SFCM's New Music Ensemble (NME) lived up to its name in February, performing two new works—one from the newest addition to SFCM's Composition Department, Jake Heggie.

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Jake Heggie and Nicole Paiement.

NME Director Nicole Paiement also spotlighted an SFCM alum with the other new work premiered at the concert: 2018 cello graduate Evan Kahn, the featured soloist for Inbal Segev's Postcards to Jerusalem.

"When programming a concert," Paiement says, "I try to give the players a varied experience. One of the things I love about doing this ensemble is that I hope that I can imbue interest in new works and living composers to players in a kind of more intimate setting than you would do in a large orchestra."

To that end, Paiement turned to Heggie, who suggested he'd re-orchestrate an existing work. "He's always so humble," she continues, "and very generous in doing that." She continues, "That was the seed I started with. Since the composition had begun as just piano, cello, and voice, I thought, 'If we're going to bring in a cello soloist, what other works can we do?'" Paiement had met Inbal Segev performing at the Grant Park Festival in Chicago, she recalls, "so I talked with her and she also had a work in progress. I always like to try to include a female composer on our program."

Paiement acknowledged the difficulty of the program, but knew SFCM's students were up to the task. "We need to not be scared of new music. We need to enjoy and embrace the challenges of it, and that's what I love about younger players. They don't say, 'Oh this is impossible,' they figure out a way to do it,' which is always inspiring."

SFCM student Katie Ivie.

Opera Parallèle, the lauded contemporary opera company Paiement founded and is Musical Director for, frequently employs SFCM students in its productions, and has continued that tradition with their new production of Philip Glass' La Belle et la Bête, which stars recent Voice alum Chea Kang in the titular role (Beauty, obviously).

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SFCM cello alum Evan Kahn.

Heggie and Paiement go back. "Nicole's amazing," he says. "I've worked with her over many, many years: Opera Parallèle has produced my work, she's conducted Dead Man Walking a couple of times. I love working with her: She's extraordinarily gifted, insightful and has a great heart. She understands innately that there's an emotional and human impetus behind all this work."

Heggie's piece set text from the American poet Galway Kinnell's collection The Book of Nightmares. "A child wakes up screaming from a nightmare. The parent goes in and the child clings to them hard because she's finally found comfort and feels that nothing is ever going to change," he says. "She thinks you're always going to be there to hold, but you as the adult know that all of this is very temporary. It's a song cycle about really cherishing the moment; being present and connected because time passes so quickly."

During rehearsals, Heggie spoke of getting to hear the older works being given new life. "The level of playing at the Conservatory is so extraordinary. I'm  just blown away by the talent. They all listening eagerly and attentively to whatever input Nicole and I have to offer. What a gift to have the chance to hear these pieces anew and fresh. I'm just really, really touched and impressed by the work that's being done."

Learn more about studying at SFCM or its New Music Ensemble.