Performances + Events
Commencement 2025
Sunday, May 18, 2025
2 p.m. EDT
Jordan Hall
Family and friends are invited to join our graduates and celebrate their remarkable achievements at NEC’s annual commencement ceremony. Students receive their degrees alongside a number of honorary degree recipients who, since the founding of the conservatory, have included some of the most distinguished figures in our field.
Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipients
Chad Smith ’95 NEC/Tufts,’98 MM, president and CEO of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, will be the featured speaker at this year’s Commencement and will receive an honorary doctor of music degree. City of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, maestro Michael Tilson Thomas, film scoring great Conrad Pope ’73, and life trustee Wendy Shattuck ’75 will also receive honorary doctor of music degrees. Brian McCreath ’90 MM will be this year’s alumni speaker. Marvin E. Gilmore, Jr. ’51, ’24 hon. DM received an honorary degree at a ceremony in October.
Alumni Speaker and Marshals
Alumni hold a meaningful place in NEC’s Commencement celebrations. At this year’s Commencement, CRB radio producer Brian McCreath ’90 MM will address the graduating class as the Alumni Speaker, officially welcoming them into the alumni community. Soprano Ellen McLain ’75, ’77 MM and conductor Mark Tse ’15 MM will serve as Alumni Marshals, leading the ceremonial procession.
Ticketing and Arrival Details
For families seeking tickets to Commencement, please note that graduates will receive all ticketing details — including arrival and check-in information — directly via their NEC email inbox in the weeks leading up to the ceremony.
On the day of the ceremony, graduates are expected to begin lining up at 12:30 p.m. EDT. Guests should be aware that IDs will be checked alongside tickets upon entry.
Note: Jordan Hall will be closed to all activities other than Commencement on May 18 and will reopen normal hours at 7 a.m. EDT on May 19.
Parking and Transportation
The parking garage at 10 Gainsborough Street is the closest facility to Jordan Hall, conveniently located at the corner of Gainsborough and St. Botolph Streets.
Additional parking options include the Columbus Garage (795 Columbus Avenue), Westland Ave. Garage (35 Westland Avenue), and Christian Science Plaza Parking (235 Huntington Avenue).
We also strongly encourage the use of public transportation via the MBTA. Jordan Hall is located within walking distance of several stations, including Symphony Station (Green Line) and Massachusetts Avenue Station (Orange Line).
Commencement Live Stream
For those who cannot attend commencement in person, the ceremony will be live-streamed from Jordan Hall starting at 2 p.m. EDT.
