Berklee in Puerto Rico Program to Celebrate 30th Anniversary

Berklee in Puerto Rico is now accepting applications for the program’s 30th anniversary, which will be held June 2–8, 2025, at Escuela Libre de Música Antonio Paoli in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

“This year, Make Music Happen celebrates the 30th edition of Berklee in Puerto Rico, and we do so with great satisfaction, recognizing the outstanding talent that has participated in the program,” said Luis Álvarez ’83, founding president of Make Music Happen(Opens in a new window) and a former Berklee trustee. “We wholeheartedly thank Berklee for their trust and unquestionable support during these 30 years. Our gratitude goes to the sponsors who made this unique educational opportunity's uninterrupted expansion possible. The results of Berklee in Puerto Rico are real and concrete and will be celebrated during the 30th anniversary concert on June 5.” 

“This partnership is very dear to Berklee. A number of prominent alumni have emerged from this program, and we are deeply grateful for Luis Álvarez’s unwavering commitment to nurturing the incredible talent from the island,” says Jim Lucchese, Berklee’s president. “We are excited to celebrate this milestone anniversary and look forward to many more years of collaboration and shared success."

Since its inception in 1995, more than 4,000 students have participated in the program. The Berklee in Puerto Rico experience provides students with access to Berklee's music syllabus, including music theory, ear training, improvisation, ensemble performance, and instrumental instruction. Over the course of six days, Berklee faculty and special guest artists will provide master classes on composition, arranging, and songwriting. Students will also have the opportunity to audition for admission to the college and scholarships to attend Berklee.

"Berklee in Puerto Rico is the second-oldest partnership of the college,” said Fernando Huergo, the program’s academic director and a professor in the Bass Department. “Its impact on a generation of musicians in Puerto Rico and on the Berklee music community is immense. I look forward to being a part of the historic 30th anniversary of the program."

Berklee in Puerto Rico is open to high school and early college-aged students who are residents of the island. Participants must be at least 15 years of age by the start of the program, and have at least six months of study in their primary instrument or voice. 

The program will take place daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a team of Berklee faculty, including Fernando Huergo, professor of bass and Berklee in Puerto Rico academic director; Rebecca Cline, professor of piano and a 1997 Berklee in Puerto Rico program student; Yoron Israel, chair of percussion; Eguie Castillo, professor of percussion; Nadia Washington, assistant professor of ear training (vocal instructor); Jeff Claassen, associate professor of harmony and jazz composition (brass instructor); Jim Kelly, professor of guitar; Lauren Sevian, associate professor of woodwinds; Jonathan Suazo(Opens in a new window), alumni artist (woodwind instructor) and a 2005 Berklee in Puerto Rico program student; and Jason Camelio, assistant vice president of Berklee global programs and partnerships; and special guest artists. The weeklong program will conclude with a final student concert ceremony on June 8 in San Juan at the Centro de Bellas Artes in Caguas.

In addition, Berklee’s admissions team will hold auditions for interested applicants for the college’s full-time undergraduate program, while other selected students may qualify for scholarships to attend the Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive summer program. Since 2008, Berklee has awarded in excess of $16 million in scholarships to students who have participated in the Berklee in Puerto Rico program. Over 2,000 students from across Puerto Rico have attended the program since 2012, with 139 students enrolled at Berklee as full-time students, and 93 students have attended summer programs.

Notable past participants include Nannette Vélez(Opens in a new window), senior director of programs for the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation(Opens in a new window); Grammy- and Latin Grammy-winning artist Miguel Zenón(Opens in a new window) ’98, who is also a 2024–2025 Ken Pullig Visiting Scholar in Jazz Studies; renowned drummer Tony Escapa(Opens in a new window); and cuatrista and Berklee alumna Fabiola Mendez(Opens in a new window) ‘18; among others.

Tuition is $95 for the program’s standard performance program and $300 for the college-credit performance program. Applications for the Berklee in Puerto Rico 2025 program are open with a closing date of April 4. Applicants will receive a decision on April 21. Visit the program page for details on how to apply to the program.

Throughout its existence, Berklee in Puerto Rico has received the support of several entities that have allowed the program to continue its educational mission, including Fundación Banco Popular, Liberty Foundation, and the Municipio de Caguas. Other collaborators include Delta Air Lines, HUB International, ALFA 2.0, Good Bunny Foundation, AIREKO Foundation, Cedrela Consulting Group, Supermercados Selectos, RIMAS Music, RIMAS Publishing, Departamento de Educación de PR, and PR Links Communications. 

ABOUT MAKE MUSIC HAPPEN:

Make Music Happen is a nonprofit organization (501-c3) that aims to cultivate and strengthen the musical talents of Puerto Rican youth. The entity offers a variety of options that provide opportunities to develop the innate musical ability that lies within the island’s young people. For more information, visit makemusichappenpr.com(Opens in a new window).