Boston Conservatory at Berklee provides a transformative, contemporary performing arts education that unleashes potential and empowers artists with the skills, selfawareness, and courage to shape our world and create the future they imagine.
Here, we’re reimagining and redefining what a conservatory education should be for today’s performing artists by combining the immersive rigor and razor focus of traditional conservatory training with a fresh, innovative curriculum, diverse performance opportunities, and a multitude of specialized career development resources. Uniquely positioned within the Berklee organization bridging classical and contemporary art forms, Boston Conservatory provides a dynamic performing arts education that prepares you for a meaningful life in the arts.
As a conservatory, we value the classics, but we’re most interested in the bigger picture: how tradition ties in to the present, and how the present informs the future. Our core programs are carefully crafted to balance rigorous, immersive training with dynamic academics that will strengthen your foundation and transform your artistry.
COMMERCIAL DANCE
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance
CONTEMPORARY DANCE Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance
Horn, trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, euphonium, tuba
BRASS PERFORMANCE
Bachelor of Music Master of Music Graduate Performance Diploma Professional Studies Certificate Artist Diploma
Master of Music
Master of Music
HARP PERFORMANCE
Bachelor of Music Master of Music Graduate Performance Diploma Professional Studies Certificate Artist Diploma
PERCUSSION PERFORMANCE
Bachelor of Music Master of Music Graduate Performance Diploma Professional Studies Certificate Artist Diploma
MARIMBA PERFORMANCE
Master of Music Graduate Performance Diploma Professional Studies Certificate Artist Diploma
PIANO PERFORMANCE
Bachelor of Music Master of Music Graduate Performance Diploma Professional Studies Certificate Artist Diploma
VOICE PERFORMANCE
Bachelor of Music Master of Music Graduate Performance Diploma Professional Studies Certificate
OPERA PERFORMANCE Master of Music Graduate Performance Diploma
Flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon
WOODWIND PERFORMANCE
Bachelor of Music Master of Music Graduate Performance Diploma Professional Studies Certificate Artist Diploma
MULTIPLE WOODWIND PERFORMANCE
Three or more woodwind instruments Master of Music Graduate Performance Diploma Professional Studies Certificate
Bachelor of Music Master of Music Graduate Performance Diploma Professional Studies Certificate
Master of Music
Flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, percussion, harp, piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, voice
CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL MUSIC PERFORMANCE
Master of Music Graduate Performance Diploma Professional Studies Certificate
Violin, viola, cello, double bass
Bachelor of Music Master of Music Graduate Performance Diploma Professional Studies Certificate Artist Diploma
CLASSICAL VOICE Master of Music
MUSICAL THEATER Master of Fine Arts
CONTEMPORARY THEATER
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater
MUSICAL THEATER Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater
FIND YOUR PROGRAM:
Diversity is the central driver of Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s mission and vision. We aim to cultivate an environment where community members of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities feel supported, valued, and empowered; where people embrace and engage with difference through the essential values of mutual respect and human dignity. We hold ourselves accountable to ensure that each individual learns, teaches, and works in a just and equitable environment, and we’re committed to enacting the structural change required to fully realize this vision.
“I immediately fell in love with this incredibly warm and supportive community. It’s inspiring to discover a place where the arts are truly central to its purpose.” —Natalie Logan, voice alum
Boston Conservatory at Berklee is renowned for its unparalleled variety of performance opportunities. Each year, we present more than 700 performances by our students, faculty, and guest artists, including hundreds of new and multidisciplinary works that combine dance, music, and theater, as well as collaborations with students and faculty from Berklee College of Music.
› Master classes and workshops with distinguished guest artists
› Class recitals
› Special event performances
› Community outreach performances presented to underserved audiences, such as shelters, hospices, and veterans organizations
› Collaborations with Berklee College of Music students and faculty
› Thirty concerts per year featuring student compositions performed by professional and student ensembles, including the Composers’ Orchestra
› Competitions and winners’ concerts
› Instrumental and choral ensembles
› Assistant conducting pit orchestras for mainstage performances
› Three concerts on the mainstage featuring premieres by leading choreographers created specially for Boston Conservatory dancers, as well as reconstructed masterworks and new works by students
› One senior-directed concert on the mainstage featuring original student choreography
› Class style showings
› Multiple studio showings of student dance compositions
› Collaborations with Berklee College of Music ensembles and bands (Berklee Beyoncé Band, Berklee Ariana Grande Ensemble, Berklee Bruno Mars Ensemble, and more)
› Senior Dance Showcase, an annual event in which dance seniors perform in Boston and New York City and network with industry professionals
› Thirteen or more large ensembles in many styles
› Chamber music groups
› Contemporary music ensembles
› Berklee College of Music ensembles
› Pit orchestras for dance, opera, and theater performances
› Annual festivals and residencies
› Solo and studio recitals
› Solo and concerto competitions
› Chamber music competitions
› Three fully staged operas on the mainstage, performed in their original languages with a live orchestra
› Opera scene performances
› Children’s operas
› Boston Conservatory Choir and Boston Conservatory Chorale
› Contemporary music ensembles
› Solo and studio recitals
› Four mainstage productions directed by faculty and guest artists
› Six contemporary theater Ensemble Performance Labs
› Musical theater class performances each year ranging from pop/rock concerts to cabarets to devised revues.
› Professional and paid performance opportunties with Boston theaters including our partner SpeakEasy Stage Company
› Small musicals and student-directed plays in our black box theater
› Annual Musical Theater Showcase for seniors in Boston and New York City
Boston Conservatory is widely recognized as a top-tier conservatory for dance, music, and theater.
For the past three years, we’ve made Playbill’s list of the most represented colleges on Broadway, and our dance and music programs have been consistently named among the top 10 in the U.S. (College Magazine, Backstage, Thought Co., and more). View our complete list of 2021 accolades at bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/2021accolades.
“Boston Conservatory gave me so much longevity as a performer. I feel that I can sing at 60 now because of what I learned here. I feel like I can keep the fire burning; I feel like I can create; I feel ready.”
—Aaron Patterson, musical theater alum, 2020 Elliot Norton Award winner for Outstanding Musical Performance by an Actor
Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s faculty is composed of respected performers, directors, conductors, choreographers, and educators. They will inspire and mentor you to reach your full potential as an artist.
“We have nothing to prove, but everything to share.”
“I use a basic vocabulary of technical and musical concepts with my students. A great deal of progress can be made with a clear goal, minimal tension, and focused energy.”
“I’m a proud alumna of Boston Conservatory, and after more than 20 exciting years working on Broadway, I was thrilled to come full circle as a teacher at the Conservatory. There’s nothing more rewarding than helping brilliant young artists move one step closer to their dreams!”
Our guest artists are excited to work with Boston Conservatory students because they believe that the talent coming from the Conservatory is the future of the performing arts.
Silkroad artist Cristina Pato performs with Boston Conservatory students.
YOU’LL ALSO STUDY WITH SOME OF THE GREATEST ARTISTS OF OUR TIME
› Kyle Abraham
› Jennifer Archibald
› Karole Armitage
› Aszure Barton
› Sidra Bell
› Brian Brooks
› Camille A. Brown
› Ronald K. Brown
› Danny Buraczeski
› Elisa Clark
› Tobin Del Cuore
› Ariel Freedman
› Adam Hougland
› Kylie Jefferson*
› Christina Johnson
› Andrea Miller
› Robert Moses
› Darrell Grand Moultrie
› Shamel Pitts
› Dwight Rhoden
› Elizabeth Roxas
› Otis Sallid
› Uri Sands
› Margo Sappington
› Doug Varone
› Maleek Washington
› Wendy Whelan
› Ebony Williams*
› Louis Andriessen
› Tony Arnold
› Kinan Azmeh
› Susan Botti
› Julia Bullock
› Claire Chase
› Kristen Chávez
› Tom Cipullo
› Melissa Dunphy
› Peter Dugan
› Ensemble intercontemporain
› Adolphus Hailstork
› John Harbison
› Martin Katz
› Yevgeny Kutik
› Robert Levin
› Victoria Livengood*
› Anne-Marie McDermott
› Nico Muhly
› Jeffrey Mumford
› Vikingur Ólafsson
› Cristina Pato
› Sandra Piques Eddy*
› Awadagin Pratt
› Gil Shaham
› Frederica von Stade
› Time for Three
› Transient Canvas
› Mark-Anthony Turnage
› Nick Adams*
› John Cardoza*
› Cast members of Come from Away, Dear Evan Hansen, Hadestown, Jagged Little Pill, Kinky Boots, Rent, and Wicked
› Harry Connick Jr.
› André De Shields
› Double Edge Theatre
› Laura Dreyfuss*
› Christopher Fitzgerald
› Sutton Foster
› De’Lon Grant*
› Michael R. Jackson
› Alex Lacamoire
› Andrew Lippa
› Rami Malek
› Mike Mosallam*
› Stephen Oremus
› Tina Packer
› Diane Paulus
› Chita Rivera
› Bill Russell
› Sherri Sanders
› Susan Stroman
› Rickey Tripp
› Claire Warden
› Natalie Weiss
› Alysha Umphress*
*Boston Conservatory alum
Between Berklee’s state-of-the-art Career Center and Boston Conservatory’s exclusive partnerships with renowned arts organizations, you can begin building your professional network and gain realworld work experience while still a student, giving you a competitive advantage as you launch a career.
Access the unique tools and resources that performing artists need to launch their careers, including one-on-one advising, career-building workshops, networking events, employment opportunities, financial tips, and so much more.
Connect with fellow students, the Berklee alum community, or a Career Services advisor who specializes in your interest areas.
Explore potential career paths and join communities in your areas of interest.
Attend virtual career and networking events throughout the year, including a Virtual Internship Expo and Job Fair.
Prepare your résumé, cover letter, website, artist portfolios, and other professional materials.
Work on-campus jobs, off-campus jobs, gigs, and internships to gain valuable real-world work experience.
Boston Conservatory at Berklee enjoys an exclusive educational partnership with Silkroad, the Grammy Awardwinning global arts organization founded by Yo-Yo Ma and led by acclaimed Artistic Director Rhiannon Giddens. Through courses and performance opportunities made possible by the partnership, Conservatory students collaborate with and are mentored by Silkroad’s internationally acclaimed artists, who have for years celebrated diversity through virtuosic and innovative projects. Silkroad encourages students to develop and nurture their own creative identities, build community, and engage in cross-cultural exploration through a lens of social impact and cultural advocacy. This Silkroad partnership aligns powerfully with the Conservatory’s mission to provide a transformative, contemporary performing arts education that unleashes creative potential and empowers artists with the skills, self-awareness, and courage to shape their world and create the future they imagine.
The Conservatory’s partnership with SpeakEasy Stage Company immerses theater students in an array of real-world experiential learning opportunities at one of New England’s premier theaters, acclaimed for its cutting-edge Boston-premiere musicals and plays. This unique alliance is built on a longstanding creative relationship between the two institutions, with scores of Boston Conservatory students, faculty, and alums contributing to SpeakEasy productions since the company’s founding in 1992.
Committed to advancing the American musical, Goodspeed Musicals holds the distinction of being the birthplace of hit musicals Man of La Mancha, Shenandoah, and Annie, and was the first regional theater company to receive two special Tony Awards for its outstanding achievements. Boston Conservatory’s unique partnership with the company places students in the exciting environment of festival theater production, where they collaborate with writers, directors, designers, and fellow performers to mount new works during Goodspeed’s annual Festival of New Musicals, attended by audiences from across the country.
Through the Conservatory’s partnership with Boston String Academy, Music Division students learn what it takes to become impactful teachers while working with an organization devoted to making classical music accessible to underrepresented communities. Conservatory students engage in discussions, observe classroom teaching, give and receive mentorship, and perform collaboratively.
Boston Conservatory at Berklee is the first and only performing arts institution in the United States to offer students a ballet teaching qualification from the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), a global leader in dance education and training that is renowned for setting international standards in classical ballet training and dance teacher education.
The vision was clear: two of the world’s leading performing arts institutions—each with complementary strengths and an appetite for innovation—join forces to create the world’s most comprehensive and dynamic training ground for the performing arts. On June 1, 2016, Boston Conservatory and Berklee did just that: the Conservatory formally joined the Berklee community, becoming Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
Since the 2016 merger, Conservatory students have forged new artistic collaborations with Berklee College of Music students and faculty, taken courses at the College, performed with College ensembles, performed on tour across the nation, and taken advantage of Berklee’s cutting-edge technological and career resources. Students have also benefited from integrated administrative offices such as the Division of Student Affairs, which now offers more robust student services than ever before.
As the College and the Conservatory look forward to creating the future of the performing arts, faculty and staff representatives from each school within the larger Berklee organization are working together to reimagine a student experience that will unleash the incredible creative potential of Berklee’s global arts community.
› Have their work filmed and broadcast on the school’s YouTube channel
› Network and build relationships with industry professionals through Career Servicessponsored trips to New York City, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Nashville, Atlanta, and more
› Travel with Berklee’s touring groups to perform nationally at renowned venues across the United States, such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
› Experience study abroad opportunities through Berklee College of Music’s campus in Valencia, Spain; United States touring ensembles; and more
› Pursue new minors in subjects such as acoustics and electronics, creative writing, literature, spoken word, history, philosophy, psychology, visual culture and new media studies, and creative entrepreneurship
› Cross-register for select courses at Berklee College of Music, including Africana studies, music technology, music production and engineering, music business, and more
› Participate in Berklee College of Music ensembles, including the Silent Film Orchestra, the Video Game Orchestra, and the Indian Music Ensemble
› Collaborate artistically with Berklee College of Music students across disciplines and genres
› Join student groups across both campuses
› Host programs on the Berklee Internet Radio Network (BIRN)
Studying at Boston Conservatory at Berklee places you in the heart of Boston. The Conservatory’s historic brownstones are surrounded by internationally acclaimed
arts organizations and schools, including Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Ballet, Museum of Fine Arts, and the Huntington Theatre Company, to name a few. Boston is also home to numerous professional and semiprofessional orchestras, as well as opera, theater, and dance
their performance résumés.
where many Conservatory students spend time
Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s alum network is more than 10,000 strong and boasts members who perform with the world’s premier orchestras and opera companies, on and off Broadway, in national tours, and with renowned dance companies, as well as those who have created their own paths in the arts. The success of our alums is proof that a Boston Conservatory education delivers.
“When I think of the opportunities I was given as an undergraduate at Boston Conservatory, I am filled with gratitude and am proud to be a product of this amazing school. Boston Conservatory gave me the skills and confidence to pursue my two varied careers.”
—Sandra Piques Eddy, music alum
Sandra Piques Eddy is best known for more than 100 careerdefining performances with the Metropolitan Opera.
Evan Hansen
Denver
Hamilton
Hartford Stage
the
Jolla
Theatre
Ballet
Ballets
Ballet
Cirque
Soleil
Hubbard Street Dance
MOMIX
› Nederlands Dans Theater
Pilobolus
more!
Rouge
Music Man
Old Globe Theatre
Mill Playhouse
Public Theater
Side Story
Williams was one of two backup dancers
in Beyoncé’s iconic music video
also performed in the American Repertory Theater
Ladies.”
Broadway productions of Jagged Little Pill,
the musical movie In the Heights
out the Conservatory’s INTERVALS
learn how
get in formation:
“At the Conservatory, I received amazing technical training and gained essential versatility. I think the best thing about the school is that the teachers are completely engaged— absolutely no student is invisible.”
Williams, dance
Boston Conservatory at Berklee alums perform and work for arts and nonprofit organizations across the globe. Wherever you go after graduation, you will be connected to a strong Conservatory alum network, as well as the larger Berklee organization’s continually growing international community.
“My education at Boston Conservatory went far beyond instrumental training. It also helped me become a passionate ambassador for my art. During my time at the Conservatory, I grew into a musician who uses my art to create community.”
—Matt Smith, music alum
Founded in 1867 by Julius Eichberg, Boston Conservatory is the oldest performing arts conservatory for dance, music, and theater in the United States. From the beginning, we have been challenging the way the world creates art.
Boston Conservatory is founded by Julius Eichberg.
Julius Eichberg’s operetta Alcantara is performed by American opera company in the United States.
Boston Conservatory is among the first conservatories to grant to African Americans and women.
Julius Eichberg establishes the Eichberg Quartet, the first known professional all-female string quartet in the world.
Boston Conservatory is the first conservatory to establish a grand opera department.
Boston Conservatory is the first conservatory to offer a degree in music education.
Boston Conservatory establishes the first integrated department of ballet and modern dance at the college level in the United States, which is today known as the Dance Division.
Boston Conservatory establishes what is today known as the Theater Division.
Boston Conservatory is the first conservatory to offer undergraduate degrees in
Boston Conservatory is the first conservatory to offer undergraduate degrees in musical theater.
Boston Conservatory and Berklee College of Music cofound the Professional Arts (Pro Arts) Consortium, an association of seven Boston-area arts colleges that allows students to cross-register for courses.
Boston Conservatory is the first conservatory to offer a private music lessons program to community members on the autism spectrum.
Boston Conservatory is the first higher education institution to present an autism-friendly performance.
Boston Conservatory is the first conservatory to offer graduate degrees in music education and autism.
Boston Conservatory joins the Berklee institution, becoming Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
Boston Conservatory celebrates its 150th anniversary with a gala on May 9, 2017 at Symphony Hall, featuring award-winning actor Alan Cumming as master of ceremonies.
Led by Executive Director Cathy Young, Boston Conservatory unveils its Strategic Direction for 2020–2025, which outlines a radical a plan for transforming the conservatory model to provide a contemporary education that embraces diversity in all forms.
Boston Conservatory becomes the first conservatory to offer a three-year B.F.A. focused on commercial dance.
Boston Conservatory offers scholarships based on artistic merit, ranging from partial-tuition awards to a limited number of full-tuition awards. The Presidential Scholarship Program, which covers the cost of tuition and on-campus room and board, is awarded annually to one entering undergraduate student in each division—dance, music, and theater—for the highest artistic merit and demonstrated financial need. The Conservatory also offers federal aid in the form of government grants and loans to United States citizens and permanent residents based on the results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), as well as part-time student employment opportunities on campus. In addition, the Office of Student Financial Services offers consultation to families on funding a Boston Conservatory education from enrollment through graduation.
Nothing will tell you more about Boston Conservatory at Berklee than experiencing our community firsthand. Whether enrolling in a summer intensive, taking a campus tour, seeing a performance, or meeting your future teachers, we encourage you to connect and see for yourself why Boston Conservatory is a standout school.
Spend your summer with us.
Our renowned summer programs are designed for students on a performing arts degree track. Summer programs include:
› Brass Workshop (ages 15+)
› Commercial Dance Intensive (ages 15–22)
› High School Composition Intensive (ages 15–18)
› Musical Theater Acting Intensive (ages 15–25)
› Musical Theater Dance Intensive (ages 15–25)
› Summer Dance Intensive (ages 15–22)
› Vocal/Choral Intensive (ages 15–18)
› Youth Musical Theater Summer Program (ages 12–14)
Explore these programs at bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/summer
Connect with us.
Take a virtual campus tour, sign up for an informational session, meet faculty, students, and alums, and so much more!
Call: +1 617-912-9153
Email: conservatoryadmissions@berklee.edu
Visit: bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/admissions
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