Performances + Events
Our Partners
Expanded Education proudly partners with organizations and leaders in the Boston community, as well as with NEC’s Community Performances and Partnerships initiative, to provide enriching musical learning experiences to students of all ages and skill levels.
Whether on NEC’s campus or at sites throughout the Boston area and beyond, our collaborative partnerships are an integral part of promoting lifelong learning through music.
Our Partners
City of Boston
Increasing access to high-quality music education for Boston’s children.
Thanks to a $14.5 million anonymous gift, , NEC has developed a partnership with the City of Boston, providing new opportunities for access to music education for children in early education centers across the city, as well as increased scholarship to NEC Prep programming for students from across Boston. President Kalyn and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced the scholarship and early childhood pilot program in 2022.
Scholarships for NEC Prep
In December 2022, NEC announced increased support for NEC Prep scholarships as part of a $14.5 million gift to the institution in partnership with the City of Boston. The endowed scholarship support, which is need-based for students in Boston and surrounding areas, is available by application through NEC Prep’s website. Scholarships can be applied to any level of programming at NEC Prep, ensuring broad accessibility for aspiring musicians. Additionally, funding is available for instrument support, further enhancing the opportunities for students to pursue their musical education.
Early Childhood Community Programming
NEC Prep works to co-create music curricula with early education center partners to align with their unique approaches to learning and to nurture musical creativity in Boston’s youngest learners.
Ellis Early Learning: NEC provides weekly, age-appropriate musical instruction to more than 20 classrooms at Ellis’ South End and Jamaica Plain locations.
ABCD Head Start: NEC provides weekly, age-appropriate musical instruction to more than 20 classrooms at ABCD Head Start locations in Bradshaw, Dorchester, and Mattapan.
our partner organizations
Boston Bridge to Equity and Achievement in Music (BEAM) provides pathways of educational opportunity to highly engaged and talented middle and high school instrumental musicians from communities historically underrepresented in classical music professions. As the host institution for this collaborative program funded by the Mellon Foundation, NEC partners with Boston area organizations Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, Project STEP, and Boston Symphony Orchestra to deliver multi-faceted support and training through the high school journey for these young selected musicians.
NEC’s partnership with Epiphany, an independent school for children from economically disadvantaged families in Boston, provides weekly music instruction to middle school students, integrating music into the school’s vibrant arts curriculum.
Founded on shared principles of cultural relevance and student-centered education, this partnership is designed to connect Epiphany School students to on-campus learning experiences at NEC, offering opportunities to engage with music in multiple settings.
The Handel + Haydn High School Soloists program is an opportunity for dedicated and curious singers to immerse themselves in vocal study and deepen their understanding of their instrument in both solo and ensemble settings.
In addition to singing with an HHYC choral ensemble and participating in an H+H musicianship class, students in the High School Soloists program receive weekly private voice lessons and group diction classes at the New England Conservatory (NEC), participate in vocal workshops, and perform on solo recitals presented by H+H twice a year.
The program is designed for singers who intend to continue their music studies beyond high school, many with majors in music in college, university, and conservatory settings. High School Soloists receive full merit scholarships for their participation in HHYC.
Walnut Hill School for the Arts is an independent boarding and day high school offering a transformational educational experience purposefully designed for student artists in grades 9–12, and a postgraduate year.
The school offers training in dance, music, theater, visual arts, and writing, film and media arts, complemented by a robust and innovative academic curriculum. Guided by leading teachers and supported by peers from a variety of artistic backgrounds, Walnut Hill students graduate prepared to succeed in college and beyond.
The Walnut Hill Music Department is the only high school program linking a major conservatory, NEC, with an independent school. This partnership engages students in a comprehensive music curriculum delivered both at NEC and at Walnut Hill. Students can major in an orchestral instrument, piano, voice, composition, or jazz. Orchestral musicians participate in NEC Prep orchestras at NEC, and may participate in chamber music ensembles. Students are enrolled in studio instruction with NEC Prep’s distinguished faculty and take yearly evaluations.
Project STEP (String Training and Educational Program for Students of Color) is an independent organization that partners closely with NEC, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Boston University’s College of Fine Arts.
Acknowledging the stark underrepresentation of certain racial and ethnic minorities in this sphere, Project STEP is dedicated to rectifying this disparity by identifying and nurturing musically talented individuals from underrepresented backgrounds in Boston and its neighboring communities.
Since its inception in 1982 with just seven students, the program has remained steadfast in its commitment to providing comprehensive music and string instrument instruction, setting the bar high for disciplined study and performance. Through its FOCUS and core programs, Project STEP has introduced over 2,000 children to the transformative power of music. Notably, while Boston’s graduation rates for Black and LatinX students have fluctuated, Project STEP boasts a remarkable 100% college or conservatory attendance rate among its graduates.
The program’s impact extends far beyond the realm of classical music, with alumni pursuing diverse paths ranging from orchestral careers to entrepreneurship, medicine, and beyond. Project STEP’s holistic approach to creative youth development underscores the belief that music serves as a catalyst for the acquisition of essential skills, empowering young individuals to thrive in all facets of their lives.
Boston Bridge to Equity and Achievement in Music (BEAM) provides pathways of educational opportunity to highly engaged and talented middle and high school instrumental musicians from communities historically underrepresented in classical music professions.
As the host institution for this collaborative program funded by the Mellon Foundation, NEC partners with Boston area organizations Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, Project STEP, and Boston Symphony Orchestra to deliver multi-faceted support and training through the high school journey for these young selected musicians.
NEC’s partnership with Epiphany, an independent school for children from economically disadvantaged families in Boston, provides weekly music instruction to middle school students, integrating music into the school’s vibrant arts curriculum.
Founded on shared principles of cultural relevance and student-centered education, this partnership is designed to connect Epiphany School students to on-campus learning experiences at NEC, offering opportunities to engage with music in multiple settings.
The Handel + Haydn High School Soloists program is an opportunity for dedicated and curious singers to immerse themselves in vocal study and deepen their understanding of their instrument in both solo and ensemble settings.
In addition to singing with an HHYC choral ensemble and participating in an H+H musicianship class, students in the High School Soloists program receive weekly private voice lessons and group diction classes at the New England Conservatory (NEC), participate in vocal workshops, and perform on solo recitals presented by H+H twice a year.
The program is designed for singers who intend to continue their music studies beyond high school, many with majors in music in college, university, and conservatory settings. High School Soloists receive full merit scholarships for their participation in HHYC.
Project STEP (String Training and Educational Program for Students of Color) is an independent organization that partners closely with NEC, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Boston University’s College of Fine Arts.
Acknowledging the stark underrepresentation of certain racial and ethnic minorities in this sphere, Project STEP is dedicated to rectifying this disparity by identifying and nurturing musically talented individuals from underrepresented backgrounds in Boston and its neighboring communities.
Since its inception in 1982 with just seven students, the program has remained steadfast in its commitment to providing comprehensive music and string instrument instruction, setting the bar high for disciplined study and performance. Through its FOCUS and core programs, Project STEP has introduced over 2,000 children to the transformative power of music. Notably, while Boston’s graduation rates for Black and LatinX students have fluctuated, Project STEP boasts a remarkable 100% college or conservatory attendance rate among its graduates.
The program’s impact extends far beyond the realm of classical music, with alumni pursuing diverse paths ranging from orchestral careers to entrepreneurship, medicine, and beyond. Project STEP’s holistic approach to creative youth development underscores the belief that music serves as a catalyst for the acquisition of essential skills, empowering young individuals to thrive in all facets of their lives.
Walnut Hill School for the Arts is an independent boarding and day high school offering a transformational education experience purposefully designed for student artist in grades 9–12 and a postgraduate year.
The school offers training in dance, music, theater, visual arts, writing, film, and media arts, complemented by a robust and innovative academic curriculum. Guided by leading teachers and supported by peers from a variety of artistic backgrounds, Walnut Hill students graduate prepared to succeed in college and beyond.
The Walnut Hill Music Department is the only high school program linking a major conservatory, NEC, with an independent school. This partnership engages students in a comprehensive curriculum delivered at both NEC and Walnut Hill. Students can major in an orchestral instrument, piano, voice, composition, or jazz. Orchestral musicians participate in NEC Prep orchestras at NEC and may participate in chamber music ensembles. Students are enrolled in studio instruction with NEC Prep’s distinguished faculty and take yearly evaluations.
