Upcoming Events: Berklee Performance Center

Berklee judges open the doors to the final round of auditions for one of the college's most popular events: Singers Showcase. Each vocalist will perform in front of a panel of prestigious Berklee faculty and a live audience—a unique opportunity for aspiring performers to witness the audition experience. After the final audition, the audience will be invited to vote, and the rseults will be combined with the judges' scores. Be a part of the selection process, hear the judges' critiques, and support your favorite singer as the top vocalists are chosen for the December concert. Results will be announced at the end of the night.

Impressionistic jazz featuring original music combining many elements of the African diaspora, including gospel, Brazilian, African, bebop, and R&B. Special guests to appear.

At 8:15 p.m., Costa Rican composer and arranger Andrés Marín presents a compilation of his work, covering pop, rock, fusion, Latin, and jazz styles, and including vocal and instrumental pieces for small band format. At 9:15 p.m., Felix Martin presents highly complex composition in the style of progressive rock, electronic, jazz, and fusion, with special arrangements for the V-drums and other surprises. Admission: Free [details]

Born to R&B and soul music royalty, Lalah Hathaway '94 is known to most people simply as the daughter of late soul music legend Donny Hathaway. But there is more to her than that. A trained pianist and vocalist, she is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and her career has spanned two decades. Twenty-one years after the release of her first LP, her career continues to thrive. Hathaway will be performing with Berklee students.

With a deep, spiritual, and moving style, Yasmin Levy preserves and revives the most beautiful and romantic songs from the Ladino/Judeo-Spanish tradition. Her powerfully sensual voice, which combines flamenco's fiery passion with the microtonal melisma of Middle Eastern music, ripples across sashaying grooves built from hand percussion; Turkish-Arabic instruments such as the oud, ney, and qanun; and Western standbys, including acoustic guitar and bass.

Ensemble students pay tribute to Sly Stone, Prince, and practitioners of "da funk." This concert is part of the Ensemble Department R&B Initiative.

Alumnus BT comes back to Berklee for this Valentine's Day concert featuring Chris Compton, Richard Boulanger, Kari Juusela, Michael Bierylo, and Chi Kim. BT is known as a sonik arkitect, platinum-selling artist, producer, celebrated film composer, virtuoso laptop performer, software developer, and visionary technologist. [details]

Voice faculty come together for this tour de force performance. Joined by student players, they'll showcase a variety of contemporary styles including jazz, R&B, pop, rock, Latin, and singer-songwriter. Featured faculty vocalists are: Jeannie Gagné (director), Gabrielle Goodman, Aubrey Johnson, Nichelle Mungo, Jeff Ramsey, David Scott, Alison Wedding. [details]

The Berklee P-Funk Ensemble has been a popular ensemble since the 1990s. George Clinton made a surprise visit and directed the group for an MTV special a few years back. Now, one of the foremost innovators of funk music returns to Berklee for a four-day residency and a concert covering his artistic trajectory from Parliament in the 1960s to Funkadelic, and his amazing solo career.

The Varsity Vocals International Championship of A Cappella is the only international tournament that showcases the art of student a cappella singing. Hosted by Berklee's own award-winning group, Pitch Slapped, young vocalists have the opportunity to showcase their talent to an international audience and develop relationships with each other, cultivating the art of a cappella singing and a lifelong love of music. [details]

Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live) and Carrie Brownstein (Wild Flag, Sleater- Kinney) from IFC's hit original comedy Portlandia are embarking on a unique six-city tour bringing the romanticized and dreamy rendering of Portland, Oregon to life for fans across the country. Portlandia: The Tour will feature Armisen and Brownstein, the cocreators, writers, and stars of Portlandia, performing live music, presenting sneak-peek clips from the show's second season, and sharing personal anecdotes about the creation and inspiration of Portlandia and its variety of eccentric characters.

An evening of folkloric Afro-Cuban and popular Cuban music with Los Hermanos Arango, direct from Havana, Cuba. [details]

A festival of new music

Tye Tribbett has been making bold declarations and bringing forth change within his music for years with Tye Tribbett and Greater Anointing (“GA”), his family and ministry. Together they toured and performed with some of the biggest artists in the secular world, including Whitney Houston, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Luther Vandross, Elton John, Justin Timberlake and Jill Scott. [details]

Individually, Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer composed some of the greatest tunes in the American songbook. Together, they wrote time-tested standards as "Skylark" and "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening." At Berklee's annual celebration of the American Songbook, student and faculty vocalists backed by a full orchestra interpret the individual and collaborative songs of these American masters. [details]

Francisco Vielma y Panela Ensamble performs compositions by some of the most important Venezuelan songwriters today. [details]

8:15 p.m. - Yun Mi Bak 9:15 p.m. - Mina and the Secret present jazz and rock, classic and hip-hop, all by Mina Yu. Admission: Free

Jazz Composition Department's annual spring concert featuring the writings of department faculty

Artists to be announced.

Songs from around the world by players from around the world, as seen on the Playing for Change PBS special and on YouTube. The Playing For Change tour features musicians from different cultures uniting together for a common purpose of peace through music.

The Grammy Award–winning Carolina Chocolate Drops revitalize the old-time string and jug-band music of the Piedmont region with velocity and virtuosity. The band’s expanded new lineup includes original members Rhiannon Giddens on fiddle, banjo, and vocals and Dom Flemons on guitar, banjo, harmonica, jug, and snare. They are joined by new members Hubby Jenkins and Leyla McCalla. [details]

Many Piano Department faculty members will be performing in a variety of settings and styles.

Led by Jeff Galindo, the New Orleans superband Bonerama will perform at 8:15 p.m. The 9:15 p.m. show will feature original and arranged material from Neal Smith's latest album and will showcase an all-star lineup of some of the finest in jazz.

This always-popular concert highlights the music of Berklee women students and their bands from around the world. An eclectic mix that can range from jazz and R&B to Latin, folk, alternative, and more. This year's lineup includes Berklee City Music, Zili Misk, and Renese King.

Known for her smoky voice and magnetic performances, Mexican-American singer and composer Lila Downs has created one of the most singular explorations of Mexican roots music on both sides of the border. She blends Mexican folk rhythms and native dialects with American folk, blues, and rock. Her new release, Pecados y Milagros (Sins and Miracles), is inspired by Downs's experience becoming a new mother (something she calls a miracle), and a contemplation of the meaning of sin in the modern world. The music is accompanied by a series of specially commissioned votive paintings (retablos) by 15 Mexican painters. For this special performance, Downs and her band La Misteriosa will perform while these powerful images are projected onstage. [details]

The Greater Boston region offers a unique mix of modern change and historic culture where people are looking for a place to be challenged and inspired. In this unique event explore how Northway Church can serve this dynamic and diverse community. Admission: Free [details]

The Middle Eastern Music Festival is a celebrated annual event that joins gifted artists from the Middle East and the Balkans with students from all over the world to perform traditional and inspiring music from these homelands.

Grammy Award–winning faculty drummer/composer Mark Walker presents a powerful and intoxicating blend of jazz improvisation with the rhythms and percussion of South America, the Caribbean, and North America. His new group, the Rhythm of the Americas, is a virtual wall of rhythm, sound, and color, and features two percussionists, Hammond organ, piano, guitar, saxophone, bass, and drums. [details]

The concert features some of the best contemporary writing and production and electronic production and design students collaborating to present their dynamic songs, arrangements, and original compositions in an exciting mix of modern electrifying music. [details]

With explosive taiko drumming and innovative, acrobatic choreography, Tao: The Martial Art of Drumming offers a breathtaking, vibrantly modern twist on a traditional art form—and a visual and sonic tour de force. This all-new production captures the best of Tao’s extraordinary precision, energy, and stamina. [details]

Since meeting at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in 1939, the Blind Boys of Alabama have thrilled audiences worldwide with their potent, impassioned renditions of gospel songs. Winners of five Grammy Awards, celebrated by the National Endowment for the Arts with several Lifetime Achievement Awards and inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, they have attained the highest levels of achievement in a career that spans over 60 years and shows no signs of diminishing. The Blind Boys of Alabama send spirits soaring to dizzying heights with their foot-stomping, hand-clapping celebration.

The Berklee Global Jazz Institute (BGJI) is a performance program designed to foster creativity and musicianship through various musical disciplines, with pianist and composer Danilo Pérez as its artistic director. The BGJI provides a comprehensive contemporary music environment where students are given opportunities to explore their creativity to the highest level possible, advance the power of music as a tool for the betterment of society, and connect musical creative thinking with the natural environment. This concert will feature BGJI ensembles, faculty, and special guests.

This annual performance celebrates Berklee's abundant international student population proving that music is truly a cultural bridge. Students and faculty will perform, some wearing vibrant clothing and playing rarely seen instruments from their homelands. They will showcase a vast range of musical styles. [details]

Since completing his studies at Berklee, Kirill Gerstein has devoted his career to classical repertoire. In 2010, he was awarded the coveted Gilmore Artist Award, which is presented every four years to recognize extraordinary artistry. Gerstein returns to Berklee with a program that includes Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue in the original 1924 arrangement, with guest clarinetist and Berklee alumna Anat Cohen.

Four to six piano students are selected to perform in this stylistically diverse concert. Performances will range from solo piano to piano trio to large group.

Music by the Paul Simon and Sting Ensemble and the Stevie, Chaka, Aretha, Marvin Ensemble, led by Alain Mallet and Skip Smith. This concert is part of the Ensemble Department's R&B initiative. [details]

Sponsored by Berklee's Guitar Department, this show will feature the best student-led guitar performers in this genre. Led by faculty members Mike Ihde and Jon Finn, it's one of the highlights of Berklee's concert season. [details]

As part of the annual Berklee Percussion Days this concert will showcase Percussion Department faculty. [details]

The Magnetic Fields represent the creative output of songwriter, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Stephin Merritt, who, along with longtime members Claudia Gonson, Sam Davol, and John Woo, are the quintessential pop eccentric of the 1990s. Coupled with clever, ironic lyrics, the Magnetic Fields' music borrows from many other styles, notably country, folk, and indie pop. Also performing will be guest artist DeVotchKa.

The Magnetic Fields represent the creative output of songwriter, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Stephin Merritt, who, along with longtime members Claudia Gonson, Sam Davol, and John Woo, are the quintessential pop eccentric of the 1990s. Coupled with clever, ironic lyrics, the Magnetic Fields' music borrows from many other styles, notably country, folk, and indie pop. Also performing will be guest artist DeVotchKa.

The 14 winning songs from our annual Songwriters Competition are arranged, played, and sung by some of Berklee's finest student writers, instrumentalists, and vocalists. [details]

The Professional Writing Division Awards Concert features award-winning student compositions from each of the PWD's six departments as well as the Millican Award—a student composition paying homage to George Gershwin. The compositions range from full-orchestra film music to jazz ensemble and singer-songwriter. The writing and performance is at the highest level and is very engaging. [details]

Music from the Great American Jazz Songbook. Played by many of Berklee's top-rated student musicians and vocalists. [details]

Singers Showcase [details]

Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal". The musical is based on a 1926 play of the same name by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins about actual criminals and crimes she reported on. Performed by Berklee students, with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. [details]

Ensemble students (the Berklee JB All-Stars) pay tribute to the Godfather of Soul and his influence on contemporary music. This concert is part of the Ensemble Department R&B Initiative. [details]

A concert of traditional and contemporary music for wind ensemble, presented by the Berklee Symphonic Winds, featuring a world premiere by Berklee alumnus Chris Opperman entitled "Kagemusha" and the music of Patrick Burns, Jack Stamp, Eric Whitacre, and Frank Ticheli. [details]

Saxophonist Joshua Redman and pianist Brad Mehldau first performed together in Redman’s acclaimed quartet during the ’90s. In the decade and a half since, both Grammy Award– nominated musicians have reached international and critical acclaim while forging their own distinctive voices as modern jazz icons. The duo format fosters a new convergence for these friends to reunite for an intimate performance in which they can openly create music that swings and deeply connects to the spirit.

The Greater Boston region offers a unique mix of modern change and historic culture where people are looking for a place to be challenged and inspired. In this unique event explore how Northway Church can serve this dynamic and diverse community. Admission: Free [details]

An evening of negro spirituals, traditional gospel, and contemporary.

The 25th annual Pop/Rock Live Showcase concert, directed by Mirek Kocandrle, highlights the best music written and performed by some of the most talented student songwriters, singers, and arrangers. The concert will present variety of original contemporary compositions as well as new arrangements of standard pop/rock and R&B repertoire, featuring some of the college's best vocalists and instrumentalists. [details]

The Joni Mitchell Show is a play with music and dance, written and performed by Berklee students, about the life and work of songwriter Joni Mitchell. When the dust settles, Mitchell may stand as the most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century. Uncompromising and iconoclastic, she confounded expectations at every turn; restlessly innovative, her music evolved from deeply personal folk stylings into pop, jazz, avant-garde, and even world music, presaging the multicultural experimentation of the 1980s and 1990s by over a decade. Please note that Joni Mitchell will not be performing or in attendance for this event. [details]

As frontman and principal songwriter for ’80s sensation Men at Work, Colin Hay is responsible for one of the most identifiable sounds in pop music. Classic songs like "Down Under," "Overkill" and "Who Can It Be Now?" unfold like miniature movies, with timeless twists and a bittersweet sense of humor. In this solo acoustic performance, Hay intersperses classic and new songs with humorous, poignant and downright surreal stories drawn from his often unbelievable experiences over the last three decades.

Jazz Composition Department chair Ken Pullig will select some of his pieces for performance. Also tentatively scheduled is Mingus's "Black Saint and Sinner Lady" in its recorded form. [details]

The Tim Miller Trio will perform a concert of original music featuring Berklee faculty Tim Miller on guitar, Terri Lyne Carrington on drums, and Lincoln Goines on bass.

Pino Daniele performs in Boston for the first time, while on an international tour of North America. Daniele is an influential Italian jazz-fusion guitarist. He has released 30 studio albums since 1975. [details]