Gunther Schuller Legacy Concert at Jordan Hall
The Spirit of ’57: Schuller’s Third Stream Revolution and the Music of Today
By: NEC - Nov 11, 2026
The Gunther Schuller Society, NEC students, faculty, and alumni gather to celebrate Gunther Schuller’s revolutionary vision of music and education at the annual Gunther Schuller Legacy Concert on Sunday, November 22 at 8 p.m. in NEC’s Jordan Hall. Admission is free but tickets are required. Information at necmusic.edu.
Inspired by the historic 1957 Brandeis concert that launched his concept of the Third Stream, The Spirit of ’57: Schuller’s Third Stream Revolution and the Music of Today explores how his spirit of innovation continues to resonate, bringing together contemporary improvisation with traditional Chinese, Hindustani, Jazz, and Yiddish music alongside Schuller’s Transformation, reimaginings of his “Magic Tone Row,” and more. Performers include NEC alumna saxophonist Sam Spear, CMA faculty Eden MacAdam-Somer and Hankus Netsky, and students from the CMA and Jazz Studies departments.
Gunther Schuller was an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, educator, publisher, and jazz musician who served as president of the New England Conservatory (1967-1977) where he formalized NEC’s commitment to jazz by establishing the first degree-granting jazz program at a major classical conservatory in 1969. Shortly thereafter, he instituted the Third Stream department, subsequently named the Contemporary Improvisation Department and now Contemporary Musical Arts, to explore the regions where the two musical “streams” of classical and jazz meet and mingle (Schuller coined the term “Third Stream” during a lecture he gave at Brandeis University in 1957). He hired the iconic Ran Blake to be the department’s chair. Early jazz hires included the legendary Jaki Byard and George Russell.
Schuller composed more than 180 works, spanning all musical genres including solo works, orchestral works, chamber music, opera, and jazz. Among Schuller’s orchestral works are Symphony (1965), Seven Studies of Paul Klee (1959), An Arc Ascending (1996), Four Soundscapes, and Shapes and Designs. Schuller’s large-scale work, Of Reminiscences and Reflections, was composed as a tribute to his wife of 49 years, Marjorie Black. In addition to composing for the standard concerto instruments — piano, violin, horn etc. — Schuller also wrote concertos for instruments that had been previously neglected in the concerto repertoire, such as the alto saxophone, bassoon, contrabassoon, organ, and double bass. Schuller also composed a number of works for solo ensemble with orchestra or, in some cases, band. Examples include Contrasts for Wind Quintet and Orchestra (1967), Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra, Diptych for Brass Quintet and Concert Band (1967), and Eine kleine Posaunemusik for trombone and band (1980).
In addition to his musical compositions, Schuller wrote several books of note. These include Horn Technique (1962), Early Jazz: its Roots and Musical Development (1968) and its sequel, Swing Era: the Development of Jazz, 1930-1945, as well as The Compleat Conductor (1997).
About New England Conservatory (NEC)
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.