Berklee and the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Culture Expand Partnership

Berklee and the Conservatorio de Música Nacional (CNM) and Ministry of Culture in the Dominican Republic signed a credit transfer agreement on Friday, January 12, during the Berklee in Santo Domingo program, which was held January 8–13, 2024.

The agreement will go into effect as of August 2024 for new students enrolling at the CNM. Students successfully completing the requirements of the credit transfer agreement will have the ability to transfer a possible total of 34 credits to the college upon being accepted in the undergraduate program.

“I am thrilled that we are formalizing the longstanding relationship between Berklee and the Dominican Republic,” said Berklee’s Vice Provost Robert Lagueux. “Our vision for the future relies on global partnerships like this one. Our aim is not only to make Berklee experiences readily available to enthusiastic musicians such as those we’ve had the privilege to work with during this year’s program, but also to further our own deep engagement with the great musical cultures of the world.”

“We should all feel very happy and very proud of this new achievement in favor of the students and for the future of music in our country,” said Milagros Germán, the Dominican Republic's minister of culture.

The CNM marks Berklee’s 25th institution with a credit transfer agreement, and the eighth Berklee Global Partner institution in Latin America. The two parties are exploring additional collaborations to provide aspiring performing artists in the Dominican Republic access to world-class learning experiences.

Notable Berklee students coming from the CNM to Boston include:

• Alejandro Tavares, 2023 Michel Camilo Scholarship winner

• Helen De La Rosa '16, presidential scholar, drummer for Alejandro Sanz; Berklee in Santo Domingo guest lecturer 2023

• Leomar Cordero, 2023 Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Nicky Jam Scholarship recipient, AES Dominicana Foundation Scholarship recipient

• Ivanna Cuesta '21, award-winning drummer and Next Jazz Legacy 2022 artist