Performances + Events
NEC Prep Ensembles
Dive into the rich tapestry of musical exploration at NEC Prep, where endless possibilities to discover your artistry await.
With ensembles spanning jazz, brass, chamber, strings, and more, our diverse offerings cater to musicians of all ages. Immerse yourself in our vibrant large ensembles and discover your musical potential.
After NEC
Meet the Ensembles
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Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensembles
The Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble (MYWE) at NEC Prep offers three distinct groups for young musicians: Junior MYWE, MYWE Concert Band, and Senior MYWE. Both MYWE Concert Band and Senior MYWE participate in international tours, with recent performances in Barcelona, Valencia, and Granada.
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Contemporary Musical Arts Ensembles
CMA ensembles consist of a coach and 3-5 students, with the coach functioning as a band member, bandleader, and arranger, meaning students play with a professional musician for each rehearsal and performance. Each ensemble has a drummer, a bassist, a chordal instrument, and various melodic instruments (winds, brass, voice, strings, pitched percussion). Students are encouraged to suggest, compose, and arrange pieces for these ensembles.
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Woodwinds Ensembles
NEC Prep’s specialized woodwind ensembles include the Clarinet and Saxophone Ensembles. The Clarinet Ensemble allows clarinetists to explore a wide repertoire, develop ensemble skills, and refine technique, culminating in a public performance; it requires no audition or minimum age. The Saxophone Ensemble provides a curriculum that enhances ensemble playing techniques and individual musicality through a rich repertoire, with students participating in festival concerts each semester.
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Choral Ensembles
Various choral ensembles are available for young singers, ranging from the advanced Youth Chorale for grades 9-12, which performs masterworks in venues like Jordan Hall, to the Children’s Choir for grades 1-4, to the Chamber Chorus for grades 4-6. All of these groups emphasize healthy vocal technique, musicianship, and performing multi-part repertoire in diverse styles and languages.
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Brass Ensembles
Directed by Cleveland Orchestra veteran u0022Eli, the Youth Brass Ensemble provides high school and middle school brass players with opportunities to enhance their musicianship, technique, listening skills, and emotional expression through an engaging and positive ensemble experience.
Apply to NEC Prep
Are you interested in joining our community of young musicians? Learn more about the enrollment process and start your application below.
Applications for NEC Prep are due August 1, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
Chamber Music Intensive Performance Seminar (CHIPS)
For students with a strong interest in chamber music, NEC Prep is excited to offer the Chamber Music Intensive Performance Seminar (CHIPS). CHIPS offers advanced students an in-depth chamber music immersion experience, with an emphasis on enhancing chamber music skills and performance practice at a high artistic level. Led by faculty members Laura Blustein and Soovin Kim, accepted students will be placed into a string quartet or piano trio and assigned repertoire to study over the year. The CHIPS program is open to violinists, violists, cellists, and pianists.
Significant emphasis will be placed on performance; groups will have the opportunity to perform in recitals at NEC and in the community, as well as potential international performance opportunities. This year’s student-artists performed in masterclasses led by renowned musicians such as Donald Weilerstein and Miriam Fried. Past guest artists include the Verona Quartet, Paul Biss, Roger Tapping, Peter Salaff, Paul Katz, Areta Zhulla, and Kim Kashkashian. Given the intensity of this program, attendance at all CHIPS events is required.
Interested violinists, violists, cellists, and pianists between the ages of 13 and 18 years old are encouraged to apply.
NEC Prep’s Chamber Music Intensive Performance Seminar is generously supported by The Robert and Jane Morse Endowed Chamber Music Fund at NEC.
Chamber Music
The NEC Prep Chamber Music program offers intermediate to advanced students in strings, piano, woodwinds, and brass opportunities to perform in small ensembles one-on-a-part.
Students have the opportunity to:
- Receive personal attention from faculty in a nurturing small group setting
- Learn practice and rehearsal techniques
- Develop sensitivity in listening while playing
- Share musical opinions and ways to interpret their scores
- Develop more confidence in performing with others
- Mature into deeper levels of musicianship while being motivated by their peers
Each ensemble is coached by a highly experienced teacher and performer who has a passion for chamber music and loves to work with young musicians. Groups receive one hour of coaching weekly on Saturdays during the academic year and participate in end-of-semester workshops and concerts during the Winter and Spring Chamber Music Festivals. Select student groups may also have the opportunity to play in a Chamber Music Showcase in Jordan Hall and perform in and attend special masterclasses given by distinguished faculty artists.
Application and Registration
All students interested in chamber music placement need to apply every year. The age for placement is 8-18 with the minimum age of 8 years old by September 1. Once formed, ensembles are expected to stay together for the full academic year.
Registration and tuition fee payment are required before placement. Groups are matched by ability, instrumentation, age, and scheduling availability. In the event placement is not possible, a full tuition refund will be given.
Those who need scholarship aid will be able to indicate this on their application.
Preformed groups are welcome to apply. All members of the group must list each other’s names and instruments on the chamber music placement scheduling form and offer the same available hours for coaching times as one another.
Select advanced wind players whose teachers highly recommend their chamber music placement with strings and piano may also apply for mixed ensemble placement by following the instructions for string and piano ensemble placement below.
To find out more about chamber ensemble placement for winds, brass, saxophone, harp, guitar or Baroque instruments, please visit the department pages for these instruments or contact the individual department chairs.
Prerequisites
- Students should have ongoing private teacher’s support for the entire academic year during which they are studying chamber music. Please note that as part of the application process, a recommendation from your private teacher will be required.
- Good rhythmic skills – ability to count and keep a steady pulse, facility with subdivisions of note values such as 8th notes, triplets, 16th notes and dotted rhythms.
- Good music reading skills – consistent ability to read, hear, and play notes and rests accurately, facility with articulations, dynamics, and phrasing.
Suggested Skills
We welcome your application even if you are still developing some of these skills.
Violin and Viola: Comfort and facility with 3rd and 5th positions or higher, familiarity with articulations and bow strokes including legato, détaché, and staccato. Ability to coordinate shifts and string crossings rhythmically. Additionally for violists: facility with treble and alto clef reading.
Cello: Facility in shifting up to 4th position or above, ease with tenor clef reading, familiarity with articulations and bow strokes including legato, détaché, and staccato. Ability to coordinate shifts and string crossings rhythmically.
Piano: Facility with parallel scales and arpeggios in 3-4 octaves. Rhythmical fluency and coordination of moderate or fast accompaniment figurations in the left hand with lyrical lines in the right. Familiarity with bringing out contrapuntal lines in Baroque music as exhibited by works such as Bach Inventions and Little Preludes.
Advanced string students are encouraged to audition with movements from a major concerto accompanied by a movement from the Bach Solo Suites, Partitas and Sonatas, or other works which show technical prowess and lyrical abilities.
Advanced pianists are welcomed to audition and demonstrate their technical facility and lyricism through works like, but not limited to, major concertos, Bach Prelude and Fugues, Beethoven Sonatas, Chopin Etudes, Rachmaninoff Preludes, and other virtuoso character pieces.
Application Requirements for String and Piano Chamber Music
- NEC Prep Chamber Music Application
- Registration Fee
- Teacher’s Recommendation Form
- Placement Scheduling Form
- Audition Videos (requirements below)
- Two contrasting solo works
- One fast work demonstrating technical facility
- One work showing lyrical playing
- Two scales
- Two contrasting solo works
- Brass Duo
- Brass Quartet
- Brass Quintet
- Brass Trio
- Piano Duo
- Piano Quartet
- Piano Quintet
- Piano Trio
- String Duo
- String Quartet
- String Quintet
- String Trio
- Woodwind Duo
- Woodwind Quartet
- Woodwind Quintet
- Woodwind Trio
- Clarinet Ensemble (not running for the 2024/2025 school year)
- Composition Chamber Group
- Early Music Ensemble
- Harp Ensemble
- Saxophone Ensemble
For chamber music groups in the Baroque department, students learn Baroque techniques and aesthetics as they play repertoire composed before 1750 while playing on modern instruments. Baroque chamber ensembles are open to strings, woodwind, brass, and piano players.
Vivaldi Ensemble
Aldo Abreu, Instructor | Saturday, 10–11a.m.
Gabrieli Ensemble
Aldo Abreu, Instructor | Saturday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Preparatory Baroque Ensemble
Aldo Abreu, Instructor | Saturday, 3–4 p.m.
Monteverdi Ensemble
Aldo Abreu, Instructor | Saturday, 4–5 p.m.
April 15
NEC Prep Chamber Music Application opens
May 17
Chamber Music applicants can wait until the August 1 deadline to submit everything OR submit application materials including registration fee and audition videos at the same time as their orchestra audition material. Placement scheduling form will be sent to families in July and will be expected by August 1.
Those who need scholarship aid are encouraged to apply for aid as early as possible and indicate chamber music as a course in which they need aid.
July 1
Chamber Music Placement Forms will be sent out to all NEC Prep chamber applicants who have already applied before that date. Anyone applying after July 1 will receive the form automatically as part of their application.
August 1
- Chamber Music Application and Registration Fee due
- Teacher’s recommendation Form due
- All videos or updated videos due
- Placement Scheduling Form due
Early September
Scheduling and Placement results will be shared with all families
- Dr. Carol Ou – NEC Prep Chamber Music Chair
- Aimee Tsuchiya – NEC Prep Chamber Music Assistant Chair
- Gregory Newton – Woodwind Chair
- Alexei Doohovskoy – Brass Chair
- Ken Radnofsky – Saxophone Faculty
- Franziska Huhn – Harp Faculty
- William Riley – Guitar Faculty
- Aldo Abreu – Early Music Chair
Orchestras
Juliano Aniceto, Director
Rehearsals: Saturdays, 3:15-6 p.m.
Praising “the highly talented teenagers who fill the ranks of the YPO,” and their “expressively charged and technically accomplished performances,” Boston Globe music critic Jeremy Eichler has written: “One of the special pleasures of hearing a youth orchestra comes from knowing that many of its members have been encountering the music, even a cornerstone of the repertory like the Brahms ‘Fourth Symphony,’ for the very first time. As a result, the playing can sometimes brim with the visceral thrill of discovery.”
YPO tours biannually with trips that span all corners of the globe. The orchestra’s 16 international concert tours have enriched audiences on four continents and established YPO as one of the finest youth orchestras in the world. In 2007, the orchestra traveled to China, giving concerts in several major cities and collaborating with young Chinese musicians. The orchestra has played in some of the finest concert halls of the world, including Chile’s Teatro Municipal in Santiago, the Teatros Municipal of São Paulo in Rio de Janeiro, Musikverein in Vienna, and Reykjavik’s Harpa Concert Hall. In 2019, YPO completed a 10-day tour of Prague, Bratislava, and Budapest.
Steven Karidoyanes, Director
Rehearsals: Saturdays, 3:15-6 p.m.
The NEC Youth Symphony (YS) is composed of advanced young musicians, most between the ages of 13 and 18. Members are selected from hundreds of applicants through annual auditions. YS is open to advanced pre-college string, wind, percussion, brass, and harp students.
As one of NEC’s senior Prep School ensembles, YS has performed in NEC’s Jordan Hall, Symphony Hall, and Sanders Theatre, as well as the Boston Opera House in a collaboration with the Boston Ballet School.
This orchestra tours internationally every two years. Recent tour destinations have included sites in Greece, Italy, Ireland, and Costa Rica.
Peter Jarvis, Director
Rehearsals: Saturdays, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
String Chamber Orchestra (SCO) is open by audition to upper-level pre-college string students interested in an intensive, larger chamber music setting. Repertoire is chosen from the wealth of glorious serenades and character pieces written for string orchestra, such as the Tchaikovsky String Serenade and the Holberg Suite by Edvard Grieg.
Members develop advanced ensemble skills and a group confidence performing in various venues on campus, including Jordan Hall, the Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre, and the Green Cafe. Most students enjoy playing in the chamber orchestra along with their participation in full orchestras, such as the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Youth Symphony, Youth Repertory Orchestra, and the String Repertory Orchestra.
Seating in SCO is on a rotating basis in order to offer a more complete experience for every member in the group.
Cynthia Woods, Director
Rehearsals: Saturday, 12:30-3 p.m.
The Youth Repertory Orchestra (YRO) is open by audition to upper-intermediate pre-college string, woodwind, brass, and percussion students. Students placed in YRO are expected to be able to play with solid intonation and good tone quality, as well as a variety of dynamics, and are comfortable carrying their part independently while blending with the ensemble. While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of YRO are in grades 8-12.
Adam Grossman, Director
Rehearsals: Saturday, 1-2:30 p.m.
Junior Repertory Orchestra (JRO) is open to intermediate pre-college string players, woodwinds, and brass. JRO is the entry-level full-orchestra ensemble for NEC Prep. To be placed in JRO, students generally play with fluidity, have a developed vibrato, and are comfortable playing three-octave scales and arpeggios. While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of JRO are in grades 7-10.
Cynthia Woods, Director
Rehearsals: Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
String Repertory Orchestra (SRO) is open by audition to intermediate string students. Students placed in SRO play with fluency and clarity and are comfortable playing three-octave scales. While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of SRO are in grades 7-10.
Marta Zurad, Conductor
Rehearsals: Saturdays, 8:30-10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Preparatory String Orchestras (PSOs) are open to early to intermediate string players. Students placed in PSOs are comfortable shifting and playing fast-passage work and able to play with a solid, confident tone that is generally well in tune. While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of PSOs are in grades 6-8.
Peter Jarvis, Director
Rehearsals: Saturdays, 8-9 a.m.
String Training Orchestra 8 a.m. Orchestra (STO 8) is open by audition to advanced-beginner string students. Students placed in this orchestra have mastered basic technical aspects of playing the instrument, can read music proficiently, are comfortable in some upper positions, and have often had previous ensemble experience. While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of STO 8 are in grades 4-7.
Peter Jarvis, Director
Rehearsals: Saturdays, 9-10 a.m.
String Training Orchestra 9 a.m. Orchestra (STO 9) is open by audition to beginner string students. Students placed in this orchestra have mastered basic technical aspects of the instrument, can read music, and have generally studied their instrument for at least two to three years. While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of STO 9 are in grades 3-5.
Wind Ensembles
Michael Mucci, Director
Allison Lacasse, Assistant Director
Rehearsals: Fridays, 4:15-6:15 p.m. (before Thanksgiving), 4:30-7 p.m. (after Thanksgiving)
The Senior Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble is open to advanced high school students in grades 10-12 in the areas of woodwinds, brass, percussion, harp, double bass, and piano. This touring ensemble is the senior-level wind ensemble at NEC Prep. Auditions are generally at the level of All-State Auditions.
Senior MYWE goes on tour every other year. Past tour sites have included Spain, France, the Czech Republic, Ireland, and Italy.
Alfred Dentino, Director
Allison Lacasse, Assistant Director
Rehearsals: Fridays, 4:15-6:15 p.m. (before Thanksgiving), 4:30-7 p.m. (after Thanksgiving)
Started in 2015, the Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble Concert Band (MYWE CB) is open by audition to middle and high school students in grades 9-12. Under the direction of Alfred Dentino, the music chosen for this ensemble represents a balance of traditional and contemporary concert band repertoire that will meet the needs of students who aspire to advance their musical skills to a level at which they can achieve their goals.
MYWE CB is a touring ensemble. In 2023, the ensemble toured various locations in Spain.
Jared Cassedy, Director
Allison Lacasse, Assistant Director
Rehearsals: Fridays, 4:30-7 p.m.
The Junior Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble at NEC Prep is open to middle school and junior high school students in grades 6-9, in woodwinds, brass, percussion, harp, double bass, and piano. Auditions are generally at the level of Junior District Auditions.
Eli Epstein, Director
Rehearsals: Saturdays, 9:30-11 a.m.
The Youth Brass Ensemble is open by audition to high school and middle school brass players. Learn ensemble playing from Cleveland Orchestra veteran and brass pedagogue Eli Epstein. With his upbeat, positive approach to music making, Epstein provides experiences that promote high levels of brass musicianship, enhance brass playing technique, develop listening skills, encourage emotional expression, and address interpersonal and performance issues.
Jazz
Robert Nieske, Director
Rehearsals: Saturdays, 3-5 p.m.
The Youth Jazz Orchestra (YJO) debuted in 2008 at NEC Prep. Since then, the YJO has been recognized as one of the Prep School’s premier large ensembles. YJO was featured as part of Boston’s First Night Celebrations for First Night 2010-12, and was showcased at the 2009 and 2010 Feasts of Music.
YJO performs twice a year in NEC’s Brown Hall. The orchestra is directed by celebrated jazz artist Bob Nieske, who is also a member of the NEC College faculty. YJO is open to pre-college-age trumpet, trombone, saxophone, piano, guitar, bass, and percussion students.
The NEC Prep Small Jazz Ensemble program is one of the largest programs of its kind in the nation. It is open to students aged 8 and up with any level of experience.
Each ensemble consists of a coach and three to five students; in rare instances, an ensemble may have two students. The coach functions as a band member, bandleader, and arranger, so students are playing with a professional musician for each rehearsal and performance. Each ensemble has a drummer, a bassist, a chordal instrument (piano and/or guitar), and various melodic instruments (winds, brass, voice, strings, pitched percussion). These ensembles are meant to expose students to performing a wide variety of pieces in jazz and related music styles. Students are encouraged to suggest pieces and to compose and arrange for these ensembles if they are interested.
Baroque
Aldo Abreu, Director
Rehearsals: Saturdays, 8-10 a.m.
The Baroque Chamber Orchestra (BCO) is open by audition to upper-intermediate players. This ensemble specializes in virtuoso music from the Baroque period (1600-1750) and features the works of Vivaldi, Bach, Corelli, Telemann, and Marcello, among others. Additionally, members of this group are able to audition to perform a Baroque concerto with the orchestra. While orchestra assignments are made by level, not age, most members are in grades 7-12.
BCO also participates in several masterclasses with renowned guest artists who specialize in Baroque music. Prior guest artists have included Martin Pearlman of Boston Baroque, violinist Christopher Verrette of Tafelmusik, cellist Phoebe Carrai, harpsichordist Kenneth Cooper, violist Joan Ellersick, and cellist Dan Ryan of Musicians of the Old Post Road.
Aldo Abreu, Director
Rehearsals: Fridays, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
This select small ensemble is open by audition to intermediate string and wind players. This ensemble specializes in repertoire from the Baroque period, including works by Handel, Purcell, Scheidt and Boyce. While ensemble assignments are made by level, not age, most members are in grades 7-12.
Aldo Abreu, Director
Rehearsals: Saturday, 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Open by audition to beginning players. Students placed in PBE have mastered basic technical aspects of playing the instrumental and read music. While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of PBE are in grades 3-9.
Chorus
Erica Washburn, Director
Rehearsals: Thursdays, 6-7:45 p.m.
The NEC Youth Chorale is a highly celebrated mixed chorus for advanced singers in grades 9-12. This ensemble performs in NEC’s Jordan Hall and other regional venues. In recent years the choir has shared the stage with the NEC Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and NEC Youth Symphony, as well as the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra.
Composed of students from the greater Boston area and beyond, Youth Chorale offers singers the opportunity to experience and perform masterworks and octavo selections of the choral repertoire at an exceptionally high level. Recent concert programs have featured works such as Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes, Haydn’s Missa in Augustiis (Lord Nelson Mass), Mozart’s Missa Brevis in F, K.192, and Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms.
Laura Nevitt, Director
Rehearsals – Saturday, 1-2:15 p.m.
The Chamber Chorus is an ensemble open to singers in Grades 4-6 by placement audition. Rehearsal instruction in the Chamber Chorus emphasizes healthy vocal techniques for developing voices, musicianship, and ear-training through solfege and Takadimi rhythm syllables, as well as notation and score-reading skills. Students typically sing advanced unison, 2-part, and 3-part repertoire in a variety of styles and languages and perform at least two concerts per year.
Laura Nevitt, Director
Rehearsals: Saturdays, 11-11:50 a.m.
The Children’s Choir is open to singers ages 6-13 by placement audition. Rehearsal instruction in Children’s Chorus emphasizes healthy vocal technique for developing voices, musicianship, notation, and score-reading skills. Students typically sing unison and two-part repertoire in a variety of styles and languages, and perform two concerts per year.
