30 under 30

Lauren Desberg
Just as the magazine covers only a fraction of all the newsworthy projects and noteworthy people in the Berklee universe, these 30 artists and leaders are just a sample of our many successful young alumni who are changing the music industry and the larger world of entertainment, as well as moving the needle in fields such as business and education.
They are at the vanguard of areas where Berklee alumni have traditionally excelled, such as jazz, but they can also be found at the forefront of other creative arts in which our alumni have become increasingly involved, such as film scoring, electronic music, music therapy, and theater.
Narrowing the list of Berklee's infinitely gifted alumni to 30 representatives was no easy task. Members of the Communications staff started the process in 2018 by asking faculty to nominate exceptional alumni.
In many cases, a faculty member had more than one former student to highlight.
“So hard to choose one when they all are doing amazing things in their careers! I am so proud of them!” Felice Pomeranz, a professor in the String Department, wrote after her list of nominees. We heard this often.
With help from Conservatory staff, an intracollege committee took this long list of names and tapered it to the 30 you see here, pairing each nominee with a different nominator. Behind each example is a legion of alumni who are also working in ways large and small to change music and entertainment as we know it.
Jonathon Heyward

Heyward sees a narrative embedded in each composition: “[By] carefully choosing the nuances and stresses of harmonic and rhythmic progressions,” one can tell a great story. “This, to me, is the powerful connection and responsibility we have to the audience, who are always a part of what makes live classical music so exciting.”
Nella Rojas

Her talent has won her fans such as Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz, who has performed with her, and director Asghar Farhadi, who featured her music in his 2018 film Everybody Knows. For Javier Limón, artistic director of Mediterranean Music Institute and one of Rojas’s collaborators, her approach is singular: “Nella is the voice of a new generation of musicians ready to change the rules; her balance between roots and new vanguard styles is just beautiful.”
Tonina Saputo

Ron Mahdi, associate professor of ensembles, says Saputo reaches audiences with a “vocal spirit and bass playing that are so fresh and modern-sounding.” This year, she toured Europe and North and South America—perfect for an artist who sings in English and Spanish. “I love that my music is allowing me to travel and meet music lovers and musicians throughout the world,” she says. “I look forward to composing more tunes based on my experiences traveling.”
Channing Shippen

For those unfamiliar with music therapy, Shippen explains that it’s about using music to bring joy, catharsis, mindfulness, and more to people battling serious illnesses. “We are not working to cure cancer; I wish music could cure cancer,” she says. “But what we can do is reduce the stress and anxiety patients have just having the diagnosis.”
Adrianne Lenker

Her Brooklyn-based band, Big Thief, is one of indie music’s most acclaimed acts, due in large part to Lenker's knack for crafting enigmatic, unexpected musical narratives. “Making friends with the unknown…all my songs are about this,” Lenker said in advance of their latest album, U.F.O.F. (the last “F” stands for “friend”). “If the nature of life is change and impermanence, I’d rather be uncomfortably awake in that truth than lost in denial.”
Lenker's insight and boldness set an important tone in the musical culture, says Abigail Aronson Zocher, a professor in the Guitar Department. "People are as transformed by her wisdom and presence as by her music.”
Charlie Puth

It's an approach that's paid off: He’s a regular on the Billboard Hot 100, and his most recent album, Voicenotes, went gold just four days after its release.
Puth credits his success to a listener-first mind-set that he puts into all his work, whether he’s writing for himself or with artists such as Maroon 5, Pitbull, and CeeLo Green: “I want everything I make to be a musical rollercoaster so the listener never gets the opportunity to be bored or checked out…. You want [listeners] to be married emotionally to every musical aspect of your song.”
Charles Overton

“He has brilliant technical ability, perfect pitch, and is as comfortable playing jazz styles as he is in the classical world,” Professor Felice Pomeranz says. Overton knows his work has changed people’s minds about what the harp can do. “I’d be lying if I said it isn't a nice feeling to see people's surprised reactions to hearing me play jazz or groove music on the harp,” he says, adding that he wants to keep expressing himself on “everything from standards with my quartet to Strauss’s Eine Alpensinfonie with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.”
Arnetta Johnson

Johnson joined Beyoncé for her Super Bowl halftime show in 2016, and spent 2018 touring with her and Jay-Z. Now back in her hometown of Camden, New Jersey, Johnson is focusing on her own projects, including her band, Arnetta Johnson and SUNNY. She released her debut album, If You Hear a Trumpet, It’s Me, this summer, and NPR named her one of 20 artists to watch in 2019. “It’s great doing my own music,” she says. “It’s a freeing feeling, and I have ownership of my time.”
Charles Patterson

After graduating, Patterson apprenticed at Complexions Contemporary Ballet in New York City. He’s now in his third season with Dallas Black Dance Theatre. “I’ve been opened up in so many different ways,” he says of his time with DBDT. “Working with so many choreographers, and doing various forms of dance, challenges my body, mind, and spirit. It’s a powerful environment.”
Tommy Neblett, dean of dance at the Conservatory, says that Patterson brought a joyful and infectious spirit to class. “He worked hard, focused on his artistry, and became an exceptionally beautiful dancer and performer," Nesblett says.
Daniel Bitran Arizpe

“Fresh skills from Berklee allowed us to adapt this house into a studio in a very efficient, quick, and cost-effective way,” Arizpe, who was raised in Mexico, says of El Desierto Casa-Estudio. “Berklee alumni and friends have also been crucial to the growth and success of the studio, with many Berklee alumni coming to record and work with us.”
Arizpe has earned two Latin Grammy wins and two Grammy nominations. Recently, he was nominated for another Latin Grammy, in the Album of the Year category. “Daniel has engendered a creative community around himself and set himself up for a lifelong career by being someone that people want in the room shepherding their creative vision,” says Daniel M. Thompson, assistant chair of Music Production and Engineering.
Ethan Schiff

And Backbeat’s roster continues to grow. Schiff cites being people-centered as his key to success: “Every person I interact with is a human first and a musician or industry person after that.” That focus was clear to George Howard, associate professor in the Music Business/Management Department, who says, “Ethan’s success is not surprising to me. From my very first class with him, I recognized his drive, determination, and intelligence.”
Fabiola Mendez

“It’s super-important to keep practicing the skill I’m teaching to stay relevant and true to the art,” she says. Mendez’s commitment shows. Libby Allison, an associate professor in the Music Education Department, calls her “one of the most professional and charismatic” teachers she’s known. “Fabiola is a strong voice for the concept of music for all students, regardless of social, economic, or ethnic background.”
Fred Choquette

Currently, he’s an associate at the consulting firm McKinsey & Company in Los Angeles, where he helps companies in consumer, technology, and media sectors tackle their toughest strategic opportunities. While Choquette couldn't have predicted his path, he says that “laying out a set of achievable goals over a defined period of time has allowed me to focus my efforts and cut out the noise.”
Grace Kelly

Kelly recently expanded her aesthetic to include pop and bebop, experimental sounds, and radio-ready tunes. The jazz queen won the 2019 John Lennon Songwriting Contest’s Song of the Year for the country tune “Feels Like Home.” “Now that the days of ‘This is jazz' and ‘This is pop’ are over, I can let my muse guide me,” Kelly, who lives in New York, says. “There are no more artistic boundaries.”
Amy Allen

“Amy worked on her songwriting to develop mad skills, takes criticism with equanimity, is extraordinarily adaptable in personal and career choices, and has created a support system of friends and family,” says Bonnie Hayes, chair of the Songwriting Department.
Allen, a Mainer who’s now based in Los Angeles, plans to pen more hits for megastars, but feels ready to focus on her solo career again. “I need to spend 20 percent of my time writing for others and 80 percent writing for myself,” she says. “I now need to find that balance that lets me build my own career.”
Khiyon Hursey

Hursey is preparing to move back to Broadway. Eastbound, a musical he created with Cheeyang Ng B.M. ’13, about two brothers separated at birth, will likely premiere in 2020. “It's an exciting time in musical theater, even if it is an uphill battle for unknown artists with new ideas, but I’ve been encouraged by the reactions to everything I have been doing,” Hursey says.
Mayssa Karaa

Last year, Karaa broke into Bollywood with the massive A.R. Rahman–produced hit “Hayati.” And this July, the Lebanese-American singer released her debut album, Simple Cure, which fuses modern pop with Middle Eastern influences.
"It’s not always easy,” Karaa, who’s based in Los Angeles, says of her artistic journey. "There are many challenges I have to face every day, but whatever I can do each day to keep making that a reality, I’m in.”
Annette Philip, the artistic director of Berklee India Exchange, calls Karaa “a beautiful spirit and vocalist,” adding, “I'm excited to see what her journey ahead will be!”
Luis Gamarra

Panos Panay, senior vice president of innovation and strategy, and BerkleeICE founder, says that “Luis truly exemplifies the path of a creative entrepreneur. His ability to effortlessly weave together art, passion, values, and innovation have set him apart.” Gamarra’s goal has always been to “change the world through music,” saying, “that may be a challenge, but it keeps me busy and fuels my passion.”
Layth Sidiq

Snapped up to teach at Tufts, Sidiq is a violinist and singer with Danilo Pérez’s Global Messengers and with Javier Limón, and performs his own Arabic-jazz-classical compositions. At the same time, he’s working to bring structured musical education to those in the Arab world “who desperately need music but cannot pay for it,” he says. “We are slowly building up momentum.” This summer, working with the Kayany Foundation, he hosted workshops in Lebanon for Syrian refugee children.
Michelle Golden

“In addition to the executive roles she’s taken, Michelle is a great advocate of gender equality in the music business,” says Emilien Moyon, director of the Global Entertainment and Music Business program at Berklee’s campus in Valencia, Spain. Moyon notes that while a student, Golden cofounded ProjectNextUp, an initiative to spotlight stories of successful women in the music industry. “She’s a powerhouse.”
Nêgah Santos

Born Anne Caroline Santos Da Silva in Brazil, Santos can be seen banging out beats on a range of instruments on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. While she says the experience has been incredible on every level, she advances her craft by moonlighting in New York City’s best music clubs. “It’s my way of keeping in touch and meeting new people in the city,” she says, adding that these gigs allow her to experiment. “[My work] has evolved a lot. I’ve been transitioning from playing for others to lead myself.”
Sid Sriram

Sriram was born into a musical family in Chennai, India, and raised in California. "I first met Sid when he was eight years old,” recalls Joey Blake, associate professor in the Voice Department. "His tone was so hypnotic and his feeling so deep.”
Today, in addition to his film work, Sriram produces his own music, a fusion of R&B and Indian classical styles. Splitting his time between L.A. and Chennai, he tries to focus as little as possible on the "rat race,” and to lose himself in his work. “My most profound growth occurs when I am simply focused on (at times obsessed with) the rush that comes with creating and performing."
Olivia Dawn

Her success has been meteoric, but it’s not accidental. “Olivia has a rare quality beyond her obvious talents as a musician, composer, and performer: a drive and relentlessness, focused by self-awareness of her strengths,” says Pablo Munguía, director of Berklee’s Music Production, Technology, and Innovation program.
"The biggest challenge,” Dawn says, "is to develop a consistent routine of practicing, producing, digging for new music and recording my sets while creating an aesthetic around my brand that is underground yet relatable.”
Petar Krstajic

Krstajic also teaches bass at the Collective School of Music in New York City and was the 2018 winner of the Yamaha Six String Theory Competition in the bass category. Marko Djordjevic, assistant professor in the Percussion Department, describes Krstajic as prodigious. “Having played with some of today’s finest bass players, it is my honest opinion that Petar Krstajic is worthy of comparison.”
Alexis Scheer

Andrea Southwick, associate professor of theater at the Conservatory, says, “Alexis has been an amazing artistic force for creating meaningful theater, both when she was a student at Boston Conservatory and in the years since."
Simone Torres

Torres has racked up credits working with superstars Sia, Backstreet Boys, Camila Cabello, and Ed Sheeran. "Whether I’m the vocal producer, engineer, assistant, or the intern,” says the Atlanta-based Long Island native, “I always apply the same amount of care, detail, and pride to the task at hand."
“She possesses a rare vocal gift which gives her great empathy for other singers,” says Leanne Ungar, a professor in the Music Production and Engineering Department. “In addition, she has a tremendous work ethic and a gracious, caring, sparkly demeanor.”
Will Wells

And the world has noticed. Wells has written for the Pentatonix, toured with Imagine Dragons, and helped with production on the cast recording of the Broadway smash Hamilton. For him, bouncing from one project to another seems natural: “A lot of my work comes by recommendation, and I see my fortune in that. One thing leads to the next, and you need to let it happen that way, need to be open to anything happening and be excited about that.”
Yao Wang

"Yao has deftly combined her film and [electronic production and design] skill sets with an energetic entrepreneurialism,” says Alison Plante, chair of Berklee’s Film Scoring Department. “Her company is pushing the boundaries of spatial audio and virtual reality."
Wang says that the possibilities are so exciting they keep her up at night.
Simon Moullier

Perhaps it was this thirst for new experiences that led Moullier to pick up his first pair of vibraphone mallets in high school, after years of studying classical percussion. It might also explain why the Thelonious Monk Institute grad’s approach to the instrument is so singular and captivating. Of his former student, Professor Darren Barrett says, “His work ethic is to be admired and his talent is limitless. I believe that his forward thinking will help to propel the vibraphone into a new musical spectrum.”
Xueran Chen

He worked on more than 30 projects for film and television last year, including Princess Agents, one of 2017’s most popular TV series in China, with over 40 billion total views. “Xueran has what it takes to make an impact in the industry,” says Lucio Godoy, director for the Scoring for Film, Television and Video Games program. “He has knowledge of the cinematic language, discipline, reliability, and an ability to study his way through new challenges.”