Artist Diploma - Instrumental
Except in unusual and compelling circumstances, the Artist Diploma is limited to areas of performance with substantial and significant solo repertoire.
Artist Diploma students have the opportunity to perform in our world-renowned Jordan Hall each year. As part of their program responsibilities, Artist Diploma students play an active role in the musical life of the Conservatory during the required two years’ residence, participating in institutional outreach and demonstrating their commitment to musical artistry.
The program typically admits one or two students each year, following final live auditions before the Artist Diploma Committee.
Application Instructions
Audition Requirements
Participants in the Program
Cellist Narek Haknazaryan was the first instrumentalist to enroll in NEC's Artist Diploma program under the new audition system, beginning with the 2009/2010 academic year. In addition to a Jordan Hall recital, he performed as soloist in Boston's Symphony Hall with the NEC Philharmonia. The summer after graduating from the program, he won the Gold Medal, the audience prize, and the Prize for Best Performance of the Chamber Concerto at the 2011 XVI International Tchaikovsky Competition. His 2011-12 season included his debut with the Chicago Symphony and concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra and Mariinsky Orchestra. Find out more about him in the video profile above with his teacher, Laurence Lesser.
In Fall 2010, pianist Lukáš Vondrácek entered the program. Vondrácek, who gave his first international concert tour in 1997 at age 10, studied with Hung-Kuan Chen at NEC. In the second year of the program, Lukas won first prize, the Grand Jury Prize, and four other prizes at the 12th Unisa Vodacom International Piano Competition in Pretorio, South Africa. 2011-12 highlights included appearances with the London Philharmonic, Prague Philharmonia, Stuttgart Philharmonic, and National Symphony (Washington, DC).
Xiang Yu was selected to enter the program in Fall 2012. Winner of the 2010 Menuhin Competition while a sophomore at NEC and a 2011 Tchaikovsky Competition finalist, Angelo has soloed with the Pittsburgh, Auckland, and Shanghai symphony orchestras, the Calgary and Oslo philharmonic orchestras, and the Norwegian Broadcasting Orchestra. Angelo studies with Donald Weilerstein.
Hear Xiang Yu in concert
2013-01-22 NEC's Jordan Hall
Artist Diploma Committee 2012–2013
Pamela Frank
Mark-André Hamelin
Seymour Lipkin
Peter Wiley
Hugh Wolff
2013-01-10
VIRGIL THOMSON