In the News

Competition and Grammy Award-winning violist Paul Laraia will take on the role of associate professor of viola.

Steph Davis (M.M. '23, marimba; B.M. '21, percussion) and alum Jonathon Heyward (B.M. '14, cello) were recently included on the Washington Post’s list of 23 emerging classical composers, performers, and artists.

Eight instruments playing together wouldn’t raise an eyebrow in the world of chamber music, but what if all eight of those instruments were cellos? That would be unusual indeed. But Harvard residents will be treated to just such a concert by the cellist octet BoCoCelli. The musicians are all students at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and the one-hour program will include everything from choral music to Brazilian dance music, as well as premieres of pieces by two Navajo composers.

A profile of alum Leroy "Slam" Stewart's life, notable achievements in the arts, and connection to Binghamton, New York.

Recent Conservatory graduate Shelbie Rassler (B.M. '20, composition) talks to Billboard about the technological intricacies of creating “What the World Needs Now” for Virtual Orchestra, which was a viral sensation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tony Award-winning triple threat Sutton Foster is adding another honor to her impressive list of accomplishments. Cathy Young, the executive director of Boston Conservatory at Berklee, will present Foster with an honorary doctor of music degree during the conservatory’s commencement ceremony on May 11.

The two-time Tony winner, who will return to Broadway in 2020, will be presented with the doctorate in May.

Conservatory faculty member Judith Eissenberg will perform Sofia Gubaidulina’s String Quartet No. 4 with the Lydian String Quartet. The piece features pre-recorded sounds, multicolored lights, and various extended techniques.

Conservatory alumnus Nathaniel Taylor (P.S.C. '18, cello) appeared on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt in a segment on the National Alliance for Audition Support, an initiative devoted to preparing classical musicians of color for auditions.

Recent Conservatory graduate Amy Ahn (M.M. '18, harp) talks about her debut EP, Mangoes, a personal work that showcases her talents as a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

Conservatory alumna Rachel Jayson (B.M. '09, viola, M.M. '09, music education) is proud to break the stereotype of a suburban high school music teacher. Jayson spoke to the Boston Globe about her quirky aesthetic, her love for the viola, and her professional experience as a queer woman of color.