World Scholarship Tour Visits Australia

Berklee College of Music, the world's premier college of contemporary music, will be holding audition and interview (A&I) events in Australia for the first time as part of the college's World Scholarship Tour. Berklee's A&I events offer talented musicians the chance to be awarded scholarships to attend the college. Auditions will be held in Melbourne on January 6, 2009, and in Sydney on January 13, 2009. For more information or to apply, visit berklee.edu/wst or email scholarships@berklee.edu.

Berklee's unique audition and interview process is designed to demonstrate the applicant's musical strengths and academic goals while helping the college assess their aptitude and ability to succeed in Berklee's dynamic environment.  Each year, the World Scholarship Tour visits more than 40 cities throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America in search of talented instrumentalists and vocalists—an effort that is supported with $20 million in scholarship funds.  Continuing to expand its reach globally, the college traveled to two African countries last year. With the addition of Australia, Berklee now holds auditions on every continent except Antarctica. 

Michael Shaver, assistant director of international admissions, expects to see an abundance of talent. Says Shaver, "Australian musicians like AC/DC, INXS, the Bee Gees, and Men at Work have been very influential in contemporary music.  Music education is emphasized in the Australian education philosophy; in Sydney alone there are eight performing arts high schools. There is also a great potential to find students who are versed in Aboriginal music."

Musicians come to Berklee from more than 70 countries, making the college uniquely international. While more than 20 percent of the college's students are from outside the U.S.—among the largest percentages of all U.S. colleges and universities—there are currently only about a dozen students from Australia, a number the college is hoping will increase with these audition and scholarship opportunities.