2016–2017 Boston Conservatory at Berklee New Music Festival: The Music of Nico Muhly

Each year, the New Music Festival presents four concerts of modern music by world-class compositional voices of the 20th and 21st centuries. This year, the Conservatory’s Kunkemueller Artist in Residence is American composer Nico Muhly. Active at the highest levels of contemporary music and opera in the U.S. and abroad, Muhly is among the most brilliant composers of his generation. Having established many fruitful artistic relationships with our faculty members for 15 years, Muhly will begin his residency at the Conservatory on February 6 and conclude on February 11, 2017, which also marks the Conservatory's 150th anniversary.

During his residency, Muhly will perform in recital, teach composition seminars, coach chamber works in open master classes, and coach all musical selections for the New Music Festival concerts. He will also host a public forum on composing for the dramatic stage. Muhly’s longtime collaborator, violist Nadia Sirota, will also join in performing Muhly’s works alongside him in recital. She will engage with Conservatory composition students, and coach and speak about her radio show in open chamber music master classes.

Offering our students an opportunity to engage directly with a world-class compositional talent in producing original performances is the most valuable experience they can have working in American contemporary music. They will prepare, coach, and perform 14 of Muhly’s works for performances spanning the four days of the New Music Festival, all while working with the composer. In this environment, Conservatory students will experience how composers and performers collaborate effectively at the highest level.

There has never been a complete festival of Nico Muhly’s works in Boston, and many works will be performed live in Boston for the first time. The Conservatory’s New Music Festival is a focal point of the contemporary music scene in Boston each year, having previously presented critically acclaimed performances of the works of Boulez, Schuller, Andriessen, Crumb, and Martino.

 
Event Dates
Seully Hall
8 Fenway, Floor 4
Boston
MA
02215
United States

Nico Muhly discusses works from his early life and his Chronos is performed in reduction.

Event Dates
Seully Hall
8 Fenway, Floor 4
Boston
MA
02215
United States

Nico Muhly (keyboards) and Nadia Sirota (viola) present a recital of works originally composed by Muhly for both accompanied and solo viola and piano.

Event Dates
Seully Hall
8 Fenway, Floor 4
Boston
MA
02215
United States

Due to inclement weather, the performance of Sung and Struck has been canceled. Ticket holders will automatically be refunded for tickets. For questions, please email box-office@bostonconservatory.edu or call 617-912-9222 during box office hours, Wednesday through Friday, 12:00-5:00 p.m.

George Case (conductor) and Samuel Solomon (percussion) lead the Boston Conservatory Chorale and Percussion Ensemble in a performance of original works by Nico Muhly for chorus, percussion, cello, and keyboards.

Event Dates
Seully Hall
8 Fenway, Floor 4
Boston
MA
02215
United States

Nico Muhly and Nadia Sirota coach Muhly's chamber works in an open master class with members of the Boston Conservatory Classical Contemporary Music Ensemble.

Event Dates
Seully Hall
8 Fenway, Floor 4
Boston
MA
02215
United States

Boston Conservatory Contemporary Music Ensemble presents mixed ensemble and chamber works of Nico Muhly.

Event Dates
Boston Conservatory Theater
31 Hemenway Street, Floor 2
Boston
MA
02115
United States

 

In this contemporary opera, a member of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints Church attempts to escape her sect and find her sense of self in a world where personal identity is forbidden. Sung in English with supertitles. Music by Nico Muhly. Libretto by Stephen Karam. Conducted by Andrew Altenbach. Directed by Nathan Troup. This performance is presented as part of the 2017 Boston Conservatory at Berklee New Music Festival.

Event Dates
Boston Conservatory Theater
31 Hemenway Street, Floor 2
Boston
MA
02115
United States

Composer Nico Muhly is joined by conductor Andrew Altenbach and stage director Nathan Troup for an open panel discussion on his opera, Dark Sisters, being performed at Boston Conservatory February 9–12.