BGJI Assistantship Endowed

With a generous gift, Bodo Liesenfeld has established the first endowed assistantship program at Berklee. Liesenfeld serves as the advisory board chair for the Berklee Global Jazz Institute (BGJI), and the new Liesenfeld BGJI Endowed Assistantship Program will promote research and program development for non-traditional instruments in jazz. The recipients of the new assistantship will receive tuition remission in exchange for work performed for BGJI faculty members.

For the past few years, entrepreneur Liesenfeld has provided leadership to the BGJI advisory board, and established the Bodo Liesenfeld Scholarship at Berklee in 2014. “I am proud to contribute to the education of students of jazz at Berklee, Liesenfeld says. “In particular, I strongly believe in supporting musicians playing instruments that are out of the mainstream since they may find it more difficult to get attention and recognition.”

Liesenfeld is a managing partner for Liesenfeld International GmbH, a private investment enterprise. For nearly 30 years, he served as the CEO and chairman of German-based Rohde & Liesenfeld international air and sea freight forwarding group. He is also chairman of Lateinamerika Verein e.V., (Latin America Business Association).

Liesenfeld, who has made his home in Boston since 2009, holds board positions in the United States, Germany, and Latin America. But his service on the advisory board for BGJI has special meaning for him. “The Berklee Global Jazz Institute strives to prepare professional musicians who are also mature global citizens,” he says. “I am grateful to be a part of this.”