Berklee Abu Dhabi Music Summit Aims to Empower Aspiring Artists

Berklee Abu Dhabi will host the third annual Berklee Abu Dhabi Music Summit, an annual gathering that features a curated series of interactive learning opportunities and performances aimed at inspiring the next generation of composers, songwriters, performers, and music business professionals. The two-day event takes place on Saturday, February 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. GST and Sunday, February 25, from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. GST at the Berklee Abu Dhabi Center.

This year’s summit, titled Your Music, Your Business, focuses on crucial music business concepts to help independent artists nurture and grow their careers, such as how to build a strong support network; protect creative content; develop, record, and publish original music; and how to take ownership of their art and their future.

Highlights from the event roster include: workshops with XP Music Futures, one of the Middle East’s largest music conference and entertainment industry platforms, and audio technology trailblazers Dolby Atmos; a listening session with Anghami, the first legal streaming service in the Arab world; and several discussion panels and master classes with educators from across the global Berklee community.

“The quality of programming and the caliber of talent participating in our 2024 Music Summit is deeply inspiring. They reflect the remarkable progress our program has made in just a few short years, fueled by our ongoing collaboration with an increasing number of partners from the music industry each year,” said Mayssa Karaa, artistic director of Berklee Abu Dhabi.

“There are very few events like this in the MENASA region with this level of collective insight and industry experience,” said Gael Hedding, director of the Berklee Abu Dhabi Center. “We are excited for our students to have this chance to engage with brilliant creatives and accomplished professionals not only from the region but from all parts of the world.”

Several short performances by students and artists from the community will take place between learning sessions throughout each day’s events, concluding with an open jam session at the end led by Berklee faculty and featuring pianist Victoria Theodore, who has played on tour for Beyoncé and Stevie Wonder. A large contingent of Berklee educators from the college’s Boston and global campuses will be participating, including Sean Skeete, dean of the Performance Division; Tyrone Chase, interim chair of the Ensemble Department; and Brian Jantz, associate professor of music therapy.

"It is such an exciting honor to be welcomed back to Berklee Abu Dhabi for the Music Summit, and I am thrilled to be joining so many members of the Berklee faculty," said Jantz, who hosted a two-day master class on music, health, and well-being at Berklee Abu Dhabi in December 2022. "I am deeply inspired by the passion of the students and the professors of the program, and grateful for the opportunity we have to learn from their artistry, their creativity, and the way they connect with their art and culture. I hope to offer them ways to rediscover and reimagine the power of music that resonates with their own personal experiences."

Registration for the Berklee Abu Dhabi Music Summit is now open. Purchase tickets for individual sessions and full-day packages.