Founded in 1867, New England Conservatory of Music is the oldest independent school of music in the United States. It is also a National Historic Landmark. The Conservatory is recognized internationally as a leader among music schools and boasts a student body representing more than 40 countries. The new Student Life and Performance Center (SLPC), Phase I of a two-building design, creates a vibrant new setting for the academic and community life of NEC. The SLPC offers orchestra and jazz rehearsal rooms, a black box opera workshop, the NEC library, 250 residential rooms, a dining commons, and gathering spaces. It presents a new image for NEC on Boston’s Avenue of the Arts.