Applications Open for 2023 Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics

Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics is now accepting applications for this year’s program, to be held July 4–16 at the Fondazione Sant'Anna in Perugia, Italy, during the Umbria Jazz Festival, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. 

The 2023 Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics will mark the 36th year of the Berklee and Umbria Jazz Festival collaboration. To date, more than 6,000 students have participated in the program, which includes group lessons, vocal programs, ensembles, and theory and improvisation classes for young musicians from all over the world. Over 12 days, master classes will be taught in performing, improvisation, composition, and other subjects by world-class Berklee faculty, including Nichelle Mungo, associate professor of voice, and Cecil Alexander, assistant professor of guitar, as well as special guest artists from the Umbria Jazz Festival. "My mission is to give as much musical knowledge as possible in the two weeks of our program," said Giovanni Tommaso, director, Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics. 

The program takes place daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and concludes with final concert activities July 14–16 on the Berklee and Umbria Jazz Clinics stage. Daily after-hours jam sessions will take place as informal performances on the Berklee stage and are open to all students. Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics is open to all aspiring high school and college musicians, and participants must be at least 15 years of age by the start of the program. Students are required to have at least six months of studies in their main instrument or voice. 

“We are looking for students with an interest in learning more about jazz and other contemporary improvisational styles of music,” said Dave Limina, chair of Berklee’s Piano Department and academic director of the Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics. “This program not only exposes students to a unique learning environment, but it will also open their world in meeting fellow musicians from all over Europe and elsewhere, and create lifelong musical friendships.”

Students in the program will have the opportunity to audition for admission and scholarships to attend the college's Boston campus. Berklee’s admissions team will hold auditions for 50 selected students who may receive scholarships to the college’s full-time undergraduate program in Boston, while other selected students may qualify for full-tuition scholarships to attend the Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive summer program or two full-tuition scholarships for Berklee Online classes. Berklee faculty will observe students during the first week of the program and nominate 10 additional students to be invited for an audition. 

In 2022, a total of $2.2 million was awarded in scholarships, including six full-tuition scholarships to the full-time undergraduate program, 11 partial-tuition scholarships to the undergraduate program, and five awards to the summer program. 

Students who are interested in the Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics are advised to apply as soon as possible.