Berklee’s Corporate Partners Make a Difference
Through the generous support of Natixis Global Asset Management and other corporate partners, Berklee presents the Summer in the City concert series and the Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival annually in Boston. Phil Farnsworth Pianist Takeru Saito and saxophonist Shun Kumagai were recipients of the Suntory Music Scholarship. Jun Ang Ni President Roger Brown (left) congratulates Roman Blanco, CEO of Santander Bank North America after the two signed an agreement for the Spanish bank to provide scholarships for students to study at Berklee’s Valencia, Spain campus. Dave Green From the left: Professor Jeff Dorenfeld, Miette Hope, president Roger Brown, and Jackie Foster. Hope received the 2014 Vans Berklee Off the Wall scholarship and Foster received the 2014 Lollapalooza Berklee scholarship. Kelly Davidson
From sponsored events to scholarship support, corporate philanthropy enables many important Berklee programs both in Boston and throughout the world. This commitment produces extraordinary musical programming and also nurtures the educational experiences of talented students so they can realize their dreams of contributing to society through music. Here are some highlights among these exemplary partnerships.
Regional Partners
Since 2010 Natixis Global Asset Management (NGAM) has partnered with Berklee to bring great music to Boston. As presenting sponsor of Berklee’s 2015 Summer in the City series, the organization’s support will help bring more than 200 free outdoor music performances from May through September to neighborhoods throughout Metropolitan Boston. The 2015 Summer in the City series culminates with the free Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival on September 26, 2015. Now in its 15th year, the festival features three stages with live music in the city’s historic South End.
Another innovative partnership includes the first educational initiative of its kind for Vans, an apparel brand rich in music culture that supports creative musicians. The Vans Berklee Off the Wall Scholarship is a four-year award covering full tuition, room, and board. The scholarship will be awarded annually to a talented musician from the United States. The recipient will also have the opportunity to showcase his or her musical talents at House of Vans and as part of the Vans Warped Tour. Vans is committed to providing additional opportunities for Berklee students at Vans’ open mic nights at venues across the country.
Thanks to long-time presenting sponsor Bain Capital, the 20th annual Encore Gala raised nearly $2 million this past year to support scholarships for underserved youth in the Berklee City Music Program. The event features more than 150 Berklee musicians performing throughout the evening and special-guest celebrities. The leadership gifts from Bain Capital and lead sponsor Abrams Capital inspire the financial success for the event. Coca-Cola, exclusive beverage provider at Berklee, the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation and Aramark Education are also primary sponsors of the event.
Endowed by Goldman Sachs Gives, a donor-advised fund, the Berklee Lollapalooza Endowed Scholarship supports a four-year, full-tuition scholarship each year for a talented and financially deserving student. This exciting partnership is the first educational initiative of its kind for the Lollapalooza festival. The scholarship also aims to bring more outstanding rock musicians to Berklee. Recipients are chosen from auditions during the Berklee World Tour in Chicago and Sao Paolo, Brazil.
International Partners
Santander Bank N.A., recently signed an agreement with Berklee for its Santander Universities to provide scholarships to support the Berklee International Study Abroad program. Santander’s support of the Berklee program will provide funds for undergraduate students who attend Berklee’s Valencia, Spain campus. Since 2012, the campus located at the iconic opera house Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, has offered graduate programs, summer study, and professional education programs to a music community of peers and master musicians from around the world.
The CJ Scholarship is made possible thanks to a generous gift from the CJ Culture Foundation in Seoul, Korea. It supports Korean students with outstanding merit, strong academic performance, and significant financial need. Berklee awards this scholarship to qualified candidates from Korea who could not complete their studies without this support.
The U.S.-Japan Council has partnered with Suntory Beverage and Food Ltd. to create the Tomodachi Suntory Music Scholarship Fund at Berklee. “Tomodachi” means friend in Japanese. The scholarship will annually benefit two financially deserving students who are Japanese citizens attending Berklee. The recipients will demonstrate a strong intention to contribute to the relationship between the United States and Japan through music and will include those affected by the Japan earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. “Our corporate partners are helping to further Berklee’s role as a world-class educational institution and cultural force,” President Roger Brown says. “Because music has the power to change lives, the benefits of their philanthropic efforts are strengthening and inspiring our community as a whole.”
Beverly Tryon is Berklee’s Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement.
