The Jazz Studies and Contemporary Improvisation (CI) Departments of the New England Conservatory continue their 2020 fall season with an array of livestream and virtual performances. Highlights include Anthropology: Music of Charlie Parker with the NEC Jazz Orchestra; Lost Voices, a concert showcasing and amplifying music by underheard artists; and more than a dozen concerts featuring NEC students performing everything from the fiddle music of New England to Persian music, contemporary chamber music, early jazz, and West African music. A full schedule is below. For further information, visit https://necmusic.edu/concerts.
Monday, November 2 | Carlberg Ensemble
Sets at 7 and 9 p.m., livestreamed from Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Performances by a small jazz ensemble coached by Frank Carlberg. For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/jazz-nec-carlberg-ensemble.
Wednesday, November 4 | Morris Ensemble
Sets at 7 and 9 p.m., livestreamed from Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Performances by a small jazz ensemble coached by Joe Morris. For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/jazz-nec-morris-ensemble.
Thursday, November 5 | McNeil and Bergonzi Ensembles
Sets at 7 and 9 p.m., livestreamed from Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Performances by small jazz ensembles coached by John McNeil and Jerry Bergonzi. For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/jazz-nec-mcneil-bergonzi-ensembles.
Friday, November 6 | American Roots and CI Chamber Ensembles
7 p.m. American Roots Ensemble
Directed by Eden MacAdam-Somer, this ensemble uses American musical traditions. This year, a string quartet of CI students celebrates fiddle music of New England, with influences from Celtic, Scandinavian, and Québécois traditions.
9 p.m. CI Chamber Ensemble
Directed by Lautaro Mantilla, this ensemble explores the boundaries between composition, improvisation, and international music through written and aural traditions.
For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/contemporary-improvisation-nec-american-roots-ci-chamber-ensembles.
Monday, November 9 | McBee and Coleman Early Jazz Ensembles
Sets at 7 and 9 p.m., livestreamed from Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Performances by small jazz ensembles coached by Cecil McBee and Anthony Coleman. For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/jazz-nec-mcbee-coleman-early-jazz-ensembles.
Tuesday, November 10 | Mandé West African Ensemble
Sets at 7 and 9 p.m.
The Mandé West African Ensemble, directed by Balla Kouyaté, is an introduction to West African history and culture through music, offering students the opportunity to learn songs from a repertoire of West African music, including songs from the Wassalou, Bambara, and Songhai ethnic groups and the Djeli tradition. For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/contemporary-improvisation-nec-mande-west-african-ensembles.
Wednesday, November 11 | Levy and Zenón Ensembles
Sets at 7 and 9 p.m., livestreamed from Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Performances by small jazz ensembles coached by Brian Levy and Miguel Zenón.
For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/jazz-nec-levy-zenon-ensembles.
Thursday, November 12, 7 p.m. | Eade Ensembles
Sets at 7 and 9 p.m., livestreamed from Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Performances by small jazz ensembles coached by Dominique Eade.
For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/jazz-nec-eade-ensembles-3.
Friday, November 13 | Nieske Ensemble
Sets at 7 and 9 p.m., livestreamed from Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Small jazz ensemble coached by Bob Nieske.
For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/jazz-nec-nieske-ensemble.
Monday, November 16 | Dijkstra and Lockwood Ensembles
Sets at 7 and 9 p.m., livestreamed from Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Small jazz ensembles coached by Jorrit Dijkstra and John Lockwood.
For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/jazz-nec-dijkstra-lockwood-ensembles.
Wednesday, November 18 | CI and Jazz Ensembles for Non-Majors
Sets at 7 and 9 p.m., livestreamed from Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
These ensembles, directed by Mark Zaleski, offer students outside of the Contemporary Improvisation and Jazz departments opportunities to explore improvisation, jazz, songwriting, and world music traditions. For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/contemporary-improvisation-and-jazz-nec-ci-jazz-ensembles-non-majors.
Thursday, November 19 | NEC Jazz Orchestra Anthropology: Music of Charlie Parker
7:30 p.m., livestreamed from Jordan Hall
The NEC Jazz orchestra celebrates Charlie Parker’s centennial with a performance featuring arrangements of his compositions “Anthropology,” “Confirmation,” “Moose the Mooche,” and “Yardbird Suite.” For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/nec-jazz-orchestra-concert-0
Monday, November 23 | Open Form Ensemble and Survivors Breakfast
Livestreamed from Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
7 p.m. Open Form Ensemble
Directed by Anthony Coleman, this student ensemble explores experimental scores for small ensemble. The group will perform open-form pieces including Four Systems by Earle Brown, The Gentle by Pauline Oliveros, Paragraph VI from The Great Learning by Cornelius Cardew, and Les Moutons de Panurge by Frederic Rzewski.
9 p.m. Survivors Breakfast
Directed by Anthony Coleman, this ensemble explores the wonderful and terrifying space between composition and improvisation. Repertoire includes original compositions by ensemble members along with pieces by John Zorn, Christian Wolff, and Karlheinz Stockhausen.
For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/contemporary-improvisation-nec-open-form-ensemble-survivors-breakfast.
Tuesday, November 24 | Persian Music Ensemble
7 p.m., livestreamed from Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
In the Persian Music Ensemble, directed by Nima Janmohammadi, NEC’s Contemporary Improvisation students share music from the canon of Persian music learned in the traditional aural method.
For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/contemporary-music-nec-persian-music-ensemble.
Monday, November 30 | Lost Voices
7:30 p.m., recorded at Jordan Hall
This Contemporary Improvisation Department concert produced by Anthony Coleman and Lautaro Mantilla is dedicated to pursuing, excavating, amplifying, and illuminating art and artists missing from the conversation, with works performed and arranged by CI students. For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/contemporary-improvisation-department-concert-concert-lost-voices.
Tuesday, December 8 | Jazz Composers’ Workshop Orchestra
8 p.m.
The Jazz Composers’ Workshop Orchestra is devoted to rehearsing and performing works by NEC Jazz Composition students. Coached by pianist/composer and NEC jazz faculty member Frank Carlberg, the ensemble gives its composers the opportunity to learn how to rehearse and conduct a band, as well as have their works heard. For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/jazz-composers-workshop-orchestra-concert-0.
