Mission & History
The Mission of the New England Philharmonic, a volunteer orchestra, is to foster the composition and the appreciation of contemporary classical music by performing commissions and recent works alongside traditional repertoire in concerts that engage and electrify audiences.
The NEP’s Mission is brought to life through our Core Commitments to:
Present at least four public concerts annually, in which each program combines both new and less familiar traditional classical music, including many Boston, U.S. and world premieres;
Foster and promote the development of new music by maintaining a Composer-In-Residence program and inviting composers from around the world to participate in an annual Call for Scores;
Build young audiences through the Chamber Players’ community outreach ‘Meet the Instruments’ programs for children, and by holding a Young Artist Competition annually, the winner of which performs with the full orchestra on the program of the annual Family Concert.
History of the New England Philharmonic:
1970–1990
Late 1976
Mystic Valley Chamber Orchestra founded by Michel Perrault and Gervasio de Chaves
March 1977
First concert, at Malden Public Library, Charles Ellis, Conductor (1977- 82)
1977-78
First full season of performances
First commission awarded to Stephen Savage, The Eternal Return
Name changed to Mystic Valley Orchestra (MVO)
1983
Ronald Feldman named Conductor (1983-87)
1985
Composer-in-Residence (CiR) and Call for Scores initiatives were launched
1986
MVO became Orchestra-in-Residence at Framingham State College (1986-96)
1987
Name changed to New England Philharmonic (NEP)
1988
Jeffrey Rink named Conductor (1988-96)
NEP wins ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming; others follow in 1991, 1992, 1996, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2011, and 2013 (ASCAP now retired.)
1994
Young Artist Competition initiated
1997
20th Anniversary Concert featured works by the three prior Composers-in-Residence: Robert Kyr, Richard Cornell, Marjorie Merryman
Richard Pittman named Music Director (1997-2020)
NEP named Orchestra-in-Residence at Simmons College (1997-2014)
2000 – Today
2000
Danielle Maddon named Concertmaster and soloist annually for a violin concerto, several of which have been composed for her (2000-present)
2003
Richard Yoder Award created in his honor for outstanding service to the NEP as a French horn player, Board member and tireless grant writer and solicitor of program ads to ensure the financial viability of the NEP
2007
30th Anniversary celebrated by a grand concert performance of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck
2010s
2012
35th Anniversary celebrated by two performances of Benjamin Brittan’s War Requiem, “One of the 10 Best Classical Performances of the Year” (Boston Globe)
2014
Chamber Players initiative conceived to extend the reach of the NEP
2015
First Chamber Players’ concerts, beginning with ‘Meet the Instruments’ series at the Boston Children’s Museum
2016
Boston Athenaeum commissioned the Chamber Players to have new music composed based on scores of 16th century French masses being digitized to bring them into the 21st century; Bernard Hoffer and Emily Koh composed Musica Sacra and -logos-
2017
2017 40th Anniversary!
NEP honored by three Composers-in-Residence writing fanfares as gifts to the orchestra — Thank you Andy Vores, Richard Cornell, and Peter Child
100 voices of Chorus pro Musica and four soloists joined NEP for the Anniversary Concert performance of A Child of Our Time by Michael Tippett
Richard Yoder Award presented to Louise Myers, 40 year violinist with the orchestra, and Danielle Maddon, Concertmaster, founder and leader of the NEP Chamber Players, inspiration to all members of the NEP
The Honorable Mayor Martin J. Walsh proclaimed March 4, 2017 New England Philharmonic Day in Boston
2020
The NEP performs the world premiere of Bernard Hoffer’s Violin Concerto No. 2 “Decapod”, written for NEP Concertmaster Danielle Maddon.
After his 23-year tenure with the NEP, Music Director Richard Pittman retires. The NEP commences the search for their next Music Director.
2021
Richard Pittman named Music Director Emeritus.
2022
Tianhui Ng named the new Music Director of the NEP for their 2022-23 season.
2023
Gervasio de Chaves, c0-founder of the Mystic Valley Chamber Orchestra, later renamed New England Philharmonic, passed away in July after a long illness.