Jeff Apruzzese

Jeff Apruzzese is the media and operations manager for the Berklee Popular Music Institute (BPMI), which provides students with experiential learning in live music and performance, and a course instructor for Berklee Online’s Concert Touring course.

Apruzzese was the bassist for Passion Pit—signed to Columbia Records—for eight years. The band toured extensively, performing at some of the largest festivals (Lollapalooza, Coachella, Summer Sonic, and Austin City Limits) and playing on prominent late-night television shows (Saturday Night Live, Late Show with David Letterman, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!). He says a career highlight was selling out the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City during a blizzard in February 2013.

Apruzzese, whose research focuses on live music, recently published a paper on music festivals and their relationships on the market. He coproduced the 18th annual BPMI Epic Event at the Sinclair in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at which Heavy Rotation Records (BPMI’s label) released Dorm Sessions 13 and five artists performed. Under Apruzzese’s guidance, BPMI booked seven major festivals for spring and summer 2017: Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Osheaga, Essence, Governors Ball, Chicago Open Air, and WayHome.