Boston Conservatory at Berklee announces the appointment of conductor and clarinetist Matthew M. Marsit (M.M. '12, orchestral conducting) as chair of instrumental studies.

Roselyn Hobbs, a contemporary classical music graduate student at the Conservatory, recently published The Mpingo Coloring Book to bring visibility to the mpingo tree, a species in danger of being over-harvested, and the source of a variety of orchestral instruments.

What does a career in classical music look like in 2018? For alumna Kelly Corcoran (B.M. '99, voice), it means pursuing unexpected paths, having both an entrepreneurial and community engagement inclination, and continually asking how one’s work is relevant to the world today.

Ten minors from Berklee College of Music will be available to Boston Conservatory at Berklee students beginning in the fall 2018 semester. New areas of study will include psychology, visual culture and new media studies, American roots music, history, philosophy, acoustics and electronics, instrument repair, and three areas of English: creative writing, literature, and spoken word.

In this episode of Sounds of Berklee, piano instructor Carlos Vargas talks about his passion for community outreach and the variety of projects he is currently working on, including his recent trip to the Dominican Republic.

Voice faculty members Mary Saunders, who is retiring at the end of the academic year, and Sara Goldstein teamed up to commission a plaque commemorating beloved Conservatory voice teacher Iride Pilla­­—known as Miss Pilla—to be placed outside of Miss Pilla’s former studio in 8 Fenway.

On April 8, Boston Conservatory Orchestra performed works by Bernstein, Ravel, Thomas, and Schumann under the baton of guest conductor Ken-David Masur, associate conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Christy Turnbow and Michael Hanley, assistant professors of voice at the Conservatory, talk about the importance of vocal health, what it takes to teach across styles, and why cross-training in vocal pedagogy is important for students entering the field.

Alumna Lauren Kidwell holds a Q&A session with students while in Boston for The Sound of Music tour.

Boston Conservatory at Berklee Executive Director Cathy Young will present honorary doctorates to opera superstar Victoria Livengood (M.M. '85, voice) and Tony Award–winning performer Billy Porter at the Conservatory’s commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 12 at the Berklee Performance Center. Both artists will deliver commencement remarks for the Boston Conservatory at Berklee class of 2018 at the ceremony.