Partnerships

New England Conservatory at Walnut Hill School

Benjamin Zander, Artistic Director
Evan Bennett, Program Director

This internationally acclaimed program, designed in the image of the great European conservatories, absorbs students ages 14–18 into the life of a professional music community with the finest musical and academic training.

Young, gifted musicians pursue their love of music when their minds are most receptive, in a community that cares that each individual fully develops intellectually, artistically, and ethically. A preparatory school linked to a major conservatory of music, NEC at Walnut Hill School offers a depth and talent of faculty that is unequaled.

The comprehensive program provides advanced training in solo and chamber performance, music theory and analysis, ear training, and music history. Orchestral musicians participate in orchestra at NEC, and may participate in chamber music ensembles. Students are enrolled for studio instruction with the NEC Preparatory School’s distinguished faculty and take yearly evaluations.

The opportunity to meet other serious musicians at NEC through chamber music, the Piano Seminar program, large ensembles, performances, and tours, is a great benefit of the program.

For additional information, please request a brochure by calling the Walnut Hill School at 508-653-4312.

Project STEP

Project STEP (String Training and Educational Program for Students of Color) is an independent organization sponsored by NEC, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Boston University School for the Arts. In Project STEP, the sponsoring institutions have developed a program to identify and to train, educate, and guide promising young string players of color toward successful careers in classical music — as soloists, teachers, chamber music performers, and orchestra members.

To introduce kindergarten (K–2) students of color to classical music, Project STEP has a special program called “FOCUS on the Boston Schools.” FOCUS allows youngsters with a special affinity for music to participate with their parents in a 14-week program offering eurhythmics, recorder classes, musical demonstrations by STEP students, and one or two well-chosen concerts.

For more information about Project STEP and FOCUS on the Boston Schools, please call the STEP Office at 617-267-5777.

The Handel & Haydn Society Vocal Apprenticeship Program

Working with musically talented fourth through twelfth graders, the program provides students with the intensive preparatory music instruction and academic guidance necessary to audition and apply to college successfully.

Through private instruction and classes, and numerous performing opportunities, apprentices gain an inside view of the music field by attending performances and interacting with professional musicians. The Vocal Apprenticeship Program is a collaboration between H&H, NEC, and the Boston Latin School.

Established in 1815, H&H is among the oldest music organizations in America; its professional chorus is one of the finest vocal ensembles performing today. Auditions are generally held in January and late spring. Please call the Director of Education at 617-262-1815, or e-mail.

Boston Children’s Chorus

The Boston Children’s Chorus (BCC) is a multi-racial, multi-cultural arts organization that brings together a diverse group of children grades 2-12 from urban and suburban neighborhoods, schools, religious institutions, and community organizations to discover the power of singing together and serve as ambassadors for their city.

NEC has established a partnership with the Boston Children’s Chorus, through which NEC students serve as fellows to the BCC, assisting in carrying out the instructional and performance programs of the BCC. In addition, NEC and BCC explore opportunities for joint research projects, and support one another’s artistic and musical endeavors in a variety of ways. For more information about the Boston Children’s Chorus, please call 617-778-2242.

From the Top

New England Conservatory founded and is the educational partner and broadcast home for “From the Top,” a weekly radio program that showcases outstanding young classical musicians from the entire country, now carried by more than 200 stations throughout the United States.

Inter-American Center for Social Action through Music

NEC has a Friendship Agreement with the Inter-American Center for Social Action Through Music (ICSATM) in Caracas, Venezuela. The ICSATM is an outgrowth of the Venezuelan State Foundation of Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Choruses that provides musical training for 250,000 students, mostly financially underprivileged, throughout Venezuela. The association between NEC and ICSATM provides for the possibility of student and faculty exchanges and joint performances, continued shared artistic and educational leadership in the Youth Orchestra of the Americas, and joint advocacy in support of music education and the use of music to address social need.

2009-08-21