NEC Announces 2016 Honorary Degree Recipients and Commencement Speaker

New England Conservatory will bestow honorary Doctor of Music (hon. D.M.) degrees on five distinguished musicians at its 145th annual Commencement Exercises, Sunday, May 22, 2016 at 3 p.m. in NEC’s Jordan Hall. The recipients are Parliament/Funkadelic co-founder Bernie Worrell, conductor Leonard Slatkin,composer and multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton, soprano Martina Arroyo, and composer Malcolm Peyton.

In addition, approximately 275 graduating students in the class of 2016 will be awarded

degrees and diplomas including the Bachelor of Music, Graduate Diploma, Master of Music, Doctor of Musical Arts, and Artist Diploma. Leonard Slatkin will give the commencement address; additional speak

ers will include NEC leaders and a student speaker. The public is welcomed to this event, based on available seats.

At 7:30pm on May 21, 2016, the evening before NEC’s 145^th Commencement Exercises, a grand concert in Jordan Hall will take place. This event will put the Conservatory’s graduating students on display before they go off to take their place on the world’s stages. The performance includes student composers, jazz and Contemporary Improvisation, vocal and instrumental soloists, chamber music,

and large-scale works.

Martina Arroyo NEC conducting student Earl Lee will lead an orchestra made up almost entirely of graduating students in Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture, “Fingal’s Cave.” They will also play “Larger than Life,” written by graduating composition major Jeremiah Klarman ’10 Prep, ’16 B.M. and other works.