Berklee marks its 20th anniversary of teaching students in Italy.

By Nick Balkin and Allen Bush
Berklee.edu Correspondents
August 15, 2005

It's not at every European jazz festival that an American music college would steal fire from the likes of such big-name headliners as Elton John, Diana Ross, and Tony Bennett. But during last month's Umbria Jazz, the buzz Berklee created was impossible to ignore. The college marked the 20th anniversary of Berklee Summer School at Umbria Jazz Clinics, a program that has been filled to capacity every year since 1985 and has taught nearly 5,000 European and Italian musicians. The program has not only provided a key educational pathway for scores of musicians; it is today seen as an irreplaceable part of one of the continent's largest music events. To acknowledge the milestone, Berklee celebrated in style.

Three Jazz Legends Honored
On July 16, President Roger Brown conferred honorary doctor of music degrees upon piano legends Hank Jones and McCoy Tyner, and Italian trumpeter Enrico Rava for their enduring contributions to jazz and culture, in Perguia's historic Sala del Notari. In past trips to Umbria, Berklee has presented honorary degrees to musicians Sonny Rollins, Giovanni Tomasso, Pino Candini, Bobby McFerrin, Ray Brown, Jim Hall, and Johnny Griffin, as well as Umbria Jazz founder Carlo Pagnotta.

Press: to inquire about photo availability and usage, please e-mail us. From left: President Roger Brown, Enrico Rava, McCoy Tyner, and Hank Jones Photo by Nick Balkin

A Parade for Bird
Later in the afternoon following the doctorate ceremony, the 230 students of this year's Berklee Summer School at Umbria Jazz Clinics marched in a parade on the Corso to mark the 50th year since Charlie Parker's passing. The ocean of blue Berklee t-shirts making its way through the heart of the festival was symbolic of the college's enduring presence at Umbria Jazz. Many students, still full of adrenaline after the parade was over, formed their own drum circles and hosted open jam sessions right in the middle of the street.

Press: to inquire about photo availability and usage, please e-mail us. Berklee summer school students march down the Corso to honor Charlie Parker Photo by Nick Balkin

"Iron" Faculty Ignite Premier Umbria Venues
There's a good chance that the Berklee faculty were the hardest-worked musicians at Umbria Jazz. Days were spent teaching clinics, and nearly every night they played gigs together—which often lasted well beyond midnight—in the Larry Monroe-Donna McElroy Band. This year, however, for the first time since Berklee became involved in Umbria Jazz, the faculty were invited to perform on the big stage at Piazza IV Novembre. Thousands of festivalgoers packed the Corso to hear some of Berklee's best talent perform several exhilarating concerts.

"It takes a special kind of faculty member to succeed in this setting," said Larry Monroe, Berklee's vice president for international programs. "Since the program is short, the teachers need to be able to connect with the students right away. They must have the stamina to teach longer hours than they do in Boston and then, after a quick change of clothes, appear on a big stage at a major jazz festival."

Press: to inquire about photo availability and usage, please e-mail us. Left: Greg Badolato teaches a tenor saxophone clinic at Umbria Jazz 2005. Right: Associate professor Kenwood Dennard drums with Delmar Brown's band Total Victory at the Arena Santa Giuliana Photo by Nick Balkin

Berklee faculty members at Umbria Jazz 2005 included Mark White, guitar; Scott deOgburn, trumpet; Jeff Galindo, trombone; Matthew Nicholl, piano; Oscar Stagnaro, bass; Ron Savage, drums; Donna McElroy, voice; Dennis Montgomery III, voice, piano, gospel choir; Jim Kelly, guitar; Greg Badolato, tenor sax; and Larry Monroe, conducting special lectures.

Faculty drummer Kenwood Dennard performed with Delmar Brown's band Total Victory at the Arena Santa Giuliana (where the largest concert attractions play), but did not teach at the summer school.

$150,000 in Scholarships Awarded
After the Berklee College of Music faculty wave goodbye and leave Perugia, some students from the 20th Berklee Summer School at Umbria Jazz Clinics might soon say hello at Berklee's Boston campus. On Sunday, July 17, on the last day the of the summer program and at the end of a three-day series of concerts with every student from the program performing, Larry Monroe and Giovani Tomasso awarded $150,000 in scholarships to 13 outstanding student musicians. Since the beginning of the program, approximately $1 million worth of scholarships has been awarded. Many of these recipients have excelled at Berklee, and gone on to prominent careers in the music industry, including Matt Garrison, Marco Panascia, and Chiara Civello. According to Monroe, 30 percent of students who are awarded scholarships at the conclusion of the Summer School matriculate to the Boston campus, most being Italian, resulting in young artists from all over the world going to Berklee when they might not have otherwise had the chance.

Press: to inquire about photo availability and usage, please e-mail us. Dennis Montgomery III conducts the gospel choir during the scholarship ceremony at Umbria Jazz 2005 Photo by Nick Balkin

2005 scholarship recipients for full-time study in Boston are Swantje Campert-Blahous, Austria; Pasquale Strizzi, Italy; Marco Spedallere, Italy; Alessandro Chiapetta, Italy; Monika Hofmarcher, Austria; Manuel Trabucco, Italy; Andrea Leonelli, Italy; Sophie Tassignon, Belgium; Frances Swinn, Australia; and Giovanni Di Benedetto, Italy.

Recipeints of scholarships to Berklee's Five-Week Summer Performance Program in Boston are: Daniele Cordisco, Italy; Francesco Gnan, Italy; and Johnny Taylor, UK.

	Press: to inquire about photo availability and usage, please e-mail us.
	Chiara Civello '98, whose entire band was made up of alumni, performs at Piazza IV Novembre
	Photo by Nick Balkin

Civello is touring throughout Europe, Japan, and the U.S. and playing songs from her debut CD for Verve Forecast, Last Quarter Moon. The music on stage and CD is a reflection of every style and culture she loves: jazz, pop, Brazilian, r&b, and Italian.

When asked for a memory about her years studying in Boston, she replied, "What Berklee gave me was exposure to the world through the people and cultures that were available to me on campus. My record is a reflection of the worldly sound that Berklee helped me to find."

Nick Balkin is publicist and Allen Bush is director of the office of public information.