Jazz Masters to Mentor, Tour with Berklee Global Jazz Institute Students

An impressive list of visiting artists are coming to the Berklee Global Jazz institute (BGJI) this year to help both undergraduate and graduate students both improve their craft and effect positive social change. 

“The activities and artist lineup we have scheduled for this academic year makes the BGJI exclusive in the jazz world and the environment for developing artists seeking to evolve to the top levels—with leading jazz masters not only visiting campus, but mentoring, performing, touring, and hanging with our students,” says pianist and composer Danilo Pérez, the institute's artistic director.

Artists in residence include acclaimed jazz drummer and composer Adam Cruz, world-renowned bass player Ben Street, and jazz saxophonist and composer David Liebman. Celebrated trumpeter Terence Blanchard and noted jazz pianist Alan Pasqua will be at the BGJI as visiting scholars, teaching alongside BGJI’s faculty, which include Pérez, Grammy-winning jazz drummer and composer Terri Lyne Carrington, Grammy-winning jazz bassist John Patitucci, and award-winning jazz saxophonist Joe Lovano.

The BGJI promotes traditional musicianship through classes, workshops, concert performances, recording and jam sessions, and service learning, and the advancement of music for the betterment of society through teaching and outreach programs. The program develops artists—as both musicians and human beings—become role models for a new generation of musicians and connect musical creative thinking with the natural environment.

Students in the BGJI will travel together and perform at concerts and festivals in the U.S., Europe, and South America. Upcoming events include the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, and Dizzy’s Club at NYC’s Jazz at the Lincoln Center, as well as outreach performances at the Home for Little Wanderers, the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, and a Christmas concert at Bridgewater State Correctional Facility, among others.

“We believe that with talent also comes responsibility, so not only will students perform at the best international jazz festivals—from Monterey to Panama—with top musicians, but they will also learn how to use music to serve as a positive force in the community. We teach and give outreach performances in care homes, hospitals, and correctional facilities, in locations from Boston to the Dominican Republic and beyond,” says Pérez.

For a full list of upcoming events visit the BGJI events listings.