Tom Novak

I am the Interim President/Provost and Dean of the College at New England Conservatory, where I am also on the faculty of the Chamber Music Department, as well as Preparatory School Woodwind Department. As an active chamber and freelance musician in New York for ten years, I was a founding member of the Amerigo Ensemble and former member of Quintet of the Americas, with whom I made my Carnegie Hall debut. I hold a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Eastman School of Music, and a Master of Music degree from Yale University in Bassoon Performance with additional study at The Juilliard School.

For three consecutive summers, I participated in the Pacific Music Festival (Sapporo), after which I was employed by the festival for 8 additional years as the sole American member of the administrative staff; this allowed me to continue my musical work in New York during most of the year with two months in Japan every summer. As a member of the NEC administration since 2001, I have held several positions over the past 14 years - Performance Outreach Manager, Director of Admissions, and Assistant Provost – serving in my present position for 8 years.

The change to a full-time administrative position took nearly a year of soul-searching, but, ultimately, the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to young musicians is what convinced me. I enjoy teaching and serving as a mentor, finding great reward in this type of activity. Since 2007, I have served on the Board of Directors for A Far Cry, Inc., a conductorless chamber orchestra which operates with a uniquely democratic model, rotating leadership roles and engaging in artistic decision making as a collaborative.

I love to travel and have had the incredibly good fortune to visit many countries in Europe, Asia, and Central/South America for the past 20 years. I find it fascinating to experience new cultures and meet new people; I also love any kind of good food and wine.