while studying with the most remarkable, pathbreaking artists and pedagogues of our time. View our faculty roster at necmusic.edu/faculty.
Top 10 Reasons to Study at NEC
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Study with distinguished artists and scholars.
Live and work in a historic city.
Immerse yourself in a vibrant arts scene.
Thrive in a supportive environment.
Network with NEC alumni.
Perform in state-of-the-art facilities.
Cultivate new creative relationships.
Refine your distinctive artistic voice. Learn to adapt to an everchanging world. Pursue a holistic education.
Fast Facts
875
musicians who've been members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra have taught and/or studied at NEC.
Students represent 37 countries and 48 U.S. states and territories.
195 faculty 56 71 11 131
Guggenheim Fellows Grammy Award winners MacArthur Fellows
State-of-the-art performance spaces
8
200 850+ 48% students concert halls with recording capabilities practice spaces concerts and events annually undergraduate 52% graduate 51% international
Guest artists
Master classes and residencies with exceptional guest artists inspire students and the wider NEC community. Recent guest artists have included:
Founded by Eben Tourjée in Boston, Massachusetts in 1867, New England Conservatory represents a new model of music school that combines the best of European tradition with American innovation.
Learn more about our approach to music education at necmusic.edu/integrative-curriculum.
Sam Newsome Susan Graham Mitsuko Uchida Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio
Imagine yourself...
in a city known for its rich history and vibrant cultural offerings.
A campus at the heart of it all
Many of the city's amenities — from restaurants and shops to concert venues, arenas, parks, and historic landmarks — are just a short walk or subway ride from NEC's campus.
Creative culture
Admission to the Museum of Fine Arts, Institute of Contemporary Art, and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is free for NEC students.
A
city of scholars
Boston is home to dozens of colleges and universities.
Natural beauty
Picnic on the Common, take a scenic walk along the Esplanade, or kayak down the Charles River.
Game on
NEC students cheer on Boston’s professional baseball, basketball, and hockey teams — the Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins — alongside local fans.
Concert halls aplenty
Boston is home to numerous concert venues including nearby Symphony Hall, home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Old
vs. new
The city’s history is iconic and built on cutting-edge innovation driven by the world’s leading experts.
Departments and Programs
Brass and Percussion
BM, MM, GD, GPC, DMA, AD
Students work with faculty from the Boston Symphony Orchestra and perform in chamber music, orchestra, wind ensemble, and percussion ensemble concerts, opera productions, and recitals.
Chamber Music
MM, GD
NEC's Chamber Music for Pianists program offers students intensive coaching and significant experience with the chamber music repertoire.
The Professional Trio and Quartet programs offer full-tuition scholarships and living stipends to students who go on to enjoy careers as performers and pedagogues.
Collaborative Piano
MM, GD, GPC, DMA
Advanced students focus on and master piano-vocal and piano-instrumental repertoire in performance classes, private lessons, and coachings.
Composition
BM, MM, GD, GPC, DMA
Students learn from a diverse group of faculty composers and experiment with the latest technology in a program that emphasizes an individualized approach to composition.
Conducting – Choral and Orchestral
MM, GD, DMA (Choral Conducting only)
Students develop the ability to convey their musicality and enjoy ample time on the podium, leading ensembles of their peers.
Contemporary Musical Arts
BM, MM, GD, GPC, DMA, AD
Composers and improvisers work with renowned faculty to hone their voice through deep engagement with oral traditions, interdisciplinary collaborations, and innovative conceptual ideas.
Jazz Performance and Composition
BM, MM, GD, GPC, DMA, AD (performance only)
Students are immersed in a pioneering program in which they learn from and develop their voice alongside some of today's most influential jazz musicians.
Music History and Musicology
BM, MM
Leading historians, musicologists, and scholars share their vast knowledge with students who explore diverse musical styles, historical settings, and cultural contexts.
Music Theory
BM, MM, GD, DMA
Our innovative and intellectually rigorous curriculum, led by award-winning faculty, merges historical context, musical detail, sound, and critical thought.
Piano
BM, MM, GD, GPC, DMA, AD
Working with a celebrated faculty, students participate in performance seminars, studio classes, master classes with visiting artists, solo and concerto competitions, chamber music concerts, and festivals.
Explore NEC’s Departments and Programs at necmusic.edu/ departments.
Strings
BM, MM, GD, GPC, DMA, AD
Faculty artists who have had remarkable careers as chamber musicians, orchestral musicians, and soloists offer holistic training and encourage individual discovery.
Voice
BM, MM, GD, GPC, DMA, AD (Opera only)
Students receive unparalleled training from acclaimed faculty and perform regularly in opera, Liederabend, and other settings.
Woodwinds
BM, MM, GD, GPC, DMA, AD
Students work with a distinguished faculty, many of whom are members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and perform in wind ensembles, orchestras, and chamber music groups.
Minors and Concentrations
Students have the opportunity to pursue a minor or concentration in Liberal Arts, Music Theory, Teaching Artistry and Music Education, or Music Technology.
Dual Harvard + NEC Degree
NEC’s competitive, five-year program with Harvard College combines a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Music degree allowing students to pursue dual passions.
In 2023, Clayton Stephenson ’23 Harvard/NEC, ’27 AD won the Grand Prize at the inaugural Nina Simone Piano Competition.
Take the stage.
NEC students perform frequently, on and off campus, in large and small ensembles, exploring a variety of repertoire.
Contemporary Musical Arts
Numerous ensembles are offered based on the artistic needs of students.
• American Roots Ensemble
• Ceol Irish Music Ensemble
• Rock Ensemble
• Jewish Music Ensemble
• Mandé West African Music Ensemble
• R&B Ensemble
• Songwriters Workshop
Orchestras
• Philharmonia
• Symphony
• Chamber Orchestra
• Lab Orchestra
Chamber Music Ensembles
• Guitar Ensemble
• Saxophone Ensemble
• Honors Ensembles
Voice and Opera
• Symphonic Choir
• Chamber Singers
• Undergraduate Opera Studio
• Graduate Opera Studio
• Liederabend Programs
Wind, Brass, and Percussion Ensembles
• Wind Ensemble
• Symphonic Winds
• Percussion Ensemble
Jazz Ensembles
• Jazz Orchestra
• Jazz Composers’ Workshop Orchestra
• Gospel Ensemble
• Songwriting Ensemble
• Early Jazz Ensemble
New Music Ensembles
• Composers’ Series
• Composer Recording Sessions
Institute for Concert Artists
The ICA at NEC offers a transformative experience and awards a fully funded Artist Diploma and stipend to artists of extraordinary talent who are on the threshold of a major performing career.
Learn more at necmusic.edu/ica.
In 2022, NEC Concert Artist Yunchan Lim '26 AD became the youngest-ever winner of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition at age 18.
NEC yourself at NEC Picture
NEC NEC
Community Engagement and Professional Studies
Entrepreneurial Musicianship
Teaching Artistry and Music Education
NEC students and alumni are mentored by conservatory-trained musicians with experience at a range of arts organizations.
The program helps students prepare for interviews and develop career goals. Electives explore marketing, communications, financial planning, and legal issues.
Students tailor assignments to fit their interests and goals. Internships offer unique, paid field experiences on campus and beyond, and EM grants help fund passion projects.
NEC's concentration in Teaching Artistry and Music Education prepares students to become adaptable music educators.
Through real-world learning, students gain practical experience and skills that can be applied in a variety of pedagogical settings.
Community Performances and Partnerships
NEC's CPP program engages people of all ages across neighborhoods, ethnicities, and economic circumstances in the city of Boston and beyond.
Through mentorship, professional development, and experiential learning, NEC students explore what it means to live in and contribute to a community.
Integrative Curriculum`
At NEC, the classroom is connected to the practice studio and the concert hall, and students are connected to themselves, to one another, and to the world around them.
The whole musician — the individual artist and their potential — is nurtured in an experiential and project-based learning environment.
In faculty violinist Nicholas Kitchen's course "Creativity and Manuscripts," students gain insight into Beethoven's music by investigating the composer's notation.
Expanded Education
Young and adult musicians study with an extraordinary faculty and participate in small and large ensembles, learning and performing different kinds of music.
NEC Prep
More than 1,500 students ages 18 and younger from across New England work with an accomplished faculty that includes musicians from NEC college and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Adult Education
For more than 150 years, adult learners have been inspired and challenged in a supportive community that shares a passion for music and the performing arts.
Summer Programs
Students ages 13 to 18 from around the world immerse themselves in an unparalleled musical experience led by world-class faculty and renowned guest artists.
Learn more at necmusic.edu/ee.
Apply to NEC
Are you ready to make music at NEC?
Complete and submit your application by December 1. We're eager to learn about you.
Looking for spring-term enrollment? Ask NEC's enrollment staff about starting your program in January.
90%
All applicants are encouraged to apply for both merit- and need-based support through NEC.
Applying for Aid
Applications for Institutional Scholarships and Financial Assistance from NEC are due by February 15.
U.S. citizens and permanent residents must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 15 to determine eligibility for federal need-based and non-need-based aid.
NEC's enrollment and financial-aid staff welcome your questions. of NEC's students receive scholarships.
Learn more at necmusic.edu/ admissions.
Required application materials:
Online application
Prescreening recordings and/or portfolio
Live audition (most majors)
Unofficial transcripts
Short essays
Artistic resume, including a brief repertoire list
English proficiency documentation (if applicable)
Artistic and academic letters of recommendation
Application fee
Imagine and launch an impactful career.
Students at NEC have an educational experience that prepares them to contribute meaningfully to society and the world through their music.
Our students meet the highest international standards of artistry and go on to enjoy impressive successes in the music industry and beyond.
Sophie Wang ’18 MM, ’20 GD
Major: Violin
Wang joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra's violin section in 2022 and was promoted to associate concertmaster in 2025.
Zaccai Curtis ’03, ’05 GD
Major: Piano, Jazz Performance Studies
Curtis won a 2025 Grammy Award in the "Best Latin Jazz Album" category for Cubop Lives!
Evren Ozel ’17 Prep, ’21, ’23 MM, ’25 AD
Major: Piano
Ozel received an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2023 and won the Bronze Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2025.
Stephanie Economou ’12
Major: Composition
In 2023, Economou won the first Grammy Award for the “Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media” for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok.
Lily Honigberg ’18, ’20 MM
Major: Violin, Contemporary Musical Arts
Honigberg played fiddle on Shaboozey’s hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” FINNEAS’s album For Cryin’ Out Loud!, and the soundtrack for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Anthony León ’21 MM
Major: Vocal Performance
León won the Metropolitan Opera’s Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition in 2023 and received LA Opera's Eva and Marc Stern Artist Award in 2025.
To access a digital copy of NEC's Admissions Viewbook, scan here.