NEC Students to Perform 60s and 70s Hits in GENIUS ON THE CHARTS

In the 1960s and 70s Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, NEC Alum Bernie Worrell, and others challenged the parameters of pop music, writing and producing songs that changed the artistic landscape forever. Hankus Netsky and Ran Blake curate a special concert featuring Contemporary Musical Arts students putting their own creative stamps on adventurous hits and deep cuts from that golden age of American pop and R&B. Genius on the Charts takes place on Tuesday, February 24 at NEC's Jordan Hall. Admission to the 7:30 p.m. performance is free but tickets are required.
 
Ran Blake has created a unique niche as a composer, performing artist, and educator. With a characteristic mix of spontaneous solos, modern classical tonalities, the great American blues and gospel traditions, and themes from classic Film Noir, Ran's singular sound has earned a dedicated following throughout the world. His dual musical legacy includes nearly 50 albums on some of the world's finest jazz labels, as well nearly five decades as a groundbreaking educator at New England Conservatory.

A multi-instrumentalist, composer, and ethnomusicologist, Hankus Netsky is the Department Advisor of New England Conservatory's Contemporary Musical Arts Department and founder and director of the Klezmer Conservatory Band, an internationally renowned Yiddish music ensemble. He has composed extensively for film, theater and television, collaborated closely with such artists as Itzhak Perlman, Robin Williams, Joel Grey, Theodore Bikel and Robert Brustein, and recorded with a wide range of artists including Ran Blake and Marty Ehrlich among others.
 
Founded by Eben Tourjée in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1867, New England Conservatory (NEC) represents a new model of music school that combines the best of European tradition with American innovation. The school stands at the center of Boston's rich cultural history and musical life, presenting concerts at the renowned Jordan Hall. Propelled by profound artistry, bold creativity, and deep compassion, NEC seeks to amplify musicians' impact on advancing our shared humanity and empowers students to meet today's changing world head-on, equipped with the tools and confidence to forge multidimensional lives of artistic depth and relevance. The Conservatory's roster of alumni includes hundreds of music's most influential artists. That list includes Coretta Scott King, Florence Price, Tessa Lark, George Li, Inmo Yang, Yura Lee, Stefan Jackiw, Anthony Leon, Erica Petrocelli, Minsoo Sohn, Cecil Taylor, and Denyce Graves.
 
As an independent, not-for-profit institution that educates and trains musicians of all ages from around the world, NEC is recognized internationally as a leader among music schools. It cultivates a diverse, dynamic community, providing music students of more than 40 countries with performance opportunities and high-caliber training from 225 internationally esteemed artist-teachers and scholars. NEC pushes the boundaries of music-making and teaching through college-level training in classical, jazz, and contemporary musical arts. The newly launched Institute for Concert Artists propels such young artists to the heights of their potential. Through unique interdisciplinary programs such as Entrepreneurial Musicianship and Community Performances & Partnerships, the Conservatory empowers students to create their own musical opportunities. As part of NEC's mission to make lifelong music education available to everyone, NEC's Expanded Education programs deliver training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students, and adults.