STAG E S BOSTON CONSERVATORY AT BERKLEE
REMEMBERING RICHARD ORTNER Boston Conservatory reflects on late President Richard Ortner’s legacy
FROM PASSION TO PURPOSE Faculty look at how identity shapes the artist’s journey
TELLING STORIES THAT MATTER
Actor Marchánt Davis on pushing boundaries and starring in a major feature film
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WINTER 2019
Dear friends, As we look ahead to the new year and the countless ways that Boston Conservatory at Berklee continues to redefine conservatory education, I want to take a moment to reflect on what defines us—what makes this singular institution unlike any other. When we talk about a performing arts education, we often talk about intensive training, technical skill, virtuosity, and passion. But at Boston Conservatory, there’s something even more essential, and it’s at the very foundation of our approach to providing a transformational education: helping students explore and define their identity, as artists and as individuals. Why is nurturing individual identity the essence of everything we do and so fundamental to the artist’s journey? Because Boston Conservatory at Berklee takes to heart the artist’s purpose: to express the human condition with a unique perspective and an authentic voice. No easy pursuit, telling the human story and attaining artistic excellence requires a solid foundation, rooted in a strong sense of self, compassion for others, and a desire to transform the world for the better. Few articulated the purpose of the artist and the mysterious power of art more beautifully than Richard Ortner, former Boston Conservatory president, who passed away on October 10 after a long and courageous battle with cancer—and whose life and legacy we honor in this issue. Richard said that artists “cleanse every atmosphere they encounter” and bear a responsibility to enrich both their local community and the world at large. Richard himself embodied this ideal every day of his 19-year tenure as president. He cultivated a close-knit community of artists committed to excellence and transformed Boston Conservatory into the internationally recognized institution it is today. We are all better because of him, and his legacy is forever imprinted on our identity as a school. In this issue, we explore the relationship between identity and artistry through the words and experiences of our community. These diverse perspectives are proof that guiding our students’ development as “whole artists” is vital to their future—as the leaders, educators, and culture creators who will impact the world for the better. As Richard once said: “By using your emotional intelligence to place empathy at the center of your practice, you become alchemists, social sculptors who transform and reshape your place and time, every day.” Sincerely,
Cathy Young, Senior Vice President and Executive Director Boston Conservatory at Berklee
4 SNAPSHOTS
Students engage in a dialogue between tradition and innovation through performance
6 Q&A
Actor Marchánt Davis on pushing boundaries and telling stories that matter
8 REMEMBERING RICHARD ORTNER
Boston Conservatory reflects on late President Richard Ortner’s legacy
12 FROM PASSION TO PURPOSE Faculty look at how identity shapes the artist’s journey
16 ALUMNI TAKE
Alumni tap into their unique artistic perspectives to define their careers
20 ACADEMICS
New theater dean Scott Edmiston shares 20 facts about his values and his life in theater
22 NEW PROGRAMS
Commercial Dance Intensive and an M.F.A. in Musical Theater Vocal Pedagogy set Boston Conservatory apart
23 ENHANCING INTERNSHIPS
Fellowship funding and mentorship support experiential learning
24 EMPOWERING ALUMNI
STAGES is published for friends, parents, and alumni of Boston Conservatory at Berklee © 2019. Editor in Chief: Andrea Di Cocco Managing Editor: Annette Fantasia Contributors: Andrea Di Cocco, Annette Fantasia, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Deborah Helen Lewis, Daniel McCusker, Madison Spahn Design: Michelle Parkos Cover Photo: Kelly Davidson Copyeditor: Sara Arnold For changes to your address or mailing preferences, contact: chachten@berklee.edu
Boston Conservatory at Berklee 8 Fenway, Boston, MA 02215 617-536-6340 bostonconservatory.berklee.edu Admissions Information: Boston Conservatory at Berklee Office of Admissions 8 Fenway, Boston, MA 02215 617-912-9153 conservatoryadmissions@berklee.edu To give a gift to the Annual Fund, visit bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/giving or use the envelope in this magazine.
Boston Conservatory awards 2019 entrepreneurial grants to three innovative alumni
26 IN THE LIMELIGHT
Recent happenings at Boston Conservatory
28 NOTEWORTHY
Recent accomplishments of Boston Conservatory alumni, faculty, staff, and students
Snapshots
EXPLORING TRADITION AND INNOVATION ON STAGE Boston Conservatory at Berklee sets the stage for students to engage in a dialogue between tradition and innovation, and nowhere is this more evident than in the 700-plus performances the school produces annually that run the gamut of classical and contemporary works. The fall 2019 performance season featured trailblazing world premieres by some of the world’s most in-demand choreographers, classical music masterpieces by Russian composers, mixed-media works by avant-garde women composers, and an urban reimagining of the beloved Shrek the Musical. Check out the Conservatory’s spring season at bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/ events.
Theater students celebrated women’s often unsung contributions to music with the original revue Can't Keep Quiet: A Concert Celebrating Womxn Composers and Lyricists, October 2019.
contraBAND, the Conservatory’s contemporary classical music ensemble, performed A Woman Sees How the World Goes with No Eyes, an evening of immersive works by women composers, November 2019.
Faculty members and guests performed in a sold-out Chamber Series concert, Russian Giants, a celebration of three towering figures of classical music: Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich, November 2019.
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Boston Conservatory's premier string chamber orchestra, Hemenway Strings, performed a diverse selection of unconducted works by Bartók, Elgar, Nielsen, Pärt, and Shostakovich, October 2019.
Opera students performed The Bremen Town Musicians, a children’s opera based on the Brothers Grimm fairytale, November 2019.
Students performed in a radical reimagining of Shrek the Musical, set in an urban landscape, November 2019.
Into the Light Ensemble, composed of musicians from Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Berklee College of Music, and Tufts University, performed works by local composer Mark Bolan Konigsmark, October 2019.
The Fall Dance Concert: From the Ground Up featured six cutting-edge world premieres by leading choreographers commissioned specifically for dance students, November 2019.
Boston Conservatory Conductors' Choir performed a concert of works by Barber and Brahms conducted by graduate conducting students, November 2019.
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Q&A
ACTOR MARCHÁNT DAVIS ON PUSHING BOUNDARIES AND TELLING STORIES THAT MATTER To say that 2019 was a banner year for alumnus Marchánt Davis (B.F.A. '13, musical theater) is an understatement. He starred alongside Anna Kendrick in the satire The Day Shall Come—his first lead role in a feature film—which he landed just six months after graduating from the Graduate Acting Program at NYU Tisch. The film hit theaters while Davis made his Broadway debut as real-life civil rights activist Stokely Carmichael in the play The Great Society. Davis also earned Lucille Lortel and AUDELCO award nominations for his performance—which included playing five different characters—in Ain’t No Mo’, the off-Broadway satire that imagines African Americans’ mass exodus from the United States. Whether on the big screen or the stage, you’ll find Davis in fiercely original, provocative projects of depth and social significance. He talks to STAGES about his artistic identity and what inspires him to tell stories that matter.
HOW DOES IDENTITY PLAY INTO YOUR WORK AS AN ACTOR AND YOUR PURPOSE AS AN ARTIST?
My identity is wrapped in where I come from but is also constantly reinformed by the world around me and the work that I do as an artist. There are some words that ring true to the core of my soul—for example, Viola Davis’s Oscar acceptance speech: “There’s one place that all of the people with the greatest potential are gathered—one place—and that’s the graveyard.... Exhume those bodies. Exhume those stories—the stories of the people who dreamed big and never saw those dreams to fruition.” My identity is attached to all the people that came before me. I feel I am, as well as others, a manifestation of all their wildest dreams. I’m a storyteller because of them.
Marchánt Davis, as Moses, on the set of The Day Shall Come. Photo by Dean Rogers.
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YOUR RECENT PROJECTS AIN’T NO MO’ AND THE DAY SHALL COME ARE BOTH FRESH, BOLD SATIRES, AND YOU PLAY A CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST IN THE GREAT SOCIETY. WHAT DRAWS YOU TO PROVOCATIVE WORKS WITH DEEPER SOCIAL COMMENTARIES?
SHARE A FAVORITE MEMORY FROM YOUR DAYS AT BOSTON CONSERVATORY.
My favorite memory will always be working for Kim Haack in the Student Affairs Office. I had a work-study job in the gigs office, and Kim always made me feel like I could do anything. She still does.
If the work isn’t speaking to something greater than myself or beyond my own need and desire to “just be working,” then I can’t do it.
THE DAY SHALL COME IS YOUR FIRST LEADING ROLE IN A MAJOR FEATURE FILM. HOW DID YOU MENTALLY PREPARE FOR THIS?
There’s always that rush of excitement when you get a call saying you’ve booked the job you’ve been auditioning for. Then there’s the moment when you ask yourself, “Can I actually do this?” For me, the key was just staying grounded and focused on the task at hand and trusting all the tools I already possessed to get the job done. Doubt is probably the biggest enemy to progress and it’ll always be there in some way, but doing the job is what I’ve trained for.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES IN YOUR DAILY LIFE WORKING ON A FILM VERSUS WORKING ON THE STAGE?
There’s a lot of waiting around on a film set. The saying is “hurry up and wait.” I had to learn to conserve energy when I could. On the stage, I feel like the audience is an added scene partner; on set, it's the camera and you have to know where it is at all times. Know the shot.
WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO WORK ON PROJECTS THAT PUSH THE ENVELOPE? If it pushes the envelope, then it’ll probably push you, too. Jump in and don’t wait for people to write it for you. You have an obligation as an artist to tell stories. Your obligation is in proportion to your talent. “Exhume those bodies, exhume those stories,” as Viola Davis said.
Learn more about Boston Conservatory’s musical theater programs: bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/ musical-theater
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Remembering Richard Ortner A BRIEF REFLECTION BY CATHY YOUNG Richard Ortner was a mentor and friend. When I joined the school in 2011 to head the Dance Division, I knew that Boston Conservatory was different, unlike any place I’d ever worked before. There was an ethos at Boston Conservatory that was familial and supportive while at the same time energizing and motivating—a place where everyone was pushing each other to do their best and be their best. The community was extraordinarily talented and represented an incredible range of aesthetics and ideas, and yet everyone was united by a common calling: the arts. This was a place where excellence, on every level, to every degree, was reinforced: excellence in teaching, excellence in technique, excellence in presentation, excellence in performance, excellence in artistic expression, and, above all, excellence in one’s conduct—showing gratitude, compassion, and empathy, not just on the stage but on a personal level. At the heart of this community was Richard. Richard believed artists to be storytellers of our humanity—inheritors of the past and shapers of the present—whose stories form the foundation for future generations of artists. Art is a reflection of the world around us and helps us to understand our place in it. In his words, artists “work constantly to find true empathy—to understand others, to feel with them, to translate and filter their experience through our own, and in the end to share that experience, transformed, as a way of enlarging the human journey." Boston Conservatory is thriving today because Richard understood that artistry is an expression of the human condition and that each individual student, faculty, and staff member brings their own unique perspective to telling humanity’s collective story. The Conservatory’s focus on developing individual artistic voices is the bedrock of its education—it is what makes art authentic and true and what fuels the magic that moves us. Richard’s support for and celebration of all of the Conservatory’s distinct voices has been a model for me as I lead this institution into its next chapter. His legacy of excellence in the arts and compassion for each other is instilled in each of us, and the world is better for it. Cathy Young serves as senior vice president and executive director of Boston Conservatory at Berklee, a role she assumed in 2017 after Richard Ortner’s retirement.
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Photo by Kelly Davidson/Dave Green
bostonconservatory.berklee.edu | 9
1998
Richard Ortner is hired as Boston Conservatory’s ninth president.
1999
Boston Conservatory’s Student Affairs office is restructured to better support students and is cited by accreditors as a “model for small colleges.”
2006
Boston Conservatory purchases a parking lot on Hemenway Street and begins the Hemenway Project, the school’s first-ever capital campaign, aimed at raising $30 million to fund renovation of the Conservatory’s 31 Hemenway Street building.
2010
After a successful fundraising campaign, Boston Conservatory completes the Hemenway Project and celebrates the reopening of the renovated and expanded the 31 Hemenway Street building with a special concert featuring Tommy Tune, Joseph Silverstein, and alumnus Chad Kimball (B.F.A. '99, musical theater).
A LIFE SHAPED BY THE ARTS President Richard Ortner, who served as Boston Conservatory’s final president, passed away on October 10, 2019, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He led a compassionate life, shaped the arts, and left behind a legacy of excellence and generosity. During his tenure as president from 1998 to 2017, Ortner devoted his life to Boston Conservatory and transformed it into the world-renowned institution that it is recognized as today. The energy and vision he brought to the school attracted talented faculty, introduced groundbreaking student resources and programs, and led the Conservatory through two historic facility expansions to provide students with state-of-the-art learning spaces—the renovation of the 31 Hemenway Street building and the construction of 132 Ipswich Street (recently named the Richard Ortner Studio Building) just a few years later. Ortner was indefatigable and always forward-thinking, and his bold vision for the Conservatory did not stop there. Imagining a world of endless potential and possibility, he led the Conservatory through a historic merger with Berklee—the first in the world between two performing arts colleges. Perhaps his greatest legacy is the close-knit, supportive, and socially engaged community he fostered at Boston Conservatory. Deeply passionate about the role of performers as artist-citizens, Ortner believed that artists bear a responsibility to use their
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talent to enrich both their local community and the world at large. These ideals are ingrained in the Conservatory’s culture and identity, and they drive the school’s mission to educate artists who will impact the world for the better. Ortner’s love for the arts was evident at an early age. He began learning piano at the age of five and continued his music studies through an excellent public school program. He accompanied choruses both in junior and senior high school and became the choir director of the Long Island Federation of Temple Youth. Following high school, he attended the Cooper Union to study architecture. During this time, he continued to pursue music through piano studies with Juilliard instructor Richard Faber and by producing and hosting two classical music programs for WNYU (New York University) Radio. After deciding to study music full time, he transferred to New York University (NYU), where he completed a B.A. in music in 1971. Ortner then began what he referred to as his “real musical education”: three years as an usher at Carnegie Hall. This also marked the start of his activities as a concert producer. After persuading the management of Carnegie Hall to turn over the Recital Hall, free of charge, he organized the very first Carnegie Hall Ushers Recital, which the New York Times enthusiastically reviewed. Later, he organized the first concert of the Washington Square Chamber Music Society at NYU.
2011
Boston Conservatory purchases the property at 132 Ipswich Street for the school’s first-ever new construction.
2014
Boston Conservatory completes construction of 132 Ipswich Street and celebrates its opening. Boston Conservatory also launches its second capital campaign, 150th Anniversary Campaign: Exceeding Expectations, to raise $21 million for endowment, capital projects, and operating support.
2015
Boston Conservatory and Berklee College of Music jointly announce that they have signed a memorandum of understanding to formally explore the possibility of a merger.
It was at Carnegie Hall that Ortner first met Leonard Bernstein and his manager Harry Kraut, both of whom encouraged Ortner to pursue his burgeoning interest in orchestra management— learning “how music gets to people”—with a position at Tanglewood, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s (BSO) renowned summer home. From there, Bernstein said, he could get an incomparable overview of every facet of orchestra operations, from concert production and finance to facilities management, programming, fundraising, and board relations. “Oh, and by the way, there’s a pretty good school there, too,” Ortner later recalled Bernstein saying. The school, of course, was the Berkshire Music Center (BMC, later renamed the Tanglewood Music Center), and in the summer of 1973, Ortner became a guide at Tanglewood, manning the information booth and filling various backstage posts for both the BSO’s Tanglewood Festival concerts and the full range of BMC activities. One year later, in 1974, he was invited to become assistant administrator of the Music Center, beginning a remarkable 23-year career with the BSO. At that time, artistic direction at Tanglewood (both the festival and the academy) was accomplished by the unlikely “troika” of Leonard Bernstein, Gunther Schuller, and the young Seiji Ozawa, who had just been appointed music director of the BSO. Ortner became administrator of the Music Center in 1984 with the appointment of pianist Leon Fleisher as artistic director,
2016
In January, the Board of Trustees for Boston Conservatory and Berklee College of Music each vote unanimously to approve a merger and form “Berklee.” In June, the merger is legally complete and Boston Conservatory’s name is amended to Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
2017
Boston Conservatory President Richard Ortner retires, becoming the school’s final administrator to hold the title of president. The same year, the Conservatory celebrates its 150th anniversary with a special gala at Symphony Hall with guest host Alan Cumming.
and along the way, he served as assistant manager of the BSO Chamber Players, coordinator of the Chamber Music Prelude Concerts, and a director of the BSO Credit Union. He was involved in numerous other special projects, including the design and construction of Ozawa Hall. Ortner served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, Chamber Music America, and the Aaron Copland Fund for Music; a speaker at the Harvard Graduate School of Education; and a frequent guest lecturer on music and education, including moderating the 2006 Harvard symposium on Working with Bernstein. He was a member of the founding Board of Governors of the Boston Arts Academy and chaired its Board of Trustees for two years. He also served on the Board of Overseers of the Handel and Haydn Society, the Board of Visitors of the Fenway Community Health Center, and the Planning Task Force for Boston’s New Center for Arts and Culture. In spring 2019, Ortner was awarded the Leonard Bernstein Award by the Longy School of Music at Bard College for his contributions to the elevation of music in society. Throughout his life, Ortner cherished the arts and devoted his energy to preparing the next generation of artists. Boston Conservatory is the culmination of Ortner’s work. His spirit, energy, and warmth live on at the school, and his impact on the arts at large will be felt for generations to come.
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From Passion to Purpose: Identity and the Artist’s Journey “
Art invites us to take the journey...into bearing witness to the world as it is and as it should be,” writes author Toni Morrison. In this journey—of exploring the human condition and the individual’s place in the world—the artist’s role demands both examination and imagination. It demands a hunger for inner and outer discovery on the one hand and an impulse to create and transform on the other. Make no mistake: the artist’s work is serious business. Beyond passion and technical skill, it requires empathy, courage, vulnerability, and an ability to take risks and accept failure. It requires continually asking the question, “Who am I, and what is my purpose as an artist?” That’s why empowering students to discover and define their identity as artists is at the foundation of a Boston Conservatory at Berklee education. While this emphasis on identity is shared across the institution, it manifests in myriad ways within the Conservatory’s three divisions, as well as within each individual artist. Our faculty play a vital role in this process, guiding students through the journey of defining themselves as artists and individuals and helping them turn their passion into purpose. STAGES invited three faculty members to reflect on the concept of identity in relation to their own artistic development and teaching. The faculty highlighted here— Helen Deborah Lewis from the Theater Division, Jonathan Bailey Holland from the Music Division, and Daniel McCusker from the Dance Division—each represent unique perspectives, career paths, and art forms, but their stories share a fundamental commonality: their art is the means by which they continually discover and express truths about themselves and the world around them.
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Photos by Michelle Parkos
I
dentity is an integral part of an artist’s work. Actors must identify with the characters they embody in order to portray them truthfully and with unconditional empathy. For scholars and historians, identifying with your subjects is considered secondary to approaching research with intellectual curiosity and critical objectivity. For me, however, identity plays an essential role in my scholarship, teaching, and artistic endeavors, particularly as it relates to artistic heritage and legacy.
Helen Deborah Lewis
Assistant Professor of Theater
My family has always valued theater, mostly as a result of the theatrical heritage from my mother’s side. My great-great-uncle Maurice Schwartz founded the Yiddish Art Theatre in New York in 1918. My great-uncle John Wexley was a successful playwright and screenwriter until he was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. It was this legacy that gave my parents pride—and not anxiety attacks—when I announced to them very early in my childhood that I was bound for a life in the theater. In college, I discovered my love of research and critical theory alongside my work as an actor. What I inherited from my theatrical ancestors, just as much as a sense of Jewish identity, is the notion of theater as a language for marginalized groups that have been “othered.”
about queer lives that came before me. Members of the LQBTQIA+ community cannot connect ourselves to other queer people by blood or familial ties. Add to that the issue of historical and cultural reclamation. What do you do when queer narratives were hidden, poorly documented, and kept in the shadows for so long as a result of legal, social, or cultural erasure? How do you find your lineage within an identity that has been too often silenced or marginalized? The majority of LGBTQIA-identifying students at Boston Conservatory come in without a strong connection to or awareness of queer historical, theatrical, and artistic legacy, and many of them are hungry to connect to it. Even non-queer students express their eagerness to learn about queer history and culture, since queer people have always been an integral part of theater and performance. In the Conservatory’s Theater Division, I’ve been able to develop new elective courses, including Introduction to Queer Studies, Queer Theater and Film, and Drag Performance and Queer Embodiments. For me, there is something infinitely fulfilling in teaching this legacy and watching students connect to it for the first time.
“How do you find your lineage within an identity that has been too often silenced or marginalized?”
In my work as a performer and a scholar, while I felt a kinship with Jewish theatrical content, I was drawn even more to queer performance history. It was very easy to connect to my Judaism early on—through my family and fellow congregants at my synagogue—but nearly impossible to connect to my gay identity. I came out at 13, and while I had a supportive, loving family and group of friends, I had no community and no way to connect to gay culture (at that time, the internet was mostly limited to AOL Instant Messenger and creepy chatrooms). I was hungry to learn
Lewis is a scholar, teaching artist, and dramaturg who specializes in queer theater and performance, drag and genderqueer performance, theater historiography, American musical theater, and popular entertainment. She received her Ph.D. from Tufts University, was a featured speaker on drag performance at TEDx Berklee Valencia in Valencia, Spain (2017), and served on the board of the Center for LGBTQ Studies at the City University of New York (2017– 2019).
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I
dentity is a curious concept. It is something we reveal in various ways to our multiple communities of practice and affinity. It can be assumed or cast upon us by those who don’t know us based on initial, often superficial, cues. Some have more ability (i.e., privilege) than others to reveal as much of their identity as they choose, while others are forced to focus on the most prominent aspect(s) of their identity, whether or not those aspects are personally significant to their own sense of self.
Jonathan Bailey Holland
Chair of Composition, Contemporary Music, and Core Studies
We live in a time when many of us have become hyperaware of and hypersensitive to the idea of identity, be it our own personal identity or our desire for others to acknowledge our identity in a way that we would like, and we sometimes take offense when others make uninformed assumptions. Some of us work each day to navigate
“As an artist, I seek to communicate my personal perspective of the world as I experience it, and I seek out art by others that does the same.� a world that assumes we are part of a generalized monolith, thereby ignoring any element of individuality within our identity. As an artist, I seek to communicate my personal perspective of the world as I experience it, and I seek out art by others that does the same. I try to put this at the forefront of my approach to my own work, despite the fact that I worry that I am sometimes chosen for a project not because of the quality of my work but because of various adjectives that are placed before or
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after the word that describes who I am (i.e., “black,” “composer”), as if both terms are required in tandem to fully acknowledge who I am and what I create. And yet, both terms do, in fact, describe who I am, despite the fact that I cannot control what those words mean in the mind of the listener. I tried for many years to cancel out anything but "composer" in the mind of anyone coming to my music without knowing anything else about me, but I realized at some point that my efforts were ultimately causing me to ignore parts of who I am. So I stopped worrying about it and instead embraced all that defines me as an artist and an individual, realizing that
I cannot ultimately control how others will define my identity. This is a hard lesson for many artists to learn. Much of our training begins by modeling our work on the work of others. However, if all we are doing is mimicking something that someone else has already done, why would anyone choose our imitation over the real thing? We must then learn to be genuine, and to make our art personal, not imitative. This means building the confidence to put our true selves on display and to embrace the art we create, as opposed to the art we think we are supposed to create.
Holland's compositions have been commissioned and performed by major orchestras and chamber ensembles across the United States. He served as the composer-inresidence of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for the 2018–2019 season and will be featured in the American Composers Orchestra season at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall. Holland received the Fromm Foundation commission in 2015 and has been honored by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, American Music Center, ASCAP, the Presser Foundation, and other institutions.
Danny McCusker
Associate Professor of Dance
P
eople dance for all sorts of reasons: pleasure, necessity, vanity, curiosity, and opportunity. Over time, in weaving these disparate strands together, I discovered who I am. Growing up in a workingclass, single-parent, Irish-Catholic household in the Bronx, a life in dance was the last thing I would have imagined for myself. However, the
“I saw that dance, like
nothing else, excited and absorbed me. It was the venue where I was discovering myself, my community, my values, and my interests. It remains the site where I experience myself as myself.” dance teachers that the Sisters of St. Dominic enlisted during my eight years of grammar school—to substitute for the gym classes that they were not going to teach—opened a door for me. After a hiatus in high school, I started dancing again in college while I prepared myself, in a vague way, for a career in academia. Two years after college, while a graduate
student in comparative literature, I was performing the work of Jessica Fogel, Libby Nye, and Rudy Pérez, among others. One day, I had the realization that I could probably pick up where I left off studying literature at age 50, but I would not be able to do the same as a dancer. I saw that dance, like nothing else, excited and absorbed me. It was the venue where I was discovering myself, my community, my values, and my interests. It remains the site where I experience myself as myself. A daily conversation with my body and the world, dance is, paradoxically, new every day, even now. It gives me opportunities to learn, to be in dialogue with people and history, to be generous with myself and others. Dance is where I engage with the world and where I try to treat people the way I wish to be treated. Dancing, choreographing, teaching, seeing performances, and reading are, for me, all part of the same creative activity. The parts reinforce each other, nourishing the whole. I think that our choices reveal who we are. My choices reveal that I consistently value creative studio work, day by day, and the community that grows from working together with other people. Dance provides
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experiences and lessons that have application in daily life; it models creative thinking and creative solutions. It gives me practice in approaching challenges as opportunities, not limitations. I bring this to my teaching. I ask students to consider the idea that anything can be dance—walking, sitting, going to the floor, pointing, changing direction, changing level, changing speed, changing rhythm, stillness—and that dance is more than technical skill. I ask them to consider the possibility that there are no rules, only dancers and dances. I ask them to examine why they find some things more satisfying and other things less satisfying. As they respond to these ideas and questions, they discover their interests, they discover what moves them, and they discover what they value. They discover the consistency of their choices. In the doing, they discover themselves. A dance maker, teacher, mentor, and dance curator, McCusker has performed and taught internationally and is involved in the local dance community as a choreographer, mentor, and presenter. For the last year, he has been involved in the Cunningham Centennial Project, performing in Los Angeles, Akron, at Bard College, and at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Boston Conservatory’s alumni, who are shaping the present and future of the performing arts, are living proof that the Conservatory’s emphasis on identity provides a critical foundation for meaningful careers. Here, alumni offer their take on the relationship between artistry and identity and how drawing on their unique artistic perspectives has defined their careers.
While a student at the Conservatory, Bunkley choreographed numerous performances, including a sold-out Bruno Mars tribute show at Berklee Performance Center. She is currently pursuing her M.F.A. in dance and an M.A. in dance education at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and NYU Steinhardt, B.F.A. '18, contemporary dance respectively.
Briana Bunkley
Identity and artistry are so deeply connected. I remember being at Boston Conservatory trying to figure out who I was—as a person and as an artist. The classes helped me uncover my natural movement quality, and then elevated it far beyond anything I had ever known. I realized that the more I was willing to learn about myself, the more I discovered the many layers of my artistry. I am still discovering my identity and artistry. We are not static; we are always evolving.
Mosallam is a producer, director, and writer for the theater, film, and television. After graduating from the Conservatory, he delved into Middle Eastern and Muslim-themed content, from the Arab American Comedy Festival in New York to a show on Comedy Central called The Watch List.
Mike Mosallam B.F.A. '06, musical theater
The sum total of my identity is shaped by its parts: my sexuality, my religious identity, my cultural identity, and more. In a post-September 11 world, I wasn't entirely sure what my Muslim identity should look like, especially in the world of musical theater. However, the faculty and my advisors at Boston Conservatory really supported tapping into my experience, encouraging me to create art as a form of healing and bridge-building.
Whether performing with orchestras across New England or alongside DJ Spooky in a multimedia experience, Mrugala is a versatile violinist who is deeply engaged with what it means to be a classical musician today. As the creator of the Everyday Musician Podcast, he converses regularly with fellow music makers B.M. '15, violin on a wide range of industry topics.
Eric Mrugala
Being different has been one of my greatest assets as a musician. Creating original projects such as the Everyday Musician Podcast, forming a chamber ensemble called SAMPLE, and collaborating with composers on new commissions has shaped my identity as a musical entrepreneur.
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“As artists, we work constantly to find true empathy—to understand others, to feel with them, to translate and filter their experience through our own, and in the end to share that experience, transformed, as a way of enlarging the human journey.” —Richard Ortner
Richard Ortner, Boston Conservatory president from 1998 to 2017, was driven by the belief that the performing arts can transform lives and better the world. Richard passed away on October 10, 2019, after a long and courageous battle with cancer, but his spirit and impact live on at the Conservatory. Honor his legacy and help continue his vision by giving to the Richard Ortner Fund for Excellence.
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Center Stage Returns with Eight Innovative Performances
CENTER STAGE RETURNS WITH EIGHT INNOVATIVE PERFORMANCES Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s curated performance collection, Center Stage, returns with eight extraordinary performances in dance, music, and theater. This year’s lineup, curated from the school’s season of 700-plus performances, includes beloved classics, regional premieres, and unique artistic collaborations only possible at Boston Conservatory. MUSIC CHAMBER SERIES: RUSSIAN GIANTS November 1 An extraordinary showcase of faculty talent featuring works by three of Russia’s most well-known composers: Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, and Shostakovich. $ MUSIC CONTRABAND: A WOMAN SEES HOW THE WORLD GOES WITH NO EYES November 5 Vimbayi Kaziboni conducts an avant-garde program featuring 12 leading female composers, including Chaya Czernowin, Alison Knowles, Pauline Oliveros, and Yoko Ono. FREE THEATER SHREK THE MUSICAL November 14–17 Written by Jeanine Tesori and directed by Laura Marie Duncan, this stage adaptation turns the beloved story of adventure, friendship, and love into an enchanting urban fairytale. $
OPERA GLORY DENIED *EAST COAST PREMIERE OF FULLY ORCHESTRATED VERSION* December 5–8 A contemporary opera by noted American composer Tom Cipullo based on the true story of Colonel Jim Thompson, America’s longest-held prisoner of war. Conducted by Andrew Altenbach and directed by Johnathon Pape. $ MUSIC BOSTON CONSERVATORY WIND ENSEMBLE AND CHORUSES December 12 Conductors George Case, Matthew Marsit, and Nathan Reiff present Anton Bruckner's epic Mass No. 2 in E Minor alongside recent works by Susan Botti and Christopher Marshall in Boston’s historic Old South Church. FREE THEATER THE DROWSY CHAPERONE April 9–12 Mayhem, mix-ups, and musical merriment mark this Tony Award–winning homage to the American musical, in which a fan's favorite 1920s cast album magically comes to life and transports him to the Jazz Age. Directed by Paul Daigneault. $
MUSIC BOSTON CONSERVATORY ORCHESTRA FEATURING SILKROAD ARTIST CRISTINA PATO April 19 Silkroad artist and gaita player Cristina Pato joins Boston Conservatory Orchestra under the baton of Bruce Hangen to perform works by Beethoven, Saint-Saёns, and Vázquez. $ DANCE SPRING DANCE CONCERT: LIMITLESS April 23–26 An incredible lineup of masterwork and contemporary reconstructions, including Murray Louis’s 1984 masterpiece Four Brubeck Pieces; Camille A. Brown’s 2006 celebration of New Orleans, New Second Line; a reconstruction by internationally sought-after choreographer Victor Quijada; and excerpts from a classical ballet staged by Adriana Suarez and Gianni Di Marco. $
Tickets for performances noted with $ can be purchased through the Boston Conservatory Box Office online at bostonconservatory. berklee.edu/events or in person at the Berklee Box Office, located at the Berklee Performance Center at 136 Massachusetts Avenue. bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/ centerstage
Academics
20 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THEATER DEAN SCOTT EDMISTON When Scott Edmiston joined Boston Conservatory at Berklee as dean of theater in August 2019, his reputation as one of Boston’s leading theater artists and educators preceded him. But—as any dramatist would ask—what’s his backstory? Edmiston, an awardwinning director, educator, artist, and arts advocate, shares 20 facts about his values, his identity, and his artistic journey.
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I have directed more than 60 plays, musicals, and operas in New England since I moved here 20 years ago.
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I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, where my family had neither the access nor the money to take me to the theater.
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I formed my own theater company when I was 11 years old. Growing up, I predominantly loved musicals. In my first semester at Penn State, I read Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night, and it exploded my brain. It radically expanded my understanding of what theater could be.
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In addition to my parents and teachers, there were certain figures who shaped my identity and whom I think of as my ancestors, even though we are not technically related: Anton Chekhov, Fred Astaire, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Lillian Hellman, Tennessee Williams, and Eugene O’Neill. My husband, Thom, and I have been together for 34 years. We met working on a musical called Pump Boys and Dinettes. I feel passionate about ensuring that the LGBTQIA+ community has the same civil rights and equal protections under the law as other citizens.
Edmiston with the cast of the Boston premiere of Shakespeare in Love, which he directed in 2018 at SpeakEasy Stage Company. The production included Edward Rubenacker (associate alumnus, B.F.A. '17) and Zaven Ovian (B.F.A. '16). Photo by Nile Hawver/Nile Scott Shots.
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I don’t like bullies or those who belittle or disrespect others, personally or artistically, on social media or in person.
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I believe theater is a vehicle for justice. Most works of drama ask, “Can’t life be better than this?”
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I recognize that paradigms are changing quickly in the world and in the theater, and we are all working hard to keep up.
I believe all plays and musicals are about the same thing: “Who am I?” There is a common misconception that protagonists change during the course of the story, but I don’t believe that. I believe that they discover their true selves—who they were meant to be. Because drama is about identity, it poses some especially challenging questions to us about race, gender, sexual identity, and all forms of being and storytelling. No one has the perfect answers to these questions yet. Here at Boston Conservatory, we are going to explore them, discuss them, experiment with them—and support each other in our vulnerability. Whether you are doing theater on Broadway or in a basement black box, what really matters is serving a playwright you admire, collaborating with colleagues you respect, communicating honestly to your audiences, and, through art, striving to find some meaning to this imperfect world. I believe the artist as citizen has the ability—and the responsibility—to repair the world. I believe that a life in the theater is a beautiful life. It has filled my days and my heart with extraordinary people. You are now among them.
10 I acknowledge my white privilege, and I am deeply committed to increasing diversity in the Theater Division and in professional theater.
kept the playbill from every Broadway show I’ve 11 I’ve ever seen.
12 I’ve never seen the musical Cats. 13 I believe theater is an act of trust. A group of strangers meet in a room, the lights go out, and then we all dream the same dream.
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I believe trust is necessary to a great class, a great production, and a great relationship. I believe trust is reciprocal and precious and must be earned.
don’t believe that one kind of human being or one 15 Ikind of experience is better or more important than
another. I embrace all forms of theater because they speak to different aspects of the human experience.
In 2017, Edmiston directed the play Constellations, which earned him an Elliot Norton Award nomination. Photo by A.R. Sinclair Photography.
Learn more about Scott Edmiston and Boston Conservatory’s top-ranking theater programs: bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/theater
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Two New Programs Set Boston Conservatory Apart Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s appetite for innovation continues with two groundbreaking programs that are setting the Conservatory apart: an M.F.A. in Musical Theater Vocal Pedagogy and a summer program in commercial dance. Both programs, which launched this year, are now accepting applications.
M.F.A. IN MUSICAL THEATER VOCAL PEDAGOGY
COMMERCIAL DANCE INTENSIVE
Boston Conservatory’s M.F.A. in Musical Theater Vocal Pedagogy is one of the only programs of its kind in the world. A sister program to the school’s respected M.M. in Vocal Pedagogy, the M.F.A. is focused specifically on musical theater voice practice, technique, and performance, drawing on the school’s expertise in musical theater performance and vocal pedagogy training. The program is designed and taught by award-winning faculty, including voice specialist Kevin Wilson, who was recently named a master teacher by the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).
Commercial dance is considered to be choreography created for the commercial entertainment industry, such as in film, television, live concerts, cruise ship performances, theme park shows, and circus arts. Drawing on the Conservatory’s expertise in concert dance and Berklee College of Music’s speciality in concert performance, Boston Conservatory’s three-week intensive is for students between the ages of 15 and 22 who are interested in exploring commercial dance. The program is led by faculty member Ruka Hatua-Saar White, who has extensive commercial dance experience performing with Missy Elliott, Celia Cruz, and Shirley Murdock, as well as in commercials and industrials.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for musical theater singers and teachers, teaching both performers and instructors how to protect and nurture the voice while mastering the techniques of musical theater performance,” Dean of Music Michael Shinn says of the program. The M.F.A. in Musical Theater Vocal Pedagogy is ideal for musical theater performers and educators looking to hone their performance skills while learning about teaching pedagogies in voice, voice and speech, acting, and movement. Learn more about the program and how to apply at bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/musicaltheater-vocalped.
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“I am thrilled to offer our new Commercial Dance Intensive, where students will learn the ins and outs of being a dancer in the entertainment industry, learning the skills needed to succeed as a performer in music videos, concerts, and film," says Boston Conservatory at Berklee Dean of Dance Tommy Neblett. The new Commercial Dance Intensive summer program is a game-changing opportunity for talented dancers who want versatility beyond the concert stage. Commercial Dance Intensive runs June 22 to July 10, 2020. Apply by June 1 at bostonconservatory.berklee. edu/CDI.
PAUL DE LIBERO
OLIVIA NURMI
ALYSE BROWN
Expanding Horizons through Experiential Learning FELLOWSHIP FUNDING HELPS STUDENTS GAIN REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE Internships expand students’ definitions of themselves— not only as artists but as aspiring professionals building their personal brand. Experiential learning opportunities can open doors to careers, but they can also be financially prohibitive, especially if they’re unpaid. Thanks to fellowships through the Berklee Career Center, students can receive funding for living expenses and moving costs— in addition to mentorship—while gaining valuable work experience. Here, Boston Conservatory at Berklee students reflect on their recent summer internship experiences that were funded by the Berklee Fellowship program.
OLIVIA NURMI
B.F.A. '20, musical theater Nurmi was a performance intern at Maine State Music Theatre, one of the leading summer stock theaters in the Northeast. In addition to performing in main stage musicals and Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) productions throughout the summer, she worked with the theater’s director on community outreach initiatives. An aspect of the internship that surprised me is the incredible community of people in Brunswick, Maine, that support the theater and all of its company members. Witnessing directors and choreographers collaborate with each other and with us while we create new art was just incredible. We learned so much in such a short span of time.
ALYSE BROWN PAUL DE LIBERO
B.F.A. '21, musical theater De Libero was an intern with Telsey + Company, a leading casting office for musical theater in New York City. Performing is such a delicate, vulnerable thing for someone to do—and I feel lucky that I am able to be a part of such beautiful work. I have been inspired by so many of my colleagues, I now know I want to go into the field of casting and help make some dreams come true.
B.M. '19, voice
Brown spent the summer in San Francisco as an intern at Halo Neuroscience, a technology company that creates headsets called Halo Sport that accelerate muscle memory development, helping musicians optimize their practice and musical technique. I gained a lot of experience this summer, from website design to learning the guitar using the Halo Sport technology. I learned so much about how neuroscience can impact musicians. Learn more about the Berklee Fellowship program: berklee.edu/fellowships bostonconservatory.berklee.edu | 23
Empowering Alumni
BOSTON CONSERVATORY AWARDS 2019 ENTREPRENEURIAL GRANTS TO THREE INNOVATIVE ALUMNI Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s Alumni Entrepreneurial Grant Program (EGP) empowers alumni to explore and develop their unique programmatic ideas in the arts. The grant funds innovative, impactful performance endeavors that expand the artist’s toolkit as a performer, leader, and businessperson while fostering a creative spirit. Established in 2013, the EGP has awarded nearly $20,000 to date, seeding ideas that have become fledgling theater companies, vital community programs, cutting-edge contemporary dance presentations, and more. Recipients of the 2019 alumni entrepreneurial grants embody the dynamic range of work coming out of the alumni community.
KAREN PETERSON CORASH B.F.A. '76, dance
Karen Peterson Corash’s “curiosity in dance making” has helped her company, Karen Peterson Dancers, thrive for close to 30 years. The organization claims the distinction of being “Florida’s only full-time dance organization that features choreography performed by dancers with and without disabilities.” The company’s latest endeavor, “Warmamas,” is a multimedia dance piece exploring the narrative of women whose children have fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. “I could see how these women had really mixed feelings about their children deciding to go to war,” explains Peterson. Using spoken word, video, and dance, the piece aims to illuminate the struggle of several of the women interviewed. After years of experience, Peterson trusts herself more than ever to follow a creative process that will “show [her] what’s right.” The EGP supported the dancers’ travel to New York City, where they performed this evocative piece at Judson Memorial Church—a location that enabled dancers in wheelchairs to find accessible hotel rooms nearby and to bring their art to the city as part of an artist-in-residence program. Recently, the company hosted Forward Motion, a three-day festival and conference of physically integrated dance, complete with performances, workshops, and speakers.
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MARINA KRICKLER M.M. '10, French horn
“The sky’s the limit to what we can do creatively,” says Marina Krickler, founding member of the Boston-based Andromeda Quintet. She notes that in choosing to focus their latest project—dubbed Women at the 49th Parallel—on living female composers from North America, the ensemble is “looking to differentiate themselves and give something back,” while bringing attention to an underrepresented music community. Also educators, the performers bring their message to the classroom through brass music instruction and performances at local schools. Krickler attributes her success in part to her training at Boston Conservatory—particularly her exposure to new music as a student. Women at the 49th Parallel was supported in part by the EGP, which funded travel to the International Women's Brass Conference at Arizona State University. The group also performed the program throughout the Boston area, as well as in Pennsylvania at the Northeast Regional Conference of the College Music Society.
CLIFTON INGRAM M.M. '14, composition
Clifton Ingram says his collaborative trio, Rested Field, is a “passion-based project on our terms.” Cofounded by Ingram and fellow Conservatory alumnus Daniel Lewis (M.M. '12, composition), who are joined by alumnus Chuck Furlong (P.S.C. '15, clarinet), the trio hopes to realize a project three years in the making, called The House of the Ax. Based on a chapter in Samuel R. Delany’s book Dhalgren, the project is a performance/ installation experience featuring actors in a run-down apartment setting. It’s fully interactive: audience members can change the structure of the performance and, in turn, how the actors interface with the audience. “There’s this level of private and public life,” Ingram says, “and when you make private life public, what does that do?” Rested Field is also extending this project beyond the performance through a collaboration with the Newton, Massachusetts, public school system. Aiming to go beyond teaching composition and instrument lessons, the group hopes to raise awareness about technology’s impact on society, addressing issues such as cyberbullying and social media and technology addictions. Rested Field has performed throughout the Boston area and will unveil this piece in late 2019 or early 2020.
Learn more about the Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alumni Entrepreneurial Grant program and how to apply: bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/alumni/ alumni-opportunities
In the Limelight
1. Renowned American soprano Julia Bullock presented a master class to Conservatory voice and opera students and met members of Berklee’s Black Student Alliance (BSA), November 2019.
how studying jazz influenced his perspective on classical music, and praised Boston Conservatory at Berklee for breaking down stylistic barriers and encouraging collaboration across styles and genres, August 2019.
2. Sought-after guest choreographers Loni Landon, Juel D. Lane (pictured), Zoe Scofield, and Bradley Shelver collaborated with Conservatory dancers on world premieres for Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s fall dance concert, From the Ground Up, November 2019.
4. New York Philharmonic bass trombonist George Curran presented a master class for Conservatory brass students, October 2019.
3. Boston Conservatory at Berklee hosted an evening in the Berkshires with worldrenowned pianist and Berklee College of Music alumnus Kirill Gerstein '96 at the home of Trustee Cynthia Curme. In addition to his performance, Kirill spoke about
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5. The Dance Division sponsored and hosted the Racines Black Dance Festival, cofounded by Conservatory dance faculty member Marianne Harkless Diabate. The festival brought together professional dancers (including Isaura Oliveira, pictured) from around the country to give workshops in traditional and contemporary Africanrooted dance to dance majors and the general public, October 2019.
6. Executive Director’s Advisory Council member Laura Kunkemueller (center) and her brother Andrew (second from left) accepted the Julius Eichberg Award for Philanthropic Leadership on behalf of their late mother, Pamela Kunkemueller, at Boston Conservatory’s 2019 Scholarship Tea. They are joined by Holly Kunkemueller, Andrew Kunkemueller’s wife; John Andreini, Laura Kunkemueller’s husband; and Kunkemueller Family Scholarship recipients Max DeSantis (B.F.A. '21, musical theater) and Rory Boyd (B.F.A. '16, musical theater), September 2019.
8. The Theater Division sponsored a master class with cast members from Rent, moderated by theater faculty member Laura Marie Duncan. The event included a performance by Berklee College of Music’s Audire Soundtrack Choir & Orchestra, November 2019.
7. Musical theater alumni Meryn Beckett (B.F.A. '12), Peter Ermides (B.F.A. '86), and Andrew Norlen (B.F.A.'16, pictured), all performers in the Ogunquit Playhouse production of Kinky Boots, stopped by campus to give a master class and Q&A for Conservatory students, October 2019.
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Noteworthy FACULTY/STAFF
CURRENT STUDENTS
Paul Daigneault (theater) directed SpeakEasy Stage Company’s New England premiere of The View UpStairs in June 2019, and directed the company’s production of Admissions in October 2019.
DANCE
THEATER
Avery Gerhardt (B.F.A. '20, contemporary dance) attended the ImPulsTanz International Dance Festival in Vienna, Austria, July 2019.
Rashed al-Nuaimi (M.F.A. '20, musical theater) made his New Repertory Theatre debut as Bill in their production of Oliver!, November 2019.
Paul Liu (B.F.A. '20, contemporary dance) will perform with the dance company Pilobolus, December 2019.
Students Fran Daniel Laucerica (M.M. '20, opera), Jennifer Muñoz (M.M. '20, vocal pedagogy), Laura Nevitt (M.M. '20, choral conducting), and Benjamin Perry (M.M. '20, choral conducting), along with alumnus Kelvyn Koning (M.M. '19, composition), formed Nightingale Vocal Ensemble, focused on original compositions and choral chamber works from the last century, January 2019.
Jonathan Bailey Holland’s (composition) newly commissioned work for alto flute and cello, Alchemy, was debuted by members of Radius Ensemble, which includes faculty member Sarah Brady (flute), May 2019.
Andrew Maxfield (M.M. '20, composition) was selected as one of two National Collegiate Choral Organization 2019 composer fellows, October 2019.
Jennie Israel (theater) made her Lyric Stage Company debut as Maria in Twelfth Night, April 2019.
Antonina Styczeń (A.D. '20, flute) won the National Flute Association’s 2019 Young Artist Competition, August 2019.
Ruka Hatua-Saar White (dance) cochoreographed SpeakEasy Stage Company’s production of Choir Boy, September–October 2019.
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Filda Salim
Jennie Israel
Filda Salim (B.M. '21, piano) received first prize in the Salzburg Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition and performed at the Mozarteum’s Wiener Saal, July 2019.
Dwayne Mitchell
Marianne Harkless Diabate (dance) was a featured performer at the 23rd annual Women Musicians Network concert at the Berklee Performance Center, November 2019.
Dwayne Mitchell (M.F.A. '20, musical theater) played Cagelle-Chantal in Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston’s production of La Cage aux Folles, August 2019. Additionally, he and Aaron Patterson (B.F.A. '21, musical theater), Thomas Purvis (B.F.A. '21, musical theater), and Nigel Richards (B.F.A. '21, musical theater) performed in SpeakEasy Stage Company’s production of Choir Boy, September–October 2019.
Nightingale Vocal Ensemble
Scott Edmiston (theater) directed Lyric Stage Company’s production of The Thanksgiving Play, with a cast featuring Jesse Hinson (theater), October–November 2019.
Rashed al-Nuaimi
Paul Daigneault
MUSIC
Alexander Tan (B.F.A. '21, musical theater) performed in Weston Playhouse Theater Young Company’s production of The Phantom Tollbooth, June 2019.
ALUMNI Catherine Gallant (B.F.A. '78, dance) performed R.B. Jérôme Bel’s solo “Isadora Duncan” as part of the 2019 Crossing the Line Festival hosted by the French Institute Alliance Française, September 2019.
1990s
Adam Dannheisser (B.F.A. '92, musical theater) originated the role of Charles in Beetlejuice on Broadway, April 2019.
Adam Olenn (M.M. '01, composition) launched Rustle & Spark, a strategic marketing and communications firm in Rhode Island and Massachusetts that applies compositional principles to corporate and nonprofit marketing, July 2019. Jeremy Beck (B.M. '03, theory and composition) and his band Rise Twain were signed to Inside Out Music, Sony Music’s premier progressive music label, and released their debut album on September 6, 2019. Adam Souza (B.F.A. '04, musical theater) was named the new musical director of Goodspeed Musicals, October 2019.
Adam Dannheisser
Javier Caballero (M.M. '05, G.P.D. '07, cello) performed with faculty member Rhonda Rider in a series of cello quartet performances with Shelter Music Boston, a local nonprofit, November 2019. Tracy Kash (M.M. '94, flute) released her fourth studio album, Fierce, June 2019. She is also composing a musical theater work with author and poet Diane DeCillis, set to premiere in 2020.
Mitzi Smith (B.F.A. '05, musical theater) started in a tenure-track position as an assistant professor of theater at North Central College, September 2019. Ebony Williams (B.F.A. '05, contemporary dance) made her Broadway debut in the ensemble of Jagged Little Pill, December 2019.
Tracy Kash
Dan’yelle Williamson (B.F.A. '06, musical theater) joined the national touring production of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical as Diva Donna, October 2019.
Richard D. Johnson (M.M. '97, jazz pedagogy) joined the Jazz Studies faculty at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, March 2019.
2000s
Alison Cook-Beatty (B.F.A. '01, contemporary dance) and her company Alison Cook Beatty Dance joined forces with Infinity Dance Theater for Ghosts in the Machine at the Riverside Theatre, a performance featuring dancers with and without disabilities, June 2019.
Will Blum (B.F.A. '07, musical theater) joined the original cast ensemble of Beetlejuice on Broadway, as the understudy for Beetlejuice, Adam, and Otho, April 2019. Kendal Hartse (B.F.A. '07, musical theater) joined the national touring production of The Band’s Visit as Isis, June 2019. Alison YuChia Chang (B.M. '08, percussion) was appointed principal timpanist with the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, November 2019.
Sangeeta Kaur (M.M. '08, voice) released her fourth new age/classical crossover album Compassion, August 2019. Amanda Robie (M.M. '08, voice), formerly Boston Conservatory’s assistant registrar, was appointed managing director of Opera Saratoga, February 2019. Jared Troilo (B.F.A. '08, musical theater) returned to SpeakEasy Stage Company as Dale in their production of The View UpStairs, June 2019. Stacey Cabaj (B.F.A. '09, musical theater) was appointed program director for Loyola Marymount University’s Master of Fine Arts in Performance Pedagogy, June 2019. De’Lon Grant (B.F.A. '09, musical theater) was featured in a New Yorker article about his travels to Gander, Newfoundland, the setting of his Broadway debut musical Come From Away, July 2019.
De'Lon Grant
1970s
2010s
Laura Dreyfuss (B.F.A. '10, musical theater) starred alongside Ben Platt in the Netflix series The Politician, which premiered in September 2019. Carolyn Miller (B.F.A. '11, musical theater) was featured on the country music news website The Boot for her new single “Summer Time,” August 2019. Keith Potts (B.F.A. '12, musical theater) was elected to the Indianapolis City Council, November 2019.
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Bradley Gibson (B.F.A. '13, musical theater) released his first single, an R&B track titled “What if We,” October 2019.
Eric Mrugala (B.M. '15, violin) celebrated the 25th episode of his Everyday Musician Podcast, in which he interviews everyday musicians doing amazing things, July 2019.
Celia Hottenstein (B.F.A. '13, musical theater) made her Broadway debut as an ensemble member and Glinda understudy in Wicked, July 2019.
Jasmine Chiu
Jasmine Chiu (B.F.A. '14, contemporary dance) performed in the world premiere of the Shed’s kung fu musical Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise, July 2019.
Jonathon Heyward (M.M. '14, cello) was announced as the next chief conductor of the Nordwestdeutsche-Philharmonie, an appointment beginning in January 2021. Saki Kurata (G.P.D. '14, P.S.C. '15, marimba) released her debut album, Solano, of English and Japanese songs arranged for solo singing marimba player, September 2019. Alexis Scheer (B.F.A. '14, musical theater) was reviewed in the New York Times for her play Our Dear Dead Drug Lord, September 2019. Katrina Aguilar (B.M. '15, voice) premiered Part of Your World, a cabaret exploration of her life’s journey with autism, September 2019.
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Gabriella Reyes (B.M. '16, voice) performed the role of Liù in Puccini’s Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera, October 2019. Reyes made her debut at the Santa Fe Opera as Musetta in La Bohème, June 2019. Bizhou Chang (M.M. '17, G.P.D. '19, opera) was selected as a 2019–2020 artist in residence with Pensacola Opera, where she will perform as Zerlina in Don Giovanni in January 2020.
Adam Bokunewicz (B.F.A. '16, musical theater) made his SpeakEasy Stage Company debut as music director for The View UpStairs, June 2019.
Rebecca Strong (M.F.A. '17, musical theater), known by her artist name BEX, was featured on the “Kruser’s Local Catch” radio show on Country 102.5, July 2019.
Zeniba Britt (B.F.A. '16, musical theater) cowrote The Loophole, a folk/rap retelling of the American Civil War, which premiered at the Public Theater’s Public Studio, February 2019. Demetrius Burns (B.F.A. '16, contemporary dance) was featured in the New York Times for his performance in a Lincoln Center tribute to the late choreographer Donald McKayle, November, 2019. John Cardoza (B.F.A. '16, musical theater) made his Broadway debut in the ensemble of Jagged Little Pill, December 2019. Eric Ferring (M.M. '16, opera) returned for the second year to the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center Ensemble to perform as Older Brother in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking and Tchaplitsky in Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades, fall 2019. Nathan Fosbinder (B.F.A. '16, musical theater) had his original musical Hephaestus workshopped and produced by Music Theatre of Madison, August 2019.
Rebecca Strong
Britt Brown (M.M. '14, opera) and her fiancé, Ryne Cherry (M.M. '14, P.S.C. '15, opera) performed an evening of operatic arias and duets with Symphony by the Sea in Beverly, Massachusetts, November 2019.
Ayami Okamura (M.M. '16, P.S.C. '17, marimba) was one of 34 percussionists selected to participate in the 74th Concours de Genève International Music Competition, June 2019.
Tanner Huseman and Shelby Claire
Allison Bailey (B.F.A. '14, musical theater) joined the North American touring production of Wicked as Glinda, September 2019.
Holly Wilder (B.F.A. '15, contemporary dance) collaborated with Berklee College of Music songwriting alumnus Luis Gamarra (B.M. '16) to create the film The BreakUp, featuring Shelby Claire (B.F.A. '17, contemporary dance) and Tanner Huseman (B.F.A. '17, contemporary dance), September 2019.
Wei-Chen Lin
Laura E. Pawel (B.F.A. '15, contemporary dance) choreographed and danced in the music video for artist Ayokay’s “Things Fall Apart,” June 2019.
Alessandra Valea (B.F.A. '13, musical theater) returned to SpeakEasy Stage Company to choreograph their production of The View UpStairs, June 2019. Frankie Axam-Hocker (B.F.A. '14, contemporary dance) was featured in a DanceSpirit magazine article entitled “Two Dancers on How to Get Past the Postgrad Blues,” May 2019.
Wei-Chen Lin (A.D. '16, marimba) joined the music faculty at YuLin Normal University in Guangxi, China, July 2019.
John Verkuilen (M.M. '17, choral conducting) led the Falmouth Chorale as a guest conductor in their October 2019 concert, Sing Me the Universal, and will return to conduct their concert The Day Is Far Behind You in March 2020. Gabrielle Carrubba (B.F.A. '18, musical theater) took over the role of Zoe Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway, which was originated by alumna Laura Dreyfuss, July 2019.
Benz Atthakarunpan (M.F.A. '19, musical theater) played Jacob in Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston’s production of La Cage aux Folles, August 2019.
Taylor Okey (M.F.A. '18, musical theater), Jennifer Elizabeth Smith (B.F.A. '14, musical theater), and Roxy York (B.F.A. '13, musical theater) performed in the national tour of Bandstand, which opened in October 2019. Isaiah Reynolds (B.F.A. '18, musical theater) performed the role of Pharus Jonathan Young in SpeakEasy Stage Company’s production of Choir Boy, September– October 2019.
Evan Kinnane (B.F.A. '18, musical theater) made his Broadway debut as a swing in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, July 2019.
Benz Atthakarunpan
Gabrielle Carrubba
UpStairs, June 2019, and cochoreographed their production of Choir Boy, September– October 2019.
Michael Miller (M.M. '18, opera) was selected as a 2019–2020 Florida Grand Opera Studio Emerging Artist, June 2019. Yewande Odetoyinbo (M.F.A. '18, musical theater) made her SpeakEasy Stage Company debut as Henri in The View
Alexandra Illescas (B.F.A. '19, musical theater) made her Huntington Theatre Company debut as Veronica/Rosa Maria in Yerma, June 2019. Tim Kwasny (B.M. '19, composition) won the collegiate division of the 2019 NAfME Electronic Music Composition Competition, May 2019.
Choir Boy rehearsal
Evan Kinnane
Credit: Nile Scott Studios
Edward L. Simon (B.F.A. '18, musical theater) performed as Prince Topher in Virginia Repertory Theatre’s production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, November– December 2019.
Katrina Z. Pavao (M.F.A. '19, musical theater) performed as Audrey in Lyric Stage Company’s production of Little Shop of Horrors, September 2019.
LEADERSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES Susan Whitehead, Chair Jeff Shames, Chair Emeritus Michael R. Eisenson, Vice Cochair Martin J. Mannion, Vice Cochair Roger H. Brown, President David Abrams G. Leonard Baker, Jr. Michael A. Brown David Clem John Connaughton Cynthia K. Curme^ Emilio Estefan Gloria Estefan David Gross-Loh Joshua Gruss Thomas M. Hagerty Charles Hirschhorn Steven Holtzman Bill Kaiser Joel Katz B. J. Krintzman^ Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot Miky (Mie Kyung) Lee Demond Martin Carla Martinez
Marc Mayer Jane L. Mendillo Frederick T. Miller^ Peter Muller Robert S. Murley Anthony Pangaro^ Snow Qin^ Alex Rigopulos Steve Ruchefsky Darius Sidebotham^ David Scott Sloan^ Susan Solomont Tarik Ward Marillyn Zacharis^ Barry Zubrow BOSTON CONSERVATORY AT BERKLEE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S ADVISORY COUNCIL Teresa Koster, Chair Elizabeth S. Boveroux Gregory E. Bulger Davi-Ellen Chabner Caroline McMillan Collings Diana Dohrmann '71 Kate Sides Flather Karen F. Green
Mimi Hewlett Laura D. Kunkemueller Lyle J. Micheli Christopher D. Perry Wanda Reindorf Geraldine R. Ricci Jan Steenbrugge '99 Peter J. Wender Edward G. Wertheim Tania Zouikin BOSTON CONSERVATORY AT BERKLEE LEADERSHIP CIRCLE Anne N. Cuervo, Chair Brendan Murphy, Vice Chair Howard H. Bengele Frederic D. Carter, III Miles A. Fish, III '63 John S. Foster Remmi Franklin Jennifer A. Fraser Ricardo Lewitus Michele Manganaro Sean M. Murphy '94, '96 Barbara G. Papesch Philip J. Poinelli Anthony Richardson Warren A. Seamans
Tricia Swift Ann Connolly Tolkoff Rosamond B. Vaule Amy K. Wertheim BOSTON CONSERVATORY AT BERKLEE LEADERSHIP Cathy Young, Senior Vice President and Executive Director Kimberly Haack, Chief of Staff Andy Vores, Vice President of Academic Affairs/Chief Academic Officer Scott Edmiston, Dean of Theater Tommy Neblett, Dean of Dance Michael Shinn, Dean of Music ^Legacy Conservatory Trustees List as of October 1, 2019
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Giving Day is Back Join Boston Conservatory at Berklee alumni from all over the world on Wednesday, April 8, to celebrate Giving Day 2020. No matter what you choose to support on Giving Day, every gift adds up to make a big difference for Conservatory students. With your help, we’ll make this the greatest Giving Day yet!
Be sure to share your favorite memories from your time at the Conservatory and tag them with #BerkleeGivingDay. Want to get involved? Contact us at annualgiving@berklee.edu to learn about volunteer opportunities.
