New England Conservatory’s yearlong celebration of its Preparatory School’s 75th anniversary will culminate in a free concert at the Department of Conservation & Recreation's Edward A. Hatch Memorial Shell.

The festive, family friendly Concert for the City, which will also celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding, will feature NEC Prep’s Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (YPO) in a performance that highlights many of the diverse musical traditions that have shaped our shared culture. Since its founding in 1867, NEC has been a cornerstone of Boston’s vibrant arts community. The Conservatory’s Prep School, established in 1950, has for generations been a leader in youth music education.

The Concert for the City on May 16 will feature the YPO, led by its conductor Juliano Aniceto, Director of NEC Prep Orchestras, in a performance that pays tribute to the United States’ semiquincentennial, NEC Prep’s 75th anniversary, and NEC’s place in and contributions to Boston’s cultural landscape.

Repertoire:

Gunther Schuller: The Star-Spangled Banner

George Gershwin: Selections from Porgy and Bess
with soprano Sarah Joyce Cooper (’11 Prep) and baritone Phil Lima

James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson: We Shall Overcome and Lift Every Voice and Sing‍ ‍
arr. Nicholas Hersh

Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 9, “From the New World” Movt. I & IV.

John Philip Sousa: The Stars and Stripes Forever

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture

James P. Johnson: Victory Stride
‍ ‍arr. Nicholas Hersh