Performances + Events
NEC Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program
August 8–16, 2026
The NEC Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program is a nine-day immersive festival where talented young musicians rehearse and perform alongside Mentor Artists while receiving daily coachings from world-renowned Faculty Artists.
Each Young Artist is selected through a rigorous audition process and receives a full scholarship, including housing and meals. Pianists, violinists, violists, and cellists are eligible to apply.
Priority Application Deadline: January 16, 2026
Age Eligibility: 13–18 (including recent high-school graduates)
Applications open December 2.
About the Program
The NEC Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program brings talented Young Artists to campus for nine days of intensive, collaborative music-making. Participants work alongside NEC’s renowned faculty, students, alumni, and guest artists to explore, study, and perform chamber music together. Every participant attends on a full scholarship, including on-campus housing and meals.
Comprehensive Mentorship
Each Young Artist participates in a chamber music ensemble — such as a string quartet, piano trio, or similar group. In addition to fellow Young Artists, each ensemble includes one Mentor Artist: a current NEC student or alumnus in the early stages of a professional career. For example, a string quartet will include three Young Artists and one Mentor Artist. The Mentor Artist plays side-by-side with these Young Artists throughout the nine-day immersive program — in every rehearsal, coaching session, master class, and performance.
In addition to this side-by-side mentorship, each group has daily coachings with our world-renowned Faculty Artists. This multi-layered mentorship creates an immersive experience that deepens each Young Artist’s skills, confidence, and musical insight.
Explore, Collaborate, Perform
In addition to each Young Artist’s chamber music ensemble, they will also perform in a solo master class, participate in career-focused workshops and discussions, collaborate in a conductor-less string orchestra or piano-focused initiatives, and attend Faculty and Mentor Artist concerts. The festival culminates in three final concerts, featuring each Young Artist ensemble in NEC’s iconic Jordan Hall, celebrating the artistry and growth of every participant.
Faculty Artists
Young Artists receive daily chamber music coachings and interact with NEC’s outstanding faculty in myriad ways. Faculty Artists include:
Artistic Director, Violin/Viola
Violin
Violin
Viola
Violin
Cello
Violin
Participants will also work with Mentor Artists — NEC alumni and students at the early stages of professional careers.
More details about Mentor Artists and Guest Artists are coming soon.
Daily Schedule
Learn what to expect from each day at the NEC Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program. Please note that this schedule is subject to change.
| 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Chamber Music Rehearsing with Mentor Artists (with breaks) |
| 12 – 1 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1 – 3 p.m. | Coaching with Faculty Artists |
| 3 – 5 p.m. | Master Classes, Special Events, Fun Activities, and Practice Time |
| 5 – 6:30 p.m. | Conductorless String Orchestra and Piano Project Rehearsals |
| 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. | Dinner |
| 7:30 p.m. | Concerts and Evening Events |
How to Apply
Eligibility
Pianists, violinists, violists, and cellists ages 13–18, including recent high-school graduates, are invited to apply to the NEC Summer Chamber Music Young Artist program. You may submit multiple applications for different instruments in the same year, though each submission will require a separate application fee.
Application Requirements
To apply to the NEC Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program, please complete the online application with the following materials. Applications open December 2.
- CV or résumé
- One letter of recommendation
- Video recordings — see below for specific information for each instrument
- Submissions must be a single-angle video recording or from an unedited live performance.
- Live performance videos must include the date of the performance.
- Applicants are welcome to submit additional videos if they choose.
Please note that a $80 fee is required for each application.
Audition Recording Requirements
Perform two selections:
- A movement of a sonata from the classical era (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, or a similar composer)
- A contrasting selection of your choice
- If you choose a concerto, it must be accompanied by an orchestra (no piano accompaniment).
- Individual movements suffice for multi-movement works.
Perform two contrasting selections of your choice:
- Acceptable examples include movements from standard concerti or sonatas, movements from the Bach Sonatas and Partitas, or movements from equivalent major works for the violin.
- If you choose a duo sonata, it must be performed with piano.
Perform two contrasting selections of your choice:
- Acceptable examples include movements from standard concerti or sonatas, selections from the Bach Cello Suites or Bach Violin Sonatas and Partitas, or movements from equivalent major works for the viola.
- If you choose a duo sonata, it must be performed with piano.
Perform two contrasting selections of your choice:
- Acceptable examples include movements from standard concerti or sonatas, movements from the Bach Cello Suites, or movements from equivalent major works for the cello.
- If you choose a duo sonata, it must be performed with piano.
Tuition and Fees
NEC Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program participants receive full-tuition scholarships covering the cost of all programmatic activities, housing on NEC’s campus in the NEC Student Life and Performance Center dormitories, and meals throughout the day.
