Berklee in Seoul to Look for Scholarship Recipients, Present Clinics

College faculty and staff will be at the Seoul Jazz Academy from November 6 to 9, looking for the best talent to join Berklee. 

October 30, 2018

Berklee is going to South Korea to find its third presidential scholar from the country, and in the process will be reviewing applicants for CJ Music Scholarships, holding clinics and master classes, staging a concert showcase, and holding open auditions and interviews (A&I) for all students who wish to apply to the college.

College faculty and staff will be at the Seoul Jazz Academy from November 6 to 9, looking for the best talent to join Berklee. All Korean applicants will be considered for a Presidential Scholarship—a full-tuition scholarship renewable over four years—sponsored by the CJ Cultural Foundation.

The winner will be notified in April, and will be the third Korean musician to come to Berklee on a Presidential Scholarship. In 2011, the scholarship helped bring pianist Chaeree Kaang B.M. ‘15 to Berklee, and in 2016, saxophonist Soojung Lee earned it. Both musicians had studied at Seoul Jazz Academy, a Berklee academic partner school.

Chaeree Kaang B.M. ‘15

“After I came to Berklee, I experienced many things. For example, meeting many friends having various talents, studying with excellent faculty, improving my musical skills, etc. All these things have affected my music,” Kaang says. This spring she performed in The Phantom of the Opera for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s gala concert in Korea.

In addition, Korean musicians will be considered for a CJ Music Scholarship, a partial scholarship to Berklee, sponsored by the CJ Cultural Foundation. Unlike in years past, CJ Cultural Foundation will not be holding separate auditions for scholarships this season. And though Berklee will be in Seoul in November, Korean nationals can audition with Berklee anywhere in the world to be reviewed for both scholarships.

While in Seoul, Berklee will hold several clinics and will top off the visit with a faculty concert showcase on November 10. The clinics include a(n):

  • Electronic digital instrument (EDI) master class, November 9, at Seoul Jazz Academy

  • Careers in music panel, November 10, at CJ Cultural Foundation

  • Performance master class with Jim Odgren, Kevin Harris, Patrice Williamson, Skip Smith, and Jason Camelio, November 10, at CJ Cultural Foundation