Announcing Berklee’s Next President, July 18, 2024

Dear Berklee community,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Berklee's fifth president, Jim Lucchese. As a 20-year music industry veteran and a dedicated artist advocate with deep Berklee roots, Jim is uniquely positioned for this role. We are confident that he will lead Berklee in providing unmatched learning experiences for our students and in realizing the institution’s vision of building the future of arts education.

Berklee’s presidential search process was grounded in an extensive series of community listening sessions designed to provide a fuller understanding of the qualities needed in its next leader. From these sessions, the profile emerged of a collaborative leader and organizer with an instinctual understanding of creative industry trends and a proven commitment to providing equitable access to education and opportunities. This profile informed the process that led the Presidential Search Committee to Jim. They were inspired by his humility and empathy, his strong track record of artist advocacy, and his personal connections to Berklee and Boston’s music community. 

In Jim’s own words: “It is an immense honor to become a part of the Berklee community, an institution that means so much to me personally and has been a singularly positive force for creativity around the world. I look forward to working with this amazingly talented and diverse community—students, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters. I am eager to learn from their experiences and expertise across such a wide range of creative disciplines, from music education, dance, and theater to management, production, performance, music therapy, and more. All of these talents and perspectives are central as we uphold Berklee’s mission, honoring the artistic traditions of the African diaspora and centering diversity in all its forms.”

Jim began his career as an attorney representing artists across a range of ventures. In 2007, he became the CEO of The Echo Nest, a musician-founded start-up that aimed to improve music discovery, making it as easy to discover an unsigned artist on the other side of the globe as it is to discover a major-label pop star. The Echo Nest was acquired by Spotify in 2014, where Jim later founded the Creator team, building products and services directly for musicians, including the popular Spotify for Artists. In 2019, Jim was named CEO of Sofar Sounds, a global live music community that has curated over 30,000 live performances across 78 countries. As he did at Spotify, Jim focused at Sofar on artist services, launching a new Artist Services division and acquiring the company Seated to provide artists with tools to control their fan data and take ownership of their fan relationships. You can read more about Jim’s career and achievements in the press release. 

A drummer since high school, Jim is an active member of the Boston music scene and often collaborates with Berklee musicians. His relationship with Berklee began in 1989 when he participated in the school’s five-week summer performance program, an experience he says transformed both his thinking and playing. 

Jim’s presidential term begins on January 1, 2025. Until then, he will transition from his current obligations while preparing for his role at Berklee. During that time, David Bogen will continue serving as interim president and provost, and Betsy Newman, senior vice president of student enrollment and engagement, will remain as interim executive vice president. David, Betsy, and the senior leadership team have been essential to the success of the institution over the past year, and we couldn’t be more grateful for their continued leadership and service during this transitional period.

Berklee students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters will be invited via email to join a brief online conversation between Jim and Sean Skeete, dean of the Professional Performance Division, on Thursday, July 25, at 9:00 a.m. Jim will also engage with the community through several events during the fall semester, with dates and times to be provided. In preparation for this announcement, many individuals shared heartfelt testimonials about Jim's leadership, which we invite the Berklee community to read.

The board extends its deepest gratitude to search chair Bill Kaiser for his tireless and comprehensive approach to this process, to the entire search committee for their commitment and dedication, and to each member of the Berklee community who contributed with their participation and insights. Thanks to this collaborative effort, we have found in Jim the leader who we believe will elevate Berklee to new heights of artistic excellence and lead us into a transformative era of music and performing arts education.

Sincerely,

Martin J. Mannion 
Chair, Berklee Board of Trustees