Tufts Blogs

Since I’ve come to Tufts I’ve been shocked by all of the great live music that I’ve been able to listen to. As both a composer and devout music lover this has been both inspiring and invigorating, and I’d love to share the many many opportunities available at Tufts and in Boston!

At Tufts there is an absurd amount of free live music concerts every week. These include both performances by students and faculty, and performances by Boston musicians. The genre of music wildly varies, but it is always high quality. Personally, I’ve gone to seven performances at Tufts, but that’s only a small fraction of what is offered. I’ve heard everything from an orchestra playing Rimsky-Korsakov, to Klezmer music, to pianist Thomas Stumpf playing Mozart and debuting original works, to a modern jazz trio of professional Boston musicians. The quality and variety of these free concerts has truly impressed me, and it’s something on campus that few people take advantage of. In fact, it was one of these concerts that led me to joining Tufts’ Klezmer Ensemble, a group that plays music of the Ashkenazi Jews. As I’m not Jewish, this has given me a unique opportunity to learn more about Jewish culture and a new style of music in a group that truly is uncommon to find at a university. There is also the occasional TUSC hosted concert where TUSC will pay a Boston musician to put on a free show for students, which got me a free jazz saxophone performance by Tim Hall. 

Outside of the Tufts world I have to advocate for the BSO College Card. The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is one of the world’s greatest orchestras, and for only $30 college students get tickets to an entire season of their concerts. They also let you choose any available seat that you want, regardless of the price. This means that on Tuesday I’m going to a performance of Shostakovich, Pärt, Stravinsky, and Saariaho in an orchestra seat that would normally cost $150, and this is only one performance of many. I can not stress how extraordinary it is to get orchestra seats for an entire season for only $30, especially for an orchestra as notable as the BSO. On top of that, the SMFA shuttle makes a stop at the New England Conservatory of Music, making transportation completely free as well! 

Outside of the classical world, Boston’s position as a major city means that bands are constantly going on tour here. Because of this, I’m going to a concert of one of my favorite bands, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, in mid-March. Tufts doesn’t provide any discounts for this (although transportation is again free, as the venue is next to the MFA…), but I just appreciate all of the diverse musical options that a city like Boston affords. 

Overall, coming to Tufts has given me an excellent education in music both inside the classroom (see my Music at Tufts blog), and outside of the classroom through all of the resources readily made available to me. Live music is always an inspiring break from study, and I can guarantee there will always be something available in a genre you enjoy.

Photo by Nicholas Pfosi