Berklee College of Music Commencement 2021

A Letter From President Roger H. Brown and Provost Larry Simpson

February 9, 2021

Dear Berklee College of Music community members,

One of the highlights of the academic year is our annual commencement ceremony. Last year, Berklee honored luminaries Sheila E., John Legend, and Cassandra Wilson at the Berklee College of Music commencement ceremony, and Mikhail Baryshnikov and André De Shields at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee commencement ceremony. We will soon be announcing our 2021 honorary degree recipients.

As they were last year, Berklee College of Music’s 2021 commencement concert and ceremony will be held as virtual, live-streamed events. Under current city and state guidelines, large, in-person gatherings are prohibited for health and safety concerns, and our regular venue, the Agganis Arena, is presently closed. While it is disappointing news that we cannot be together in person for these annual traditions, it is not unexpected given the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic. The health and safety of our community members remain our top priority, and we know from last year that a virtual commencement presents a truly special experience that can be shared with family and friends all over the world. We are very much looking forward to this year’s events:

Berklee College of Music Commencement Concert
Friday, May 7, 2021, at 7:30 p.m. EDT

Berklee College of Music Commencement Ceremony
Saturday, May 8, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. EDT

If your 2021 graduating class application has been approved by the Office of the Registrar, you will soon receive detailed information on how to formally apply to participate in the Berklee College of Music commencement concert. Similar to last year, there will be opportunities for performers, arrangers, and track/mock-up production assistants within the concert, which will pay tribute to the music of the honorees.  

In the coming weeks, additional details about commencement will be added to this webpage. The Student Affairs team will connect directly with graduating seniors in preparation for the virtual event. 

The last year has presented challenges unlike any most of us have faced in our lifetimes, and none of us has been immune to the radical changes this pandemic brought about in our day-to-day lives. With the distribution of vaccines now a reality, every day we move closer to returning to what life looked and felt like pre-pandemic. But until we as a global community have stopped the spread of this virus, we must continue to adhere to the practices put in place to keep all of us healthy. As soon as it is safe to do so, we will return to in-person events, including commencement. Until then, our unparalleled community of artists will continue to contribute to society in meaningful ways, whatever the platform or venue. 

With best regards,

Roger H. Brown
President, Berklee

Larry Simpson
Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs/Provost, Berklee College of Music

Additional Information

Questions and suggestions can be submitted by completing this form.