Former scholarship winners return to Puerto Rico to perform at Heineken Jazz Festival

BOSTON, May 24, 1999 -- For the fifth year in a row, music students in Puerto Rico will get the chance to train with faculty from Boston's renowned Berklee College of Music and to win scholarships to attend Berklee, the world's largest and most culturally diverse music school.

About 110 young musicians from all over the island will participate in this year's "Berklee in Puerto Rico" program, hosted by Interamerican University, June 8-13. In addition, the program's most accomplished ensemble of students will be chosen to perform at the Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Festival on Sunday, June 13 at 5 p.m. in Sixto Escobar Park, San Juan.

The "Berklee in Puerto Rico" program is a crash course in the Berklee method of musical instruction, encompassing theory, ear training, improvisation, ensemble performance and instrumental instruction. While attending "Berklee in Puerto Rico," young Puerto Rican musicians will have the opportunity to audition for the $50,000 in scholarships Berklee will distribute to several students during the trip. Over the past four years, 36 students have received such partial-tuition awards.

Participating in this year's trip is a special ensemble of current Berklee students, including many previous Puerto Rican scholarship winners and alumni of the "Berklee in Puerto Rico" program. These students will return to their home island to perform at the festival, showing off the skills they have honed while studying in Boston. They also will perform at the Heineken Jazz Festival, opening the evening concert on June 13.

The ensemble will be lead by trombonist and performance major Luis León of Cayey, P.R., a scholarship winner now in his second semester. The group will play a variety of original compositions, mixing jazz, blues, Latin and Spanish influences. Luis said he and his bandmates are excited to show their hometown audience what they've learned at Berklee.

"I went to the Berklee in Puerto Rico program to get ahead musically, especially in improvisation. Then the scholarship was the stepping stone for me to get to Boston," he said. "What I want people to know is that it's possible. It's hard work, but it's possible."

Joining Luis will be saxophonists Luis Rodriguez of Bayamon, P.R., José Heredia of Vega Baja, P.R., and Néstor Toro of Hatorey, P.R., bassist Alfonso Simonpietri of Guaynabo, P.R., drummer Ruben Amador of Río Piedras, P.R., guitarists Ricardo Gonzalez of Guayama, P.R., and Wilfredo Carrasquillo of Caguas, P.R., percussionist Francisco Quiñones of Buffalo, N.Y., pianist Aton Castillo, of New York, N.Y., and trumpeter Albert Leusink of the Netherlands.

"Berklee in Puerto Rico" will be taught by some of the college's premier faculty, specializing in jazz, blues and pop styles. This year's instructors represent Berklee's Ear Training, Guitar, Percussion, Piano, Bass, and Woodwind Departments. A faculty ensemble also will perform at the Heineken Jazz Festival on June 13.

The "Berklee in Puerto Rico" program is made possible with cooperation from Berklee alumnus Luis Alvarez '83, executive producer of the Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Festival.

Founded in 1945, Berklee College of Music has been advancing careers in contemporary music for more than 50 years. The world's largest independent college of music, Berklee has a multicultural enrollment of nearly 3,000 students, 40 percent of whom are international. The college's alumni include some of the most respected figures in contemporary music, including Latin stars Juan Luis Guerra '81, Danilo Perez '88, Justo Almario '71, and many multi-Grammy award winners.

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For more information, contact:
Sarah Godcher, publicist
In San Juan June 7-14
(787) 722-7000
Office of Public Information
(617) 747-2658 or sgodcher@berklee.edu