Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra (Video Rewind)
Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra
Image courtesy of the artists
In this video rewind, watch the Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra (BCJO), directed by Greg Hopkins, one of the most prestigious performing groups at Berklee College of Music. The ensemble features fine jazz instrumentalists playing primarily original music written expressly for the group by the most accomplished jazz composers on campus.
The musical expression of the BCJO represents a unique fusion of international musical styles. The group represents a true melting pot of talent, with music composed by writers from Spain, Italy, Turkey, Serbia, Argentina, Japan, France, Switzerland, and the United States. The product is a wealth of exotic ideas using current and traditional jazz forms, resulting in fresh approaches to the idiom.
Director Hopkins, a professor in the Jazz Composition Department, also teaches trumpet and ensembles at Berklee. He toured with Buddy Rich as musical director and soloist. Hopkins played with Motown groups and learned the business while working in the Detroit, Michigan, area and attending Michigan State University in the late 1960s. He has performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Mel Tormé, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, and many others. In addition to teaching at the college, Hopkins travels extensively, performing, conducting, and teaching. He recently conducted and performed with the Prague Radio Big Band and the Reykjavik Jazz Orchestra, and every summer he directs the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Jazz Program.