’t like to hear what they think has already been done.”

Mr. Portal’s death was announced by Marion Piras, one of his representatives, who told AFP that Portal was “a huge monument for modern jazz, for European jazz, totally open to a huge amount of music and experiences.”

“This immense clarinetist, a friend of the greatest musicians of his time, excelled in both classical and jazz,” added Jean-René Etchegaray, the mayor of Bayonne. 

Our condolences to Mr. Portal’s family, friends, and colleagues.

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Martín was first appointed as LACO's Music Director Designate in 2018 and is the orchestra's sixth Music Director. During his tenure, he spearheaded LACO’s program of world premiere performances by a wide range of U.S. and international composers, led the orchestra through the pandemic with a new interdisciplinary digital series, and has become beloved with the local community. 

Martín is presently Chief Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, as well as Principal Guest Conductor with the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España, and was previously Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Gävle  Symphony Orchestra from 2013 to 2022. 

Prior to his conducting career he was a flautist, holding the position of principal flute of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, English National Opera, Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, and London Philharmonic Orchestra. As soloist, he made a recording of the Mozart flute concerti with Sir Neville Marriner. 

"Leading LACO has been an exhilarating and meaningful journey," Martín said. "Together with the musicians, staff, and audiences, we’ve explored bold ideas, pushed artistic boundaries, and created unforgettable musical moments, both in breaking new ground, but equally in memorable performances of classic and beloved repertoire from Bach and Brahms to the twentieth century masterworks that are the core of the orchestra’s identity and tradition, which will culminate in a vibrant and treasure-filled program for the 2026-27 season. I look forward to continuing my relationship with LACO as Music Director Laureate, sharing in its exciting future."

"Jaime Martín has elevated the ensemble’s artistic excellence through inspired leadership, exceptional musicianship, and a deep commitment to the repertoire," said Ben Cadwallader, Executive Director. "His work has helped shape LACO’s distinctive sound and strengthen our artistic identity, creating a lasting legacy that will continue through his relationship with the orchestra."

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The first concert in the series, titled The Romantic Violin, took place on Valentine's Day, and featured both works in the Romantic tradition and works on the theme of love by Handel, Tchaikovsky, Morricone, Saint-Saëns, Grieg, Brahms, and Bizet. Chalifour was joined by pianist Steven Vanhauwaert. 

Hailing originally from Quebec, Chalifour studied at the Montréal Conservatory and the Curtis Institute of Music. He was appointed Associate Concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony when he was just 23 years old, and during his tenure there he also achieved distinction as a solo player — winning the Certificate of Honor at Moscow’s International Tchaikovsky Competition and becoming a laureate of the Montréal International Music Competition. 

Chalifour has played more than 50 different concerti as soloist, with the LA Phil, Montréal Symphony Orchestra, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (Brisbane, Australia), the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, and with the Sarasota Music Festival and Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego.

Further information about the upcoming concerts in the residency will be made available closer to the time.

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They are violinists Josée Aidans, Marcelle Mallette, Jean-Sébastien Roy, and Guillaume Villeneuve; cellists Mariève Bock, and Anna Burden; and pianists Mehdi Ghazi and Serhiy Salov.

A laureate of the Canadian Music Competition and the Radio-Canada Young Artists Competition, violinist Josée Aidans has previously been assistant concertmaster of Ensemble Amati, and appeared as a freelance musician for artists including Luciano Pavarotti, Céline Dion, Diana Ross, Barbara Streisand, Josh Groban, and Rod Stewart.

A past student of Josef Gingold, Marcelle Mallette has appeared as concertmaster with the Orchestre Symphonique de Laval, the Orchestre des Jeunes du Québec, and the Auckland Philharmonia, as well as associate concertmaster with the Orchestre Métropolitain.

Violinist Jean-Sébastien Roy has been concertmaster of the Columbus Symphony and McGill Chamber orchestras, guest concertmaster of the Buffalo Philharmonic and Royal Swedish Opera orchestras, and is presently first assistant of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra’s first violin section. He was also the winner of the 2006 Prix d’Europe.

A founding member of the Cobalt Quartet and concertmaster of the Galileo Orchestra, Guillaume Villeneuve has been guest concertmaster of the Ottawa Baroque Consort, Ensemble Caprice, and Antiphona, and has led the second violin section of the Harmonie des Saisons.

A past student of Denis Brott and Norman Fischer, cellist Mariève Bock has attended the Tanglewood Music Center’s summer sessions, and has appeared as a soloist with Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal.

Anna Burden has played in the cello sections of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Peninsula Music Festival, and as associate principal cellist of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra since 2011. She also teaches at McGill and Montreal universities.

"The arrival of these eight professors marks an important step for the Montreal Conservatoire de Musique," said Luc Chaput, director of the Conservatoire. "Their artistic excellence and their pedagogical commitment will help inspire the next generation of musicians."

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He succeeds Lorna McGhee, who held the role between January 2012 and June 2025.

Born in 2002, Song became one of the youngest students at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, where he was admitted at the age of thirteen and where he studied with Philippe Bernold and Florence Souchard-Delépine.

Having received both his undergraduate and master's degrees there, in 2025 Song completed his soloist diploma at the Haute École de Musique de Genève in the class of Jacques Zoon.

A past recipient of the ICMA Discovery Award, Song has appeared as a soloist with the Basque National Orchestra, the Barcelona Baroque Orchestra at the Festival Pablo Casals, the Odense Symphony Orchestra at the Carl Nielsen International Competition, the Orchestre National de Cannes with the Quintette Pentagone, and Ensemble Esperanza.

His orchestral experience includes having been Acting Principal Flute of the Berner Symphonieorchester and Assistant Principal Flute of the Sinfonieorchester Basel, and he is a member of the Verbier Festival Orchestra. Song has been guest principal with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, the Zürcher Kammerorchester, and the Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen.

"Nikolai is an extraordinary musician whose artistry, technical brilliance, and musical sensitivity are immediately apparent," said Manfred Honeck, Music Director. "I am thrilled to welcome him to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and look forward to the depth, color, and inspiration he will bring to our sound."

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On the show, she played her own composition, “Dreams,” which was written in memory of her late husband, Phil, to whom she was married for 63 years. Phil was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2015 and passed away six years later. 

The finale of The Piano took place in Gateshead, where Newell performed “Dreams” in front of a live audience of 1,600, with almost 3 million watching at home.  

In October, she performed “Dreams” with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and conductor Mark Wigglesworth as part of Classic FM Live at 25 at the Royal Albert Hall. 

This performance, her Royal Albert Hall debut, can be viewed below!

“I first started sitting on the organ bench with my teacher when I was four years old and I just kept going ever since,” Newell said in an interview. “Piano has been with me all my life. It’s music, isn’t it? It’s music you can make for yourself. It’s opened the door for me for so many things.”

“I went into the RAF because there was a band, and I wanted to do music,” she explained. “I had to do an audition and that opened the door for me to carry on with music. My instrument there was a tenor horn though. I met my husband in the RAF … And sometimes we’d end up on the same engagements. I always used to say that he marched to my tune!”

“Because of arthritis in my hands, I cannot play what I used to — Chopin and Beethoven and Grieg. My husband Phil’s favourite piece of music was the Moonlight Sonata, but I have to adapt it to my hands now and it’s not really satisfactory. When he passed away, I went to the piano, because the piano has always been my best friend. I went to play, just to improvise, on the piano.”

“I was used to playing with a lot of people listening, as an organist, and then as piano accompaniment to different groups of singers,” she said on appearing on The Piano. “So it didn’t hit me until we were taken on to the stage in the auditorium, just with a grand piano sitting there, and I was thinking ‘That’s going to be me on there!’ The hosts were absolutely amazing though and made us all feel at ease. I never thought I’d win. I was so shocked!”

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Based in Dallas, Texas, KERA is deeply committed to education as part of its mission, and this acquisition of From the Top will help elevate its current music and education programming, said KERA President and CEO Nico Leone.

Heard on nearly 200 stations across the country, From the Top airs locally on Saturdays at noon on WRR101.1 FM — a station owned by the City of Dallas and that has been managed by KERA since 2023.

From the Top will officially join KERA from May 2026, and will continue to be distributed by NPR.

“We always thought that our best path to growing WRR and reaching young audiences would be to start doing more work in the music education space with partners,” Leone said. “And when this opportunity came about, we just thought it was such a beautiful way of bringing so many different things that we do together to take a great national brand and a program that has an incredible impact to move it to North Texas.”

“The more we learned about [KERA] and the ways in which it aligns from mission to programming and then the opportunities that exist within the arts community in Dallas and the new building that's underway, all of that coalesced into view and felt like it could be a really beautiful step,” added Gretchen Nielsen, executive director of From the Top. 

KERA’s new relationship with From the Top comes after federal funding cuts and the dissolution of the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. 

“[These factors have] really given us a couple of years to figure out what things are going to look like moving forward,” Leone explained. “We're still going to need help from the community, but we feel really good about where we are and all the ways that people have stepped up.”

“We're not spending a dollar on this acquisition. [From the Top are] essentially folding into KERA,” he continued. “We’re not using any donor money, any campaign money for this. We feel really good about our ability to run it both as a stand-alone business, so it can succeed on its own, and integrate it into our work with WRR, with KERA and with other partners in the arts community.”

This new acquisition comes as KERA prepares for two major projects, including its new building this March and plans to launch a local daily news program in the spring. 

KERA’s operations also include KERA News, KERA-TV, the nationally syndicated podcast and radio program Think with Krys Boyd, the music station KXT 91.7, and the Denton Record-Chronicle.

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According to AP News, a 2025 tax filing states that nearly 2,500 people were employed at the Kennedy Center during the 2023 calendar year. 

“Departments will obviously function on a much smaller scale with some units totally reduced or on hold until we begin preparations to reopen in 2028,” Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell said, while promising “permanent or temporary adjustments for most everyone.”

He added that over the next few months, department heads will be “evaluating the needs and making the decisions as to what these skeletal teams left in place during the facility and closure and construction phase will look like,” and that center leadership would “provide as much clarity and advance notice as possible.”

In response, Kennedy Center staffers told the Washington Post that Grenell’s message signaled “preparation for mass layoffs.”

“The language of ‘renovation’ masks a leadership failure that has driven down ticket sales, donor confidence, and artistic participation. The crisis is self-inflicted,” said one anonymous staffer. “What’s being presented as a renovation is, in practice, a dismantling,” added another.

Prior to this announcement, the Kennedy Center Union Workers also protested the venue closure — a decision that is a reversal of Trump’s earlier statement in October 2025 that the center would remain open throughout the renovation process. 

While Trump has claimed that the renovations will culminate in a “Grand Reopening that will rival and surpass anything that has taken place with respect to such a Facility before,” neither he nor Grenell have provided evidence to support claims about the building being in disrepair. 

The last major expansion of the Kennedy Center was completed in 2019, when the venue underwent a $250 million expansion by Steven Holl Architects as part of the center’s REACH project. 

Though Trump’s announcement of the closure made no mention of them, many high-profile artists have withdrawn their shows from the center in the wake of the new leadership and subsequent fall in audience engagement, and in protest of Trump adding his name to the building’s exterior. 

“This renovation represents a generational investment in our future,” Grenell continued. “When we reopen, we will do so as a stronger organization — one that honors our legacy while expanding our impact.”

“Upon the completion of these upgrades, Americans and visitors from all over the world, for generations to come, will enjoy the Center and marvel at its spectacular features and design,” added White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

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Launched as a philanthropic initiative from the Pehlivanian family, in honor of soprano Dame Arpiné Pehlivanian, the competition welcomes artists at different stages of their careers.

Submissions close on February 25, 2026. To apply, click here. From there, the competition follows a three-step structure with several live orchestra rounds.

The Global Pre-Selection will see live auditions in 15 cities worldwide, including London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Oslo, Ljubljana, Milan, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, and Taipei. Each city includes a designated local jury alongside George Pehlivanian. Those who cannot travel for valid reasons can submit a video.

From these auditions, up to 144 conductors are invited to the Preliminary Round, held from November 7–9, 2026, and conducted with two pianos. This stage is adjudicated by a special jury of five international conductors: Hossein Pishkar, Rodolfo Barráez, Ibrahim Yazici, Christopher Chen, and George Pehlivanian. From this, 18 finalists are chosen.

The orchestral phase of the competition, from November 10–14, is heard by an international jury consisting of Bill Chandler, Cristina Rocca, Henry Fogel, Marlene Brüggen, Lawrence Foster, Maja Kojc, Umberto Fanni, Ruben Jais, Robert Gilder, Alessandro Ariosi, and George Pehlivanian.

The final week is built around repertoire-based rounds with two partner ensembles: the POA Festival Orchestra and the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra. Finalists will progress through Stravinsky, Mozart, opera, concerto, and symphonic programs.

The event will culminate with a public Final Concert and Awards Ceremony on November 14, 2026.

The PICC is awarding a total of $75,000 in cash prizes to selected winners and finalists, including a $50,000 Grand Prize.

In addition to financial awards, selected conductors receive guest conducting engagements with partner orchestras, potential assistant conductor or guest invitations with partner opera houses, a recording project with the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra through the Orchestra Prize, and personal mentorship from Maestro George Pehlivanian.

"What inspired me to start this competition is the belief that conductors deserve meaningful opportunities at every stage of their artistic development," George Pehlivanian told The Violin Channel. "Conducting doesn’t follow a single timeline, and it was important to me to create a competition that reflects that reality.”

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Sessions offered at the Academy include four 45-minute masterclasses, masterclass concerts with piano accompaniment, a professor’s concert, and a final celebratory chamber music concert on May 17.

Mihaela Martin and Kirill Troussov will teach the violin classes, Thomas Riebl will lead violas, and cellists will study with Frans Helmerson.

Chamber music classes will be taught by the Academy’s two directors, violinist Paloma Pierzchala and cellist Eduardo González.

For more information and to apply, click here. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2026.

"The Sarasate Academy stands out particularly for its individualized approach: the talents who participate are the focus and they are supported at every step of their journey," Kirill Troussov told The Violin Channel.

"Alongside professional individual lessons, the students also engage in chamber music classes, allowing them to develop both as soloists and as ensemble musicians. At the end of the program, participants have the chance to win several prizes and awards, further encouraging the students' growth and commitment. The generous backing from our esteemed sponsors adds another unique dimension to this Academy, making it possible to offer a world-class experience for all participants."

One outstanding 2026 Academy participant will receive the Sarasate Award, which will see them perform solo with a symphonic orchestra in Spain during the upcoming subscription season.

The Academy will also present the Florian Leonhard Fine Violins Award for the loan of a fine old Italian instrument, to be used for two engagements within a year.

Other awards offered include those from Gewa Music, Pirastro, Classeek, Violinbooks, Dolfinos, plus a €150 prize from G. Henle Publishers, and personal career coaching from The Violin Channel. Every student will also receive 1000 free credits for the Henle Library.

The selected participants will be sent a confirmation email on March 10, 2026. Fees for booked masterclasses must be paid by March 20, 2026.

"We look forward to discovering new talents from the many applications we’ll receive, just as we did in 2025," Troussov added. "Our goal is to continue this tradition in 2026, offering young musicians the opportunity to grow, learn, and showcase their skills.

"I am thrilled to once again invite world-class professors to the Academy," he concluded. "We share a long-standing friendship, and I am excited that Prof. Mihaela Martin, Prof. Thomas Riebl and Prof. Frans Helmerson will be joining us for this year’s Academy. Their expertise and passion will be a huge inspiration for all participants."

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Augustin’s new appointment comes after his first performance with the MCO in 2025 at the Easter Festival in Salzburg. 

He also joins other partners in the MCO, including Conductor Laureate Daniel Harding, pianists Mitsuko Uchida and Yuja Wang, and Artistic Partner for Immersive Experiences, Henrik Oppermann. 

Since its founding in 1997, the MCO has performed in over 40 countries across five continents. This January, the orchestra opened the World Economic Forum in Davos, accompanied Mercedes-Benz at the World Premiere of the new S-Class in Stuttgart, and toured Spain with Yuja Wang. Additionally, the orchestra’s educational program MCO Academy, recently gave concerts in Essen, Dortmund, and Cologne, conducted by Riccardo Minasi.

“Augustin Hadelich is a profound artist and wonderfully compelling musician with whom the orchestra felt an immediate rapport. We are thrilled to be welcoming Augustin as an Artistic Partner and look forward with great excitement to our future collaborations,” said MCO concertmaster and board member Matthew Truscott. 

“I am very excited to join the Mahler Chamber Orchestra as an Artistic Partner!” Augustin added. “Working with the MCO has been immensely rewarding. From our first notes together last year in Salzburg, I was impressed and inspired by their sound and musicianship. Our artistic partnership will start with a cycle of Mozart’s violin concertos, and continue with several tours. It will be an inspiring collaboration!”

“The Mahler Chamber Orchestra is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2027 and we cannot wait to start the celebratory year with Augustin as our Artistic Partner,” expressed MCO’s CEO Liisa Ketomäki. “I’m proud that we can finally share this wonderful news, and look forward to the upcoming seasons with him as part of the MCO family.”

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The initiative, titled "BSO x NEC," will provide NEC students and alumni access to one of the world’s great orchestras and musicians, plus integrated approaches to artist cultivation, content development, and shared use of campuses and venues.

Additionally, the NEC faculty has always comprised BSO players; over the years, there have been 131 BSO members in the faculty. Currently, 50 BSO members have at least one NEC affiliation, whether as an alumnus, a current faculty member, or a parent of an NEC student.

Through BSO x NEC, patrons will experience emerging talent, including the Young Artist Spotlight Series that showcases four NEC artists per season across BSO platforms.

More programs include the BSO Guest Soloist Pathway for composers and conductors, the Chamber Music Mentorship with Boston Symphony Chamber Players, and the Music Industry Speaker Series. 

Another notable program is the joint Honors Youth Chorus for local students aged eight to 13 from the Greater Boston area’s children’s choirs, who will receive choral training through NEC Prep’s Choral Department to perform with the BSO. 

Ongoing collaborations will include the “What I Hear” series, featuring free, composer-curated chamber music programs by NEC students and conversations with BSO guest composers and artistic staff. 

BSO x NEC will also see both institutions benefit from each other’s performance venues, including the Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall, and Tanglewood.

“This alliance represents the future of classical music," said NEC President Andrea Kalyn. “While our institutions have been deeply connected for over a century, we are now creating intentional pathways for musicians at every career stage, from our youngest prep students to our most advanced artists, to learn from and perform alongside BSO musicians. This is truly transformative for the entire musical community.”

“The BSO and NEC have enjoyed a close and long-standing relationship dating back 140 years,” added Chad Smith, President and CEO of the BSO. “In launching our new alliance, we are committing to partnering in a variety of ways that will benefit students, musicians, and audiences alike. As a proud NEC graduate and as a steward of the Boston Symphony's legacy, I couldn’t be more excited to bring these two great institutions closer together, expanding our reach and impact in ways that are only possible through this alliance.”

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