NEP Parades First Conductor Candidate

Adam Kerry Boyles

by Mark DeVoto, The Boston Musical Intelligencer, December 6, 2021

The New England Philharmonic began its search for a successor to Richard Pittman with Adam Kerry Boyles on the podium on Sunday for a nicely varied program in the Tsai Performance Center at Boston University, its favored locale. Boyles spoke briefly and amiably about each offering, beginning with a request for a moment of silence in Stephen Sondheim’s memory in the necessarily half-filled hall. A newly-composed fanfare, Stepping Up by Boston’s own Michael Gandolfi, saluted Pittman on his retirement to emeritus, but its bright Broadway-like sound could have honored Sondheim equally. This joyful two-minute piece, the composer’s note explained, “steps up” from C to D and finally E major. There were short bursts of brass and percussion, but a note of special elegance stood out in the first violins’ melody in artificial string harmonics that sounded like an uncanny group of whistling bystanders. The composer heard the warm cheers.

Read the full review at The Boston Musical Intelligencer.