Berklee and New Cultures

As we begin the new decade, Berklee’s Office of International Programs has forged ahead to broaden the college’s connections with the global music community. We continue to work with our well-established alumni around the world to engage musicians, organizations, and institutions with goals similar to those of Berklee. Through these points of contact, we have extended a hand to the sea of talented young musicians who seek their own Berklee experience. This effort allows many more musicians access to Berklee’s offerings and opens the college to an ever-expanding palette of cultures, people, and sounds.

New Delhi and Mumbai

In February a team of Berklee faculty and staff members made visits to New Delhi and Mumbai, India. In each location, the team conducted clinics, master classes, and auditions. At Jack Thomas’s Performers Collective in New Delhi, we reconnected with numerous Berklee alumni during a reception at a local venue. In Mumbai, Satya Hinduja ’04 and the Jamnabai Narsee School hosted a series of events that drew overwhelming response. The clinics were packed and the days were booked solid with auditions for musicians aspiring to attend Berklee.

We would like to thank Jack Thomas and the Performers Collective for hosting us in New Delhi and for sponsoring the Aditya Balani Group, a Berklee student quintet that toured India in January. We would also like to thank Satya and Sujay Thacker of the Jamnabai Narsee School for helping to organize and host the events in Mumbai. Special thanks also go to Joseph and Anthony Gomes and Furtados Music for providing backline support for these events and to Peter Eisenhauer at the American Center in New Delhi for his assistance.

Kuala Lumpur Alumni Reception

For several years, we have been in contact with the talented and active group of alumni in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. During our visit there to the International College of Music led by alumna Irene Savari ’88, the Berklee team held an alumni reception at the Nikko Hotel. A group of some 30 alumni who actively work as performers, educators, and producers turned out for the event.

Latin-American Congress of Music Schools

Our Berklee International Network (BIN) partner, the Conservatório Souza Lima in São Paulo, Brazil, will hold the first annual Congresso Latino Americano De Escuelas de Música (Latin American Congress of Music Schools). Representatives from institutions in Central and South America (as well as Berklee) will attend the congress from April 27 to 30 to discuss educational approaches and opportunities for academic and musical collaboration. The event is hosted by Antonio Mario de Silve Cunha, the president of Conservatório Souza Lima and his excellent group of faculty, including Berklee alumni Lupa Santiago ’98 and Carlos Ezequiel ’99.

Anniversary Celebrations

This spring and summer, two must-attend events include the Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Festival and the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy. In early June we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Heineken festival in Puerto Rico with an exceptional lineup of world-renowned artists, including Berklee alumnus Miguel Zenón ’98.

This July in Italy, Berklee will celebrate the 25th anniversary of our affiliation with Umbria Jazz. Berklee faculty members will offer workshops and a series of special events at the close of the festival week. For a concert schedule and an online application to participate in Berklee clinic events, visit www.prheinekenjazz.com(Opens in a new window) and www.umbriajazz.com(Opens in a new window).

Africa Scholars Program Kenya

From June 28 to July 2, Berklee will hold its 2010 Africa Scholars Program event at Brookhouse International School in Nairobi, Kenya. A team of Berklee faculty, staff members, and student ambassadors will present clinics, concerts, and auditions during their visit. For details about the program, visit www.berklee.edu/scholarships/africa.