New England Conservatory’s Preparatory School empowers students ages 0-18 to learn and grow as musicians.
Imagination Begins at NEC Prep
The NEC Prep Experience
With robust resources, world-class faculty, and a supportive community, NEC Prep prepares students for a lifelong relationship with music.
Dedicated teachers and performers provide a challenging, nurturing, and inspiring experience for every student.
From beginners to advanced musicians, all students are welcome to join the NEC Prep community and advance their skills.
NEC Prep students can explore a many music styles—including classical, jazz, contemporary musical arts, world music, and musical theatre.
Connect With Us
Engage with the NEC Prep team through our events or email list to have your questions answered about our programs, resources, and application process.
Join us for an in-person seminar on our Boston campus to gain a firsthand look at the NEC Prep experience.
Dial into a convenient virtual seminar hosted by the NEC Prep team.
Interested in receiving more information about NEC Prep via email? Fill out this brief form helpful information and timely updates.
Take the Next Step
Start your NEC Prep journey by submitting your application. Please note that the application deadline for Large Ensembles and the Chamber Music Intensive Performance Seminar (CHIPS) is May 15.
Submit your application for the 2024-2025 academic year—whether you are a returning family, or new to the NEC Prep experience.
Use this helpful timeline to ensure you don't miss any important deadlines or milestones in the NEC Prep application process.
NEC Prep is an important investment. Learn more about tuition, fees, payment plans, and other important details.
Resources for Current Prep Families
Create your NEC Prep Parent Portal
To apply for any of NEC Prep's programs, parents or guardians of students younger than 18 must create an account in our Parent Portal.
Discover NEC Prep Concerts & Events
Stay up-to-date with the latest concerts and events happening at NEC Prep by exploring our calendar and joining us for an upcoming performance!
Current Prep Student Resources
From the academic calendar to class schedules and locations, view resources that current NEC Prep students and their families access more regularly.
What do you want to do?
At NEC, young musicians can explore all kinds of instruments, from early childhood on.
Young singers at NEC get a very special kind of training with lots of variety—voice lessons, choruses, jazz, musical theatre, rock, world music, and more!
Every musician is a composer. Students as young as eight can start learning to hear and create the elements of music.
Foundation classes like chorus, music theory, composition, and the art of practice and performance are for every musician at NEC, whatever the level or instrument!
We invite you to explore the many opportunities for your child here. If you need more information, don’t hesitate to get in touch! We’d love your family to join our family and make NEC Prep your musical home.
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Recent News
Wed, May 15
This month, NEC students and faculty electrified the Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre during Chirp, a six-night concert series featuring live electronic music and cutting-edge technology. Chirp concerts included multimedia compositions, acousmatic music, and computer-assisted pieces. The performances were led by faculty members Davide Ianni, Ted Reichman, Lautaro Mantilla, John Mallia, and Stratis Minakakis.
Mon, May 13
On Sunday, May 19, at 2 p.m. in NEC’s historic Jordan Hall, more than 200 graduating students will receive their diplomas following remarks from Commencement Speaker Paul Simon, Alumni Speaker Lina Gonzáles-Granados ’14 MM, ’15 GD, and Student Speaker June Chung ’24 MM; honorary degree conferments upon Simon, Dawn Upshaw, and Robert Spano; and performances from a New Orleans-style jazz ensemble and a CMA folk ensemble.
Fri, May 10
In honor of Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 11, Olga Kaminsky ’25 and Eva Ostrovsky-Kaminsky ’06 GD reflect on their unique mother-daughter legacy in NEC's Community Performances and Partnerships program.
Wed, May 8
Since completing his studies in Piano Performance at New England Conservatory, Yang Bao ’15, ’17 MM has built a thriving creative career as an installation artist, filmmaker, pianist, and composer whose art is having a worldwide impact. Bao’s exceptional interdisciplinary creative projects, notably his sound installations, have earned him accolades and collaborations with massive brands, including commissions from Dior, Louis XIII, and Opus One Winery. On May 11, the Long Museum in Shanghai, China, will open MADLANDS, an exhibition created by Bao and his partner Wa Liu, featuring a new body of multimedia works.
Mon, May 6
Eighteen-year-old violinist Keila Wakao ’29, a current NEC Preparatory School student enrolling at the college this fall, will make her Boston Symphony Orchestra debut during the BSO's Opening Night Gala concert in September 2024 under music director Andris Nelsons. The BSO’s invitation follows her Grand Prize in the 2023 Boston Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition.
