Berklee Celebrates 20 Years of BIN with Free Concert October 16

Berklee College of Music hosts 19 educational partners from contemporary music schools, colleges, and universities around the world for a two-day summit to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the Berklee International Network (BIN). The BIN was established to promote and ensure that the best in modern and contemporary music education is available and accessible to all across the globe.

The BIN Summit culminates with a concert featuring alumni and former BIN students. Under the direction of Ron Savage, chair of ensembles, the concert will also feature exceptional Berklee students representing the diverse musical styles and cultures presented by the BIN’s members, which include schools in Ecuador, Germany, Greece, Finland, France, Japan, Malaysia, Spain, and South Korea. Faculty members Rebecca Cline, Alain Mallet, Scott DeOgburn, and Javier Limon will lead the students.

The Berklee International Network 20^th Anniversary Concert takes place on Wednesday, October 16, 8:15 p.m., at the Berklee Performance Center, located at 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston. The concert is open to the public and admission is free. The venue is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 617 747-2261 or visit berklee.edu/bpc.

Through its relationships, Berklee has had the opportunity to discover talents such as Anat Cohen, renowned clarinetist and saxophonist who attended BIN partner the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in Tel Aviv, Israel before earning her degree from Berklee; and guitarist Leandro Pelligrino, 2013 Montreux Jazz Guitar Competition winner, who was awarded a scholarship to BIN member Conservatorio Souza Lima in Brazil, before graduating from Berklee on a scholarship.

“Berklee was unique and now, we are the elder statesmen leading our partner BIN schools, who are leaders in their own countries. Our 20^th anniversary concert will celebrate this collaborative philosophy and the remarkable accomplishments of our members,” explained Guillermo Cisneros, vice president for global initiatives, Berklee College of Music and executive director, Berklee in Valencia.

In addition to celebrating 20 years since the BIN’s establishment, the concert will also herald further expansion of the network across the globe. Six new educational institutions in Australia, Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Hong Kong, and Puerto Rico joined this year, bringing the number of partners to 19. The BIN now includes contemporary music establishments in the U.S., Canada, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australasia, and is the largest global network in contemporary music education.

“The Berklee International Network has a tremendous impact on the history and potential of Berklee’s presence in the world since it is through the collaboration with our BIN partners that we have paved the way for institutions around the world to follow in Berklee's steps as centers of contemporary music education,” said Cisneros.

The concert coincides with Berklee hosting the BIN Summit at its Boston campus. This biennial event, attended by faculty, staff, and student ambassadors from both Berklee and BIN members, is key to the objective of the BIN in promoting the effectiveness of a contemporary music education amongst members. The summit provides a forum for the sharing of best practice and experiences, benchmarking, and the pushing of boundaries to ensure that Berklee and its partners continue to reach the highest levels of educational excellence, thereby advancing the value of this type of education internationally.  

The BIN was established as part of Berklee’s international strategy to make contemporary music education and the Berklee approach to teaching both accessible and affordable to all across the world. Network partners are essential in attracting, generating, and supporting musical talent in their specific countries and each opens the doors to the musical cultures, traditions, and styles of its country, thereby facilitating the creation of new musical and educational ideas, and ensuring Berklee remains at the forefront of modern music education.

Twenty years of collaboration has seen the BIN partnership grow and the accomplishment of many notable achievements. Initiatives include: articulation agreements enabling Berklee students to gain credits studying at BIN schools; the acceptance to Berklee of many exceptional musicians from BIN institutions; and the introduction of an annual Berklee International Network Scholarship for an outstanding BIN school student, alumnus, or faculty member to attend the master’s programs at Berklee’s international campus in Valencia, Spain.

Margot Edwards is a manager in the Office of Media Relations. Media inquiries: medwards@berklee.edu.