Two New String Appointments at the New England Conservatory

Violist Wenting Kang and cellist Julie Albers will join NEC's string faculty in Fall 2024, while clarinetist Christopher Elchico has been appointed to the woodwind faculty

The New England Conservatory (NEC) has recently announced two new string faculty appointments in violist Wenting Kang (an NEC alumna) and cellist Julie Albers. Both players will offer studio teaching and chamber music coaching, and will begin their appointments in Fall 2024.

Wenting Kang comes to Boston from the Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in Madrid, where she has been teaching — alongside the acclaimed Japanese violist Nobuko Imai — since 2016. Originally from China, Kang studied at Beijing Central Conservatory, NEC, and the Kronberg Academy, with teachers including Nobuko Imai, Kim Kashkashian, Garth Knox, Donald Weilerstein, Miriam Fried, and Changhai Wang.

Cellist Julie Albers has had a distinguished career as a soloist and recitalist. She launched her career by winning the Grand Prize at the XIII International Competition for Young Musicians in Douai, France, and followed this with her solo debut with the Cleveland Orchestra — aged just 17. Albers served as a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center from 2006 to 2009, and the Assistant Professor at the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia from 2009 to 2022.  She is currently the principal cellist of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

In the woodwind department, NEC also recently appointed clarinetist Christopher Elchico, who was appointed to the Boston Symphony Orchestra as second clarinet in March 2022.

"NEC is thrilled to welcome these three outstanding artists to our esteemed faculty, further enriching the vibrant musical community at NEC," said Ben Sosland, Provost and Dean of the Faculty. "It is a special pleasure to welcome alumna Wenting Kang back to the place where she honed her musical voice."

"As a soloist, chamber, orchestral musician and pedagogue, cellist Julie Albers exemplifies the multi-faceted approach to music we aim to instill in our students. And as one of the newest and youngest members of the BSO, clarinetist Christopher Elchico is bringing new energy and insight to the next generation of wind players."

"The appointment of these three musicians ensures that the legacy of excellence for which NEC has long been known will continue well into the future," he added. "I am excited to see the lasting impact they will have on our students."