Star-Studded Gala Raises $2 Million for Berklee City Music
Grammy-winning vocalist Gloria Estefan (left), performs with Shania Wilcox, a student musician in the Berklee City Music All-Stars.
Mike Spencer
On October 15, 2016, multi–Grammy Award-winners Gloria and Emilio Estefan H ’07, brought the 22nd Annual Encore Gala to new heights at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. As masters of ceremonies, the Estefans combined humor and personal anecdotes to underline the importance of music education to 900 guests, helping to raise another record amount, $2 million for the Berklee City Music Program (BCMP).
Gloria’s heartfelt performance of “Coming Out of the Dark,” performed with the BCMP students, was followed by an evening of incredible entertainment showcasing more than 150 musicians in six musically themed venues.
Special guest Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of Run DMC, another highlight of the evening, got things moving by performing many of his well-known hits. Other memorable performances included those by the Venezuelan Project, Berklee Tower of Power Ensemble, Thorleif’s Blues Band, and the Page Turners (winners of the 2016 FreshGrass Award). On the other side of the musical spectrum were stellar performances from the Berklee World Strings and students from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee who presented selections from Broadway musicals. Ray Greene ’96, the lead singer for the band Santana, ended the evening in style with Innervisions, his six-piece funk, soul, and R&B band, serving up hits by Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and many others.
The Encore Gala is a principal fundraiser for BCMP, which enables youth from underserved communities to develop musically, academically, and emotionally while preparing them for college using music as the catalyst.
Get more information about supporting the Berklee City Music Program.
