Lee Berk Tribute Concert Honors Legacy of Music Education Pioneer and Former Berklee President The concert, 25 Tributes: Celebrating Lee Eliot Berk, will recognize Berks enduring impact on the institution with performances from students, faculty, alumni, and guest artists.
By
Daniel Pesquera
February 8, 2024
Image by Phil Farnsworth
Berklee will present the Signature Series concert 25 Tributes: Celebrating Lee Eliot Berk, a one-night event that will honor the life, career, and legacy of Lee Eliot Berk, former president and one of the most influential leaders in the institution's history. The concert, which will take place Friday, April 26, at 7:00 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center, is slated to feature contributions from students, alumni, current and former faculty, and special guest artists offering 25 different tributes to Berk in the form of speeches, stories, and live performances.
In addition to memorializing Berk, the tribute concert will offer a chance for the Berklee community to commemorate the tremendous impact that the Berk family has had on countless individuals, whether through personal relationships or the numerous programs Berk helped to create and innovate during his storied tenure. The lineup of speakers and musicians represents many of Berklee's flagship initiatives and partnerships, which either started or expanded during the Berk presidency, including the college's world-renowned jazz curricula, the Berklee International Network (now known as Berklee Global Partners), the Boston Arts Academy, Berklee City Music, the Reverence Gospel Ensemble, and several key academic programs.
Lee Berk (center) with honorary doctorate recipients Amar G. Bose (left) and Oleta Adams (right) at the 1994 commencement ceremony.
Image courtesy of the Berklee Archives
Lee Berk dedicated his life to Berklee and played an immeasurable role in shaping the college into the internationally renowned and globally connected institution it is today, said Dr. David Bogen, interim president and provost. This concert will be a testament to Lees profound legacy, reflected in contributions representative of the many trailblazing programs and initiatives that helped define his tenure as president. We are honored to continue celebrating Lee's impact on Berklee, contemporary music education, and the arts, as well as his enduring belief in the life-changing power of music.
The concert will feature tributes and performances from select members of Berklee's jazz community, under the musical direction of Berklee instructor and jazz saxophonist, pianist, and composer Edmar Col n B.M. '15, M.M. '16, and will feature renowned saxophonist Bill Pierce B.M. '73, woodwind chair emeritus; pianist Kris Davis, associate program director of creative development for the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice; bassist John Lockwood; drummer and alternative jazz artist Tyson Jackson '19; and celebrated jazz trumpeter and professor Greg Hopkins. As a special tribute to Lee and his wife Susan, a big band of students and faculty will perform a composition by Mike Gibbs '63, whose concert at the Berklee Performance Center served as the venue for their first date.
Lee was a friend and mentor, had a keen sense of humor, and rightfully pursued a vision that placed Berklee at the center of global music education, said Dr. Ron Savage, vice president and executive director of academic affairs, who will be performing a stand-alone tribute on snare drum. Lee Berks advice to me as a new faculty member has long become my prime directive' in any youth development situation: Youll know you have it right as a teacher when your students become successful.' That quote portrays a sentiment that I hold dear to my heart. All of us who knew him miss Lee, and I look forward to the opportunity to celebrate his legacy!
The program will also include tributes that recognize the growth and innovation of various academic departments under Berk. Featured performances include Boston Conservatory at Berklee student Elaina Spiro playing film scores arranged by Associate Professor Tim Huling 98; original music from student singer-songwriter Kieran Rhodes; and compositions from Sheryl Bailey B.M. '88, assistant chair of guitar, and department faculty members Tim Miller, Rick Peckham, and Dave Fiuczynski, acknowledging the department's important role in Berklee's history.
Lee and Susan Berk (center) with Rimon School founder Yehuda Eder 85 (far right) celebrate the signing of official partnership agreement between Berklee and the Rimon School.
Image courtesy of the Berklee Archives
Following this tribute, saxophonist and composer Lihi Haruvi '15 and pianist Tom Oren '19, 2018 winner of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition, will perform a duet. The two are graduates of the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in Ramat Hasharon, an institution cofounded by seminal Israeli musician Yehuda Eder B.M. '85. During his time as president, Berk established a foundation for a long-standing partnership between the school and Berklee. Alumni from the Boston Arts Academy will then take the stage, led by academy graduate Gregory Groover B.M. '15, M.M. '17, Berklees assistant chair of ensemble, and featuring Tyrone Sutton, the academy's interim head of school.
The concert will also celebrate the expansion of the global Berklee network, beginning with a tribute from Berklee City Music, a program which started under Berk and now reaches 54,000 students throughout North America every year. Under the direction of singer-songwriter Nichelle Mungo B.M. '97, assistant professor of voice, this tribute will feature performances from City Music alumni, including guitarist Tyrone Chase B.M. '95, ensemble interim chair; percuss
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Standalone processors acknowledged for the innovation and value they bring to Pro AV
Cobalt Digital, a leading designer and manufacturer of signal processing ...
02/07/2026
Synamedia announced today the appointment of Dr Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transitio...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia backs audience-led filmmaking with new insight-driven initiativ...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia refines guidelines for Narrative Content Development and Docume...
02/07/2026
Maxon Autograph: Introduction to working with Tables
Simon Ubsdell July 1, 2026
0 Comments
An overview of Autograph's ridiculously powerful tables...
02/07/2026
Boston Conservatory's Soir e Breaks Records to Fund Student Scholarships The event achieved 127 percent of its fundraising goal in an evening celebrating ...
02/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Med Tech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might thin...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
Lee Berk Tribute Concert Honors Legacy of Music Education Pioneer and Former Berklee President The concert, 25 Tributes: Celebrating Lee Eliot Berk, will recognize Berks enduring impact on the institution with performances from students, faculty, alumni, and guest artists.
