Welcome to NEC

A year of musical growth, discovery, and joy is underway, and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you!

Integrative Curriculum

INTEGRATIVE CURRICULUM

NEC’s new Integrative Curriculum weaves together the many strands of a conservatory education, including music history, performance, composition and entrepreneurship, in fresh and dynamic ways. The result: NEC students graduate as holistic musicians with the tools and creative confidence to make a transformative artistic and social impact on their careers — and on the wider world.

 
Charles River boats

THE BOSTON ADVANTAGE

Across the street from Symphony Hall. Ten minutes walk to the Museum of Fine Arts, the Emerald Necklace Greenway, and the Newbury Street shopping district. Fifteen minutes by T takes you to the Charles River, Fenway Park, and the Boston Common. They call Boston “America’s Walking City,” and NEC is at the heart of it all. There’s no better place to be a student.

EM

ENTREPRENEURIAL MUSICIANSHIP

Through the Entrepreneurial Musicianship (EM) office, NEC students learn the skills to build a life in music. EM provides students with individual advising and career coaching, courses to gain professional skills within the conservatory curriculum, pathways to gain professional experience through hands-on learning, and opportunities to fund and incubate new creative work. 

Concert Calendar

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News
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.
Mon, May 6
Israeli-Mexican-American cellist, educator, and NEC alumna Michal Shein ’08 MM teaches Foundations of Teaching Artistry, which lays the groundwork for NEC's popular new Teaching Artistry and Music Education concentration. Shein has built a flourishing career as both a sought-after performer and a master pedagogue in music programs across Boston and beyond.  She shares her expertise with the next generation of teaching artists in this new role at NEC. 
Wed, May 1
Alumnus Josh Baker ’14 has been appointed the new associate principal bassoon of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and principal bassoon of the Boston Pops, beginning in the 2024-25 season. 
Thu, April 25
World-renowned violinist and three-time Grammy Award winner Hilary Hahn hosted a master class to a packed house in New England Conservatory's Williams Hall featuring violin students Yirou Ronnie Zhang ’26, David Carreon ’25 MM, and Emma Boyd ’25.

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Listen Online: New Concert Videos Every Monday

Music Monday: We release new recordings from NEC's concert halls every Monday. We hope that these performances help fill your life with powerful music no matter where you are, even if you’re unable to join us for our concerts in person.

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