Picking Up the Tempo in Valencia

On September 17, Berklee College of Music president Roger H. Brown gave the welcome speech at the college’s new campus in Valencia, Spain. The event marked the launch of Berklee’s first-ever master’s degree offerings in Contemporary Performance; Scoring for Film, Television, and Video Games; and Global Entertainment and Music Business. The launch represents the successful culmination of an ambitious and challenging project and confirms the college’s commitment to establish a new international campus with original curriculum.

The master’s programs have attracted applicants from many of the world’s countries. The entering class includes 23 students from Europe, 22 from America, 14 from Central and South America, as well as students from Canada, Mexico, Asia, Africa, China, India, Russia, and the Virgin Islands. Over a third of the master’s students are female. Fully 36 percent enrolled in the Contemporary Performance program and 41 percent enrolled in the Global Entertainment and Music Business program are women.

“The selection process proved to be tough,” commented President Brown. “We received a large number of applications from very talented musicians.”

All of the master’s students have previously earned bachelor’s degrees and have a background in contemporary music performance or other experience in popular music. The class includes music educators and experienced music professionals who seek to continue developing their careers and add a graduate degree to their résumés. A total of 10 of the graduate students formerly studied at Berklee’s Boston campus.

Several scholarships were awarded to outstanding applicants. These include scholarships named for renowned music stars including Howard Shore, Alberto Iglesias, Juan Luis Guerra, and Michel Camilo. There are also scholarships funded by such companies as Endesa and Conexus, as well as one designated for Berklee alumni and students from the Berklee International Network (BIN) schools.

In addition to the master’s degree programs, Berklee in Valencia offers the Global Studies Program for students enrolled at Berklee’s Boston campus to study in Valencia, summer programs, and special programs offering access to renowned visiting artists, the Mediterranean Music Institute for the study of the evolution and proliferation of musical genres associated with the Mediterranean region, and an international career center to expand networking opportunities and assist graduates with their transition to the professional world.

“Our aim in establishing the new Berklee campus in Valencia is to provide a hub for those wishing to pursue an international career in the music industry,” explained Guillermo Cisneros, the vice president for Berklee’s global initiatives and executive director of Berklee in Valencia. “The Valencia site was chosen for its close connections to the four main cultural areas of Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. “The rich cultural mix of the music and backgrounds of the students sets the stage for some interesting musical fusions, the pushing of new boundaries, and a rewarding year for all. We look forward to helping them launch their careers across the globe.”

Even the campus site reflects the uniqueness of the program. Located in Valencia’s iconic building of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, the 11,800-square-foot facility has been renovated specifically for music and is equipped with state-of-the art technology for classrooms, ensemble rooms, rehearsal space, tech labs, four postproduction studios, and a professional recording studio designed by the by Walters-Storyk Design Group. The building also includes a 262-square-foot live recording area with high ceilings and walls and a floor with variable surfaces for different acoustic configurations, two sound-isolated overdub rooms, and a 151-square-foot control room.