Saxophonist Donald Harrison Helps Usher in Berklee's 70th Year

Acclaimed alto saxophonist Donald Harrison ‘82 joined Berklee faculty and staff on September 4, 2015, to usher in the new school year and mark Berklee’s 70th anniversary.

September 16, 2015

Acclaimed alto saxophonist Donald Harrison ‘82 joined Berklee faculty and staff on September 4, 2015, to usher in the new school year and mark Berklee’s 70th anniversary.  

Following a performance by students and faculty, Harrison and fellow musicians walked into the ballroom at the Westin Copley Place playing in the style of a New Orleans main line and treated the crowd to a 20-minute set of music.

Before Harrison closed out Opening Day, Larry Simpson, the senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, and President Roger H. Brown spoke to the crowd. Simpson reflected on events in the past year that have spurred the Black Lives Matter movement and said that Berklee is still working to address issues around race. Brown spoke about the potential merger between Berklee and the Boston Conservatory and highlighted other notable recent developments: the two new master’s degree programs beginning on the Boston campus this fall, the establishment of five online degrees, and the exploration of programs in Africa, India, and China.

“I’ll confess, I’m a human being who loves visions and planning and thinking about the future and new programs, and certainly right now we are filled with those things,” Brown said.