Amplify Berklee

Saturday, October 21, 2023
5:30 p.m.
The Westin Copley Place

Join us at Amplify Berklee, formerly known as the Encore Gala, for a one-of-a-kind community celebration. Immerse yourself in the music of Berklee’s students, faculty, alumni, staff, and special guests in a variety of music rooms, and end the evening with a celebrity DJ dance party!

Purchase tickets online. For more information about the event and sponsorships, email Lindsey Chinni at lchinni@berklee.edu.

All proceeds from the event will benefit scholarships for Berklee City Music students. Please check back for more details as the event date nears.

Special Guests

Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Emcee

Malcolm-Jamal Warner has become known in the entertainment business for his seasoned acting talents and his accomplishments in music, directing and producing. As an Emmy-nominated actor and Grammy Award–winner, Warner has positioned himself as one of the most accomplished talents in the industry today. As a staple in television and film for nearly 30 years, Warner first rose to national prominence by starring on the long-running classic television series The Cosby Show.

Warner has appeared in many acclaimed television series and feature films and his voice may be as well known as his likeness; for four seasons he was heard as the voice of the producer on the beloved PBS series, The Magic School Bus. He has stepped behind the camera as a seasoned director for both film and television and taken the stage in a variety of off-Broadway and regional theater productions. He is the recipient of a NAACP Theater Award for Best Supporting Actor for the off-Broadway play Cryin’ Shame.

When not acting and directing, Warner is a poet and bass player. He recently performed alongside the Berklee City Music jazz ensemble during an August 2023 concert.

MC Lyte, DJ

A legend in the world of music and entertainment, MC Lyte is a pioneering artist and actress of television and film. Her groundbreaking music career spans 30 years. She was the first female rapper ever to be nominated for a Grammy Award, the first rap artist to perform at Carnegie Hall and the first female artist to earn a gold single. She currently serves on the Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Council.

Recent film and television credits include S.W.A.T., Power, Queen of the South, Patti Cake$, Girls Trip, and more. She has also successfully taken on the roles of creator, executive producer and director—with many upcoming projects in various stages of development. MC Lyte serves as the CEO of Sunni Gyrl, Inc., a full-service entertainment management and production firm that provides executive leadership and customized strategies in the areas of celebrity/artist support, development, and management; brand development and management; wealth maintenance; community affairs and outreach; and production /creative services.

As an author, motivational speaker and philanthropist, MC Lyte has written books and speaks globally on many inspiring topics, from her vast knowledge of the entertainment and hip-hop industries to entrepreneurism and economic empowerment.

Performers

Berklee City Music All-Star Band

The Berklee City Music All-Star Band, highlighting some of Berklee City Music’s best and brightest alumni talent, will set the stage for the evening’s festivities with an eclectic mix of straight ahead jazz, fusion, contemporary R&B, and soul.

Berklee City Music Ensemble featuring the City Music Ambassadors

Directed by Berklee alum and City Music teaching artist Tyson Jackson B.M. ‘19, M.M. ‘20, the Berklee City Music Ensemble features several advanced High School Academy students from the Boston area alongside our very own Berklee City Music ambassador—trumpeter, vocalist, and composer Keyon Harrold—playing contemporary jazz and R&B selections from his latest project.

Guy Gottesfeld and Ian Coury

This nylon-string guitar and 10-string Brazilian mandolin (bandolim) duo recently formed at Berklee, but have been thrilling the acoustic world for years in their respective homelands. Hailing from Israel, Gottesfeld combines his blues roots with Brazilian and folkloric music. And at only 21 years old, Coury is one of Brazil’s most respected bandolim players. Fusing their cultures with creative and technical prowess, they move and inspire audiences wherever they go. Guy and Ian will perform as guests enter the hotel near registration.

Hip-Hop Ensemble

Under the expert direction of faculty member, multi-instrumentalist, DJ, MC, and Berklee alumnus Brian “Raydar” Ellis B.M. '06, this interdisciplinary ensemble performs and tracks the history of hip-hop culture and its influences. The ensemble will be joined by a collective of hip-hip dancers and b-boy, b-girl breakers from Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road

Berklee student and multi-instrumentalist Liam Purcell and his award-winning bluegrass and roots music ensemble draw on their rich and storied Appalachian heritage while boldly writing and arranging new music of their own, offering countless connections between the genre's origins and its future.

Middle Eastern Fusion Ensemble

This eclectic ensemble, led by faculty member Christiane Karam B.M. '03, will perform traditional and contemporary music from North Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans and the Mediterranean. Its colorful repertoire features odd meters and traditional rhythmic cycles, as well as traditional Arabic modes—exploring their place in contemporary composition and improvisation.

Upper Structure

Continuing the momentum of its championship win at the 2023 Los Angeles A Cappella Festival, Berklee’s co-ed a cappella group will perform a mix of styles: pop, rock, gospel, R&B, and soul under faculty mentor and Berklee City Music alumna Nichelle Mungo B.M. '97.

Old Days: A Tribute to Chicago

Berklee students in this 10-piece rock band with horns will perform the enduring hits of American supergroup Chicago, transporting audiences to the past while intriguing and engaging a new generation of listeners.

Estefanía Núñez Villamandos Group

Featuring the talents of Cuban pianist, singer, arranger and bandleader Estefanía Núñez Villamandos '23 B.M. '23—a recent Berklee alumna—this dynamic student group will present a high-octane set of Latin American and Cuban music, in addition to Caribbean folklore and Latin jazz.

Eguie Castrillo Salsa Orchestra

An energetic program from Grammy Award–winning Berklee percussion professor Eguie Castrillo and his Salsa Orchestra will feature a sizzling mix of Latin music, mambo, salsa of the ’70s and ’80s, bachata and calypso. The orchestra will be joined by dancers from Boston Conservatory at Berklee performing and engaging the crowd in salsa and Latin dance styles.

Supporting Future Musicians

All proceeds benefit scholarships for Berklee City Music students, the college's strategic initiative to engage underserved public school students in a yearlong, tuition-free music education program. Founded 30 years ago, City Music provides year-round instruction, expert faculty, individualized mentoring, and a comprehensive curriculum to help young people flourish as students, musicians, and confident, well-rounded individuals. Today, City Music is a national movement, serving almost 2,000 students regionally and more than 54,000 young people across the country through a variety of partnerships and initiatives.