Performances + Events
Commencement
Each spring, family and friends are invited to join our graduates and celebrate their remarkable achievements at NEC’s annual commencement ceremony.
Sunday, May 18, 2025
2 p.m. EDT
Jordan Hall
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 2025
New England Conservatory conferred degrees on the Class of 2025 during a ceremony on Sunday, May 18, that also included the presentation of honorary degrees to Boston Symphony Orchestra President and CEO Chad Smith ’95 NEC/Tufts, ’98 MM, ’25 hon. DM; City of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ’25 hon. DM; film composer Conrad Pope ’73, ’25 hon. DM; and life trustee Wendy Shattuck ’75, ’25 hon. DM. Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas ’25 hon. DM and Marvin E. Gilmore, Jr. ’51, ’24 hon. DM received honorary degrees earlier in the academic year.
