The Second New England School, or sometimes specifically the Boston Six, is a hypothetical group of classical music composers who lived during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in New England, a northeastern region of the United States of America. They were particularly based in and around the city of Boston, Massachusetts, which was an emerging musical center. The Second New England School is viewed by musicologists as pivotal in the development of an American classical idiom that stands apart from its European ancestors.
The Second New England School did not function as a bonafide organization. Since individuals did not view themselves as members of the school, its 'membership' can only be approximated by musicologists who draw aesthetic and philosophical links between composers. The Cambridge History of American Music, for example, lists composers who were associated with New England educational institutions. The list includes John Knowles Paine (1839-1906), Arthur Foote (1853-1937), George Chadwick (1854-1931), and Amy Beach (1867-1944). Additional sources will include Edward MacDowell (1861-1908), George Whiting (1861-1944), Horatio Parker (1863-1919), and others.
John Knowles Paine, who served as the first Professor of Music at Harvard University, was considered as the leading compositional authority during his lifetime and, unofficially, the leader of this group. Paine held seniority in age and experience over most of his colleagues.
During the Second New England School's years of prominence, American musical education was still in its infancy. Americans often learned musical theory and composition in Europe or from European musicians who had emigrated to the United States. As a result, large portions of American classical music written at the time reflects European influences, especially from Germany. Although America lagged in composition, in the second half of the 20th century the country developed permanent and robust opera and symphonic organizations and exceeded Europe in quality of piano manufacture and piano ownership per capita. Members of the Second New England School are credited with steering American classical music in new directions that led to the work of internationally-known figures such as Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, William Schuman, and Leonard Bernstein.