Performances + Events
The NEC Experience
A collaborative and welcoming community in the heart of Boston. Renowned teacher-artists. An innovative curriculum.
Curricular Innovation
Theory Meets Practice
NEC’s new Integrative Curriculum weaves together the many strands of a conservatory education — including music history, performance, composition, and entrepreneurship — in fresh and dynamic ways. We put music in context through comprehensive and engaging lessons that connect coursework with real-life applications.
NEC’s new Integrative Curriculum weaves together the many strands of a conservatory education — including music history, performance, composition, and entrepreneurship — in fresh and dynamic ways. We put music in context through comprehensive and engaging lessons that connect coursework with real-life applications.
I find myself thinking through not only the emotion I want the music to convey, but how I want it to convey that. It’s really brought the entire concept of music interpretation to life.”
EUNHA KIM ‘23
Creativity and Manuscripts Course
Community Engagement
Boston Bound
Boston is a destination city for musicians seeking mentorship, professional development and hands-on learning. NEC’s Community Engagement and Professional Studies program is here to help you bring music to partner organizations such as libraries and schools, youth programs, and community centers. Many are just steps away from NEC, meaning you’ll be directly contributing to your own neighborhood.
Career Development
Our Entrepreneurial Musicianship program helps students learn to build their lives in music.
Through career advisors, internships with Boston-area arts organizations, and electives in topics like marketing, financial planning, and the law, NEC students and alumni gain the skills they need to prepare for a career in music. For those with an innovative idea or passion project, the EM Grants program serves as an on-campus incubator, offering project funds and guidance, career coaching, travel support, and more.
Academic and Student Life
Two Sides of the Experience
The NEC community is collaborative and close-knit. Our students share a passion and drive for music, and encourage one another in their pursuit of excellence, but also bond over shared adventures around Boston. Your classmates will challenge you to excel in the classroom, then meet you for an impromptu jam session on the steps outside Jordan Hall. And while music is at the forefront of NEC life, there are plenty of non-music student organizations and experiences to enjoy.
Teaching Artistry
At NEC, we know that a robust teaching artist practice is an essential part of a 21st-century musician’s career. The Teaching Artistry concentration offers balanced instruction in music education as a complement to students’ performance studies. Deeply rooted in real-world learning opportunities and community partnerships, Teaching Artistry prepares NEC students to be adaptable teaching artists empowered to shape their communities and contribute to the public good.
Community Performance and Partnership Program
NEC’s Community Performances and Partnerships Program is one of the premier programs in the nation for engaging conservatory students with the community. Through CPP, students explore what it means to be a musician living in and contributing to community life within an atmosphere of supportive mentoring, professional development, and experiential learning.
