Boston Conservatory Earns Several “Best of” Accolades in 2025
December is the month for “best of” recognitions, as media outlets around the world reflect on the past year’s most compelling achievements in the performing arts and beyond. In line with this tradition, Boston Conservatory at Berklee has its own year-end “bests” to share, looking back on accolades the institution earned in 2025 and championing the success of its students, faculty, and alums.
As they have for decades, Boston Conservatory graduates continued to make their mark on professional theater in 2025, earning nominations for outstanding work on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater throughout the US. Six alums were nominated for Tony Awards in several major categories, including Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, Best New Play, Best Revival of a Play, and Best Revival of a Musical. Across the entire Berklee institution, more than 30 alumni contributed to 13 Tony-nominated productions this year.
Boston Conservatory alums also were recognized with nominations for Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, and Drama Desk awards. At New England’s own Elliot Norton Awards, the many Boston Conservatory–trained nominees included current student Cortlandt Barrett (BFA '27), who was nominated for her performance in Next to Normal at Central Square Theater. Boston Conservatory’s Theater Division also closed out the calendar year with fresh nominations in the 2025 Broadway World Boston Awards, recognizing costume and scenic design for the mainstage production of She Kills Monsters, as well as a best direction nod for Kate Kohler Amory’s work on Fucking A.
The Music Division added a new name to its list of Grammy Award–winning faculty in February 2025 when Assistant Professor Stephen Spinelli won in the Best Classical Solo Vocal Album category for his collaboration with soprano Karen Slack on Beyond the Years: Unpublished Songs of Florence Price. Spinelli coproduced the album, which showcased a collection of Price manuscripts newly restored by Spinelli’s non-profit organization OneComposer.
In other Grammy news, nine Boston Conservatory graduates performed on albums that received 2025 Grammy nominations across four categories: Best Musical Theater Album, Best Opera Recording, Best Classical Solo Vocal Album, and Best Classical Compendium.
Current Boston Conservatory vocal arts students took home prizes of their own in 2025, earning third place (Division VI) in the National Opera Association’s annual production competition. Their award-winning performance of Riders to the Sea/Whaling Women was directed by Associate Professor Nathan Troup and conducted by Associate Professor Tiffany Chang, with vocal coaching by Professor Jean Anderson and Associate Professor Laurann Gilley.
Across all three divisions, Boston Conservatory continues to be named a top school by respected trade organizations and higher education guides:
Dance
For the sixth year in a row, Boston Conservatory earned a place on DanceUS.org’s list of the best college dance programs, receiving a shout-out for “what is widely considered the best contemporary dance program in the US.” Not resting on its laurels, the Dance Division strengthened its outstanding curriculum in 2025, launching a new five-year partnership with the Verdon Fosse Legacy, whose instructors will be in residence twice a year to teach iconic Fosse choreography and reconstruct masterworks for performance.
Music
Careers in Music named Boston Conservatory to the number four spot on its list of Best Music Schools in the US, referring to the institution as a “highly competitive school focused on one-to-one teaching in preparing students for fulfilling careers as top performers and music educators.” Cross-registration between Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Berklee College of Music was cited as a compelling reason for students to attend. Careers in Music is an online guide for aspiring music professionals, offering career guidance and insights for navigating the industry.
Theater
Which college has the most alumni on Broadway? Playbill answers this question every performance season with its exclusive list of the 10 most-represented colleges, and for the seventh year in a row, Boston Conservatory made the cut. The 2024–2025 rankings were compiled based on cast members who name their alma mater in their Playbill bios. The Conservatory placed ninth this year, powered by alumni performances in shows like Real Women Have Curves, Death Becomes Her, Wicked, and over two dozen more.
