18th Annual Herb Pomeroy Memorial Concert—“Jazz Unity@MIT”

18th Annual Herb Pomeroy Memorial Concert—“Jazz Unity@MIT” with Pascal Le Boeuf and MIT Alumni Jazz Band Saturday, April 25, 2026/8:00 p.m. Thomas Tull Concert Hall - 201 Amherst Street, Cambridge, MA 02139 $20 general admission Free for MIT community MIT Festival Jazz EnsembleFrederick Harris, Jr., Music DirectorPascal Le Boeuf, guest pianist-composerMIT Alumni Jazz BandFor MIT’s 18th annual celebration of&nbsp;<a href="https://libraries.mit.edu/pomeroy/">Herb Pomeroy</a>&nbsp;(1930-2007), “the father of jazz at MIT,” the&nbsp;<a href="https://mitjazz.com/">MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble</a>&nbsp;(MIT FJE) invites Grammy-winning pianist-composer and MIT Assistant Professor of Music,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pascalmusic.com/">Pascal Le Boeuf</a>, to perform arrangement world premieres of his music. The intrepid MIT Alumni Jazz Band makes its bi-annual appearance at this special event featuring music by the late&nbsp;<a href="https://shass.mit.edu/musical-visionary-a-life-in-community/">Jamshied Sharifi</a>, music associated with Herb Pomeroy, jazz standards, and fresh contemporary arrangements by MIT FJE members and others.ABOUT PASCAL LE BOEUF Described as&nbsp;"sleek, new,"&nbsp;"hyper-fluent"&nbsp;and&nbsp;“a composer that rocks”&nbsp;by the New York Times, Pascal Le Boeuf is a&nbsp;GRAMMY-award winning composer, jazz pianist, and producer whose works range from improvised music to hybridizing notation-based chamber music with production-based technology. Recent compositions include “Are We Dreaming the Same Dream?” commissioned by Akropolis Reed Quintet with drummer Christian Euman; “Imprints” for Alarm Will Sound; “Playground” commissioned by Orchestra of St. Lukes; “Triple Concerto” for violin, percussion duo, and orchestra featuring Barbora Kolářová and Arx Duo; “I Am Not A Number” commissioned by New World Symphony; and “Out of the Gate” commissioned and premiered by Nu Deco Ensemble. Recent commercial recordings and videos include collaborations with Akropolis Reed Quintet &amp; Christian Euman, Tasha Warren &amp; Dave Eggar, Friction Quartet, JACK Quartet, Hub New Music, Todd Reynolds, Sara Caswell, Jessica Meyer, Nick Photinos, Four/Ten Media, Bec Plexus featuring Ian Chang (of Son Lux), Dayna Stephens, and the Le Boeuf Brothers Quintet (co-led by Remy Le Boeuf) praised by the New Yorker for "clearing their own path, mixing the solid swing of the jazz tradition with hip-hop, indie rock, and the complex techniques of classical modernism." As a keyboardist, Pascal has played as support for D’Angelo’s&nbsp;Black Messiah&nbsp;tour and Clean Bandit’s&nbsp;Rather Be&nbsp;tour with Australian pop artist Meg Mac. He actively performs with Le Boeuf Brothers, Jessie Montgomery’s Everything Band, vocalist/technologist Jamie Lidell, saxophonist Jeff Coffin, and his piano trio "Pascal's Triangle" with bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Justin Brown. Pascal’s most recent awards include a 2025 GRAMMY for “Best Instrumental Composition”, a 2024 Barlow Commission, a 2023 Guggenheim Fellowship, a 2020 Copland House Residency Award, and various Independent Music Awards in “Jazz”, “Eclectic”, “Electronica” and “Music Video” categories. Pascal has received commissions and grants from the NEA, New World Symphony, Nu Deco Ensemble, the Barlow Endowment, the Lake George Music Festival, Lincoln Center Stage, Chamber Music America, New Music USA, and ASCAP. Pascal is an Assistant Professor of Music at Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he teaches composition. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor of the Practice of Music and Technology at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. He holds a Ph.D. in Music Composition from Princeton University where he was the recipient of a Harold W. Dodds Honorific Fellowship. He received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Manhattan School of Music where he studied jazz piano with Kenny Barron. Pascal lives in the Boston area with his wife, composer Molly Herron, and their two kids Baxter and Io. ABOUT MIT FESTIVAL JAZZ ENSEMBLEThe MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble (MIT FJE) was founded in 1963 by Boston jazz icon Herb Pomeroy and led since 1999 by Dr. Frederick Harris, Jr. This advanced 18 to 20-member big band/jazz ensemble is comprised of outstanding MIT undergraduate and graduate students studying a wide range of disciplines. An advanced combo is formed from the membership of the MIT FJE. MIT FJE performs traditional and contemporary jazz ensemble literature, including student compositions and new works written for the MIT FJE by major jazz composers. Improvisation is a prominent part of the MIT FJE experience. MIT FJE has released five professional recordings including its major jazz label debut on Sunnyside in 2015, Infinite Winds, which received a five-star review from DownBeat and was chosen by the magazine as one of its “Best Albums of 2015 Five-Star Masterpieces.” The FJE has a long history of performing original music by MIT students and composers from around the world. Since 2001, it has presented over 50 world premieres. Among others, Mark Harvey, Herb Pomeroy, Jamshied Sharifi, Ran Blake, John Harbison, Chick Corea, Joe Lovano, Gunther and George Schuller, Kenny Werner, Don Byron, Steve Turre, Magali Souriau, Guillermo Klein, Chris Cheek, Miguel Zenón, Dominique Eade, and Luciana Souza have collaborated with the MIT FJE. In January of 2019 the FJE participated in a highly successful cultural exchange, touring Puerto Rico with Miguel Zenón, presenting concerts in various venues and also STEM workshops in middle and high schools. Learn about the MIT FJE’s collaboration with Grammy-winner Jacob Collier in this&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdtK_oiyJAo&amp;t=3s">Emmy-winning documentary</a>. Watch the Emmy-nominated documentary&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzpII7AchZc">The Great Clarinet Summit</a>, featuring MIT FJE. See an overview of MIT FJE’s recent&nbsp;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vptYlSHEoAg&amp;feature=youtu.be">tour of Puerto Rico.</a>Watch MIT FJE and Sean Jones perform an&nbsp;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD-XPI-TTp0&amp;feature=youtu.be">original composition by MIT student Alan Osmundson</a>&nbsp;and Warren Wolf perform&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/nK2alHTZpNk">Heal!</a>&nbsp;by MIT pianist-composer Peter Godart. MIT FJE participated in MIT's 2021 virtual Commencement, performing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8MnxTxxJ98">Diary of a Pandemic Year</a>. See an overview of MIT FJE’s history&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtu.be/YwquocZDN2Q">here</a>. If you cannot attend this performance, we encourage you to&nbsp;<a href="https://web.mit.edu/webcast/mta/s26/">watch the livestream.</a> Seating Policy Your registration through Eventbrite guarantees you a seat until 15 minutes before the event start time. 15 minutes before the concert start time, we will release open seats to the standby list. If you were not able to register through Eventbrite, you may join the physical standby line in the Thomas Tull Concert Hall Lobby up to one hour before the concert start time. Don't miss a downbeat!&nbsp;<a href="https://mta.mit.edu/newsletter/subscribe">Click here to subscribe to the Events Newsletter.</a>

Thomas Tull Concert Hall

"We Are The Forest “ featuring an 8-channel spatial sound mix

This Emmy nominated documentary tells the story of the MIT musicians in the Brazilian Amazon seeking cultural and scientific exchange. Tuesday, April 28th at 12pm Thomas Tull Concert Hall "We Are The Forest “ featuring an 8-channel spatial sound mix Produced and directed-Jean Dunoyer Executive Producer-Clayton Hainsworth Sponsored by the Center for Arts, Science and Technology and MIT Video Productions This Emmy nominated documentary tells the story of the MIT musicians who travelled to the Brazilian Amazon seeking cultural and scientific exchange. Indigenous musicians and activists share their traditional ecological knowledge. Featuring performances by Djuena Tikuna, Luciana Souza, Anat Cohen, and Evan Ziporyn, with music by Antônio Carlos Jobim.

SABAR NGOON: A Senegalese Drum & Dance Party

Join Rambax, MIT's Senegalese Drum Ensemble directed by Lamine Touré, for an afternoon of drumming and dance! Rambax MIT is an ensemble dedicated to learning the art of sabar. Founded in 2001 and directed by master drummer Lamine Touré, Rambax MIT consists of MIT students, alums, and members of the MIT community. In Senegal, the sabar ngoon is an afternoon dance party that brings together members of the community to dance, laugh, and have fun. Come join the dance party and get ready to participate! This is an outdoor concert to take place at the W18 d'Arbeloff Family Plaza Ensemble at 201 Amherst Street. [Rain location: Thomas Tull Hall.] Seating Policy Your registration through Eventbrite guarantees you a seat until 15 minutes before the event start time. 15 minutes before the concert start time, we will release open seats to the standby list. If you were not able to register through Eventbrite, you may join the physical standby line in the Thomas Tull Concert Hall Lobby up to one hour before the concert start time.

d'Arbeloff Family Plaza Ensemble

Solar Return for Change

Featuring Ben Monder, Bill McKibben, Guillermo Klein and MIT Wind Ensemble Solar Return for Change Friday, May 8, 2026 / 8:00pm MIT Kresge Auditorium, MIT Building W16 48 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA This environmentally themed concert brings together three of the most innovative musicians of their generations with the MIT Wind Ensemble and celebrated author, educator, and environmentalist Bill McKibben. The performance features the world premiere of Guillermo Klein’s&nbsp;Guitierra, a prayer for the Earth, and Klein’s&nbsp;Solar Return Suite, a work honoring the energy and depth of the natural world.&nbsp;Solar Return Suite&nbsp;is performed in honor of the 20th anniversary of its premiere by the MIT Wind Ensemble in 2006. It features MacArthur Fellow and GRAMMY®-winning saxophonist Miguel Zenón, Professor of Jazz at MIT, alongside the internationally renowned jazz guitarist Ben Monder. Featuring the world premiere of&nbsp;Guitierra. MIT Wind Ensemble Frederick Harris, Jr., Music Director Guillermo Klein, composer-pianist Miguel Zenón, saxophonist Ben Monder, guitarist Bill McKibben, Guest Speaker Seating Policy Your registration through Eventbrite guarantees you a seat until 15 minutes before the event start time. 15 minutes before the concert start time, we will release open seats to the standby list. If you were not able to register through Eventbrite, you may join the physical standby line in the Kresge Auditorium Lobby up to one hour before the concert start time. Don't miss a downbeat!&nbsp;<a href="https://mta.mit.edu/newsletter/subscribe">Click here to subscribe to the Events Newsletter.</a> If you cannot attend this performance, we encourage you to&nbsp;<a href="https://web.mit.edu/webcast/mta/s26/">watch the livestream.</a>

Kresge Auditorium

MIT Wind Ensemble - Illusions and Dreams

Illusions and Dreams—featuring the premiere of Ziporyn’s “1991" for B.S.O. violist Danny Kim MIT Wind Ensemble Frederick Harris, Jr., Music DirectorKenneth Amis, Assistant Conductor Evan Ziporyn, composer-clarinetist Danny Kim, violist Saturday, March 14, 2026 8:00 P.M. Thomas Tull Concert Hall Inspired by his experiences travels in Eastern Europe in tumultuous times’ (or ‘uncertain times’ maybe is more apt), this unique program features the world premiere of Evan Ziporyn’s&nbsp;1991&nbsp;for solo viola and wind ensemble. Composed for the gifted violist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Danny Kim,&nbsp;1991&nbsp;is Ziporyn's response to the global transformation he experienced 35 years ago and to the uncertainty and change in our current political environment. Bernstein’s&nbsp;Overture to Candide, Ives’&nbsp;Variations on America, Copland’s&nbsp;Down a Country Lane&nbsp;and&nbsp;Variations on a Shaker Melody from Appalachian Spring, Schuman’s&nbsp;When Jesus Wept, and chamber works round out this special concert of exciting and probing music. Composer/conductor/clarinetist&nbsp;Evan Ziporyn's&nbsp;music has taken him from Balinese temples to concert halls around the world. He has composed for and collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma, Brooklyn Rider, Maya Beiser, Ethel, Anna Sofie Von Otter, the American Composers Orchestra, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Iva Bittova, Terry Riley, Don Byron, Wu Man, and Bang on a Can. In 2017, his arrangements were featured on Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s&nbsp;The Vietnam War, and on Silkroad’s Grammy-winning album&nbsp;Sing Me Home. Most recently, his orchestral reimagining of David Bowie's final album,&nbsp;Blackstar, was recently released on Islandia Music, featuring Ziporyn conducting his own Ambient Orchestra with Maya Beiser, cello soloist. Since its 2017 premiere, Ziporyn has conducted the work in Boston, Barcelona, New York Central Park Summerstage, Australia's Adelaide Fringe Festival, Strathmore Hall, and numerous other national and international venues. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ziporyn.com/">Evan Ziporyn</a> Violist&nbsp;Danny Kim&nbsp;joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the start of the 2016-2017 season and was appointed third chair of the viola section during the 2017-18 season. A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Kim completed his undergraduate degree at University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied with Sally Chisholm and graduated with a B.A. in viola performance and a certificate in East Asian Studies. He earned his Master of Music in viola performance from the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Samuel Rhodes. Prior to winning a position with the Boston Symphony, Kim was a member of Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect. An alumnus of the Tanglewood Music Center, where he won the Maurice Schwartz Prize, he has participated in such festivals as the Marlboro Music Festival, Pacific Music Festival, Lucerne, Aspen, and has toured with Musicians from Marlboro. As an avid chamber musician, he has performed with the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, Ensemble Connect, Chamber Music Society of Minnesota, Concordia Chamber Players, and has collaborated with artists including Joseph Silverstein, Peter Wiley, Arnold Steinhardt, Michael Tree, Marcy Rosen, Richard O’Neill among others. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bso.org/profiles/danny-kim">Danny Kim</a> Seating Policy Your registration through Eventbrite guarantees you a seat until 15 minutes before the event start time. 15 minutes before the concert start time, we will release open seats to the standby list. If you were not able to register through Eventbrite, you may join the physical standby line in the Thomas Tull Concert Hall Lobby up to one hour before the concert start time. Don't miss a downbeat!&nbsp;<a href="https://mta.mit.edu/newsletter/subscribe">Click here to subscribe to the Events Newsletter.</a>

Thomas Tull Concert 

Dan Tepfer’s Natural Machines 2.0 meets Big Band

Dan Tepfer’s Natural Machines 2.O meets Big Band—MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble in Thomas Tull Concert Hall Saturday, March 7, 2026/8:00pm Thomas Tull Concert Hall, MIT MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble Frederick Harris, Jr. Music Director World-renowned pianist and technologist&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUzNnspxG1f5Bks6R8ckCzDSEn__psaO8">Dan Tepfer</a>&nbsp;creates a live music experiment with the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble using algorithmic improvisation On the heel of his Carnegie Hall premiere of&nbsp;Natural Machines 2.0&nbsp;featuring piano improvisations in real time with symphony orchestra, Dan Tepfer—one of the most creative and innovative musicians of his generation—presents a new work with the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble using his concept of algorithmic improvisation. This unique concert will also feature Tepfer’s own compositions along with music from the traditional and modern jazz cannon. One of his generation’s extraordinary talents,&nbsp;Dan Tepfer&nbsp;has earned an international reputation as a pianist-composer of wide-ranging innovation, individuality, and drive—one “who refuses to set himself limits” (France’s&nbsp;Télérama). The New York City-based Tepfer, born in 1982 in Paris to American parents, has recorded and performed around the world with some of the leading lights in jazz and classical music, from Lee Konitz to Renée Fleming, and released eleven albums of his own in solo, duo and trio formats. Tepfer earned global acclaim for his 2011 release&nbsp;Goldberg Variations / Variations, a disc that sees him performing J.S. Bach’s masterpiece as well as improvising upon it—to “elegant, thoughtful and thrilling” effect (New York&nbsp;magazine). Tepfer’s 2019 video album&nbsp;Natural Machines&nbsp;stands as one of his most ingeniously forward-minded yet, finding him exploring in real time the intersection between science and art, coding and improvisation, digital algorithms and the rhythms of the heart.&nbsp;The New York Times&nbsp;has called him “a deeply rational improviser drawn to the unknown.” His 2023 return to Bach,&nbsp;Inventions / Reinventions, an exploration of the narrative processes behind Bach’s beloved Inventions,became a best-seller, spending two weeks in the #1 spot on the Billboard Classical Charts. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://dantepfer.com/">Dan Tepfer</a> Learn more about the&nbsp;<a href="https://mta.mit.edu/music/performance/festival-jazz-ensemble">MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble</a> Don't miss a downbeat!&nbsp;<a href="https://mta.mit.edu/newsletter/subscribe">Click here to subscribe to the Events Newsletter.</a> If you cannot attend this performance, we encourage you to&nbsp;<a href="https://web.mit.edu/webcast/mta/s26/">watch the livestream.</a> Seating Policy Your registration through Eventbrite guarantees you a seat until 15 minutes before the event start time. 15 minutes before the concert start time, we will release open seats to the standby list. If you were not able to register through Eventbrite, you may join the physical standby line in the Thomas Tull Concert Hall Lobby up to one hour before the concert start time.

Gamelan Galak Tika: East West Future Past

A historic concert for Gamelan Galak Tika, our first in our new home at Thomas Tull Hall. Members from throughout Galak Tika’s 30-year history will rejoin the current group to look back and look forward, combining Balinese tradition with new creations, and acoustic craftsmanship with state-of-the-art electronics. Under the masterly direction of I Gusti Komin Darta, the combined forces of MIT’s community and student gamelans will ignite the stage with the Boston premiere of Darta’s&nbsp;Sari ing Kerta. This powerful work, alongside a mix of traditional and contemporary Balinese compositions, promises a mesmerizing journey through the intricate world of Balinese gamelan. Then experience the electrifying energy of Evan Ziporyn’s rock gamelan classic&nbsp;Tire Fire, hailed "an exuberant blast of metal fireworks" by Anne Midgette (New York Times, 2004), performed by a supergroup comprised of three decades of Galak Tika - from founding alumni through current members. An afternoon of high-octane rhythms, bold innovation, and unstoppable intensity—don’t miss it! Seating Policy Your registration through Eventbrite guarantees you a seat until 15 minutes before the event start time. 15 minutes before the concert start time, we will release open seats to the standby list. If you were not able to register through Eventbrite, you may join the physical standby line in the Kresge Auditorium Lobby up to one hour before the concert start time. Don't miss a downbeat!&nbsp;<a href="https://mta.mit.edu/newsletter/subscribe">Click here to subscribe to the Events Newsletter.</a>

Tull Concert Hall

S22: conversations

Wondering what to do in Boston? Places to eat? Free activities? Good for a group? Date night spot? Girls night out? The best things to do? Ask Joyraft!

Best places to go in Boston? Things to do? Places to eat?

Questions & answers about things to do in Boston

Recs 💬

Community recs 💬

S4: top picks

The most fun, cool and unique things to do in Boston. Can’t miss events, shows and experiences. Concerts, restaurants, bars, free things in Boston and beyond.

The most fun and cool events happening around Boston

Hot and new things to do in Boston

Hot & new

Hot & new 🔥

S11: happening this weekend

What to do in Boston this weekend? From festivals, concerts, performances, free events, screenings and more, Joyraft has the best things to do in Boston.

25+ things to do in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville this weekend

Things to do in Boston this weekend

This wknd

This weekend for you

S16: editor picks

The most unique and can’t miss things coming up in Boston / Cambridge / Somerville and beyond. Festivals, food, drinks, fairs, concerts, art and free activities.

Unique and Can’t Miss Things to Do in Boston

Can’t-miss things to do in Boston 🚨

Can't-miss things to do 🚨

S21: roundups

Our top picks: outdoor dining, free events, spring festivals, best bars, upcoming concerts, museum parties - the latest in and around Boston.  Slug: joyraft-top-picks-best-things-to-do-boston-ma

Top picks of the best things to do in and around Boston

Joyraft picks: Boston’s best things to do

Roundups ⭐️

Curated by Joyraft ⭐️

S28: calendar experiences

This week in Boston

This week in Boston 📆

This week 📆

S20: c+d experiences

Discover new, unique events and experiences happening in and around Boston. Perfect for date night, good for a group or with a friend. Be the first to know.

The newest events happening in and around Boston

The newest events on Joyraft

Just added

Just added to Joyraft

S2 (A): top experiences

The most popular things to do on Joyraft. Concerts, restaurants, bars, events, parties, openings, kid friendly, date ideas, free things in Boston and beyond.

Top 20 things to do in Boston

Top 20: Joyraft’s most popular

Top 20

Top 20 on Joyraft

S3 (A): trending experiences

Discover can’t miss events and things to do in Boston. The most fun, unique and cool events coming to the Boston area this spring and summer.

The hottest events happening in Boston

Trending events on Joyraft

Trending 📈

S17: interest based

Your guide to everything free in and around Boston. From events, to fairs, to festivals, to outdoors. Joyraft has all the free events happening near you.

100+ free things to do in Boston and beyond

Free things to do in Boston

Free things to do

S19: interest based

Kid-friendly events in Boston

S18: interest based

Where to eat and drink in Boston? Joyraft has Boston’s newest bars, restaurants and specials. Drinks and pre fixe dinner menus. Cambridge & Somerville too.

Where

ccoll28

Experiences

MIT Wind Ensemble - Illusions and Dreams

Dan Tepfer’s Natural Machines 2.0 meets Big Band

Gamelan Galak Tika: East West Future Past