Slideshow: Berklee Women Shine at Dominican Republic Jazz Festival

Several Berklee alumni, students, and faculty performed at this year’s Dominican Republic Jazz Festival, which was dedicated to women in the jazz world.

Mike Keefe-Feldman

December 20, 2016

Tia Fuller, professor in Berklee’s Ensemble Department, takes a saxophone solo at the 2016 Dominican Republic Jazz Festival, which featured a wide array of Berklee musicians. This year’s festival was dedicated to women in the world of jazz.

Courtesy Dominican Republic Jazz Festival

Multi-Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding ’05 performs at the festival.

Courtesy Dominican Republic Jazz Festival

Multi-Grammy winner Terri Lyne Carrington ’83 ‘03H, the Berklee Global Jazz Institute Zildjian chair in performance, feels the beat at the festival.

Courtesy Dominican Republic Jazz Festival

Joanne Brackeen, Berklee piano professor, and her students perform to a receptive crowd.

Courtesy Dominican Republic Jazz Festival

Patricia Zarate ’99, executive director of the Panama Jazz Festival, performs at the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival.

Courtesy Dominican Republic Jazz Festival

Several Berklee alumni, students, and faculty performed at this year’s Dominican Republic Jazz Festival. This year, the festival was dedicated to women in the jazz world, and the Berklee Global Jazz Institute (BGJI) organized its activities to align with the event’s focus on preventing violence against women and encouraging gender equality.

Berklee alumni performers at the festival included multi-Grammy winners Esperanza Spalding ’05 and Terri Lyne Carrington ’83 ‘03H, who is BGJI's Zildjian chair in performance, as well as Tia Fuller, a Berklee professor in the Ensemble Department; Geri Allen ‘14H; Ingrid Jensen ‘89; Patricia Zarate ’99, executive director of the Panama Jazz Festival; Joanne Brackeen, Berklee piano professor; and the Berklee Global Jazz Institute Ambassadors. Brackeen was joined by an ensemble consisting of Gregory Groover, Naseem Alatrash, Santiago Bosch, Nathaniel Winn, and Jared Henderson.

Prior to Spalding’s performance, Mia Olson, professor of woodwinds, presented an award on behalf of Berklee to the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival for its support of music education. Many other Berklee alumnae also performed, including Lihi Haruvi, Caili O’Doherty, and Marta Roma.

Roma worked behind the scenes for the festival as part of her graduate program internship with the BGJI. Proceeds from the festival went to FEDUJAZZ, a nonprofit foundation that provides free music education for youth in the Dominican Republic.