Berklee's 27th Encore Gala Raises More than $1.2 Million The virtual event featured performances from Tia Fuller, Paula Cole, Fred Wesley and the New JBs, Grace Kinstler, and many more.
By
Tori Donahue
October 29, 2021
Berklee student and American Idol finalist Grace Kinstler
Image by Mike Spencer
Berklee President Erica Muhl (left) and Krystal Banfield, vice president of Education Outreach and Social Entrepreneurship
Image by Mike Spencer
Tia Fuller, Grammy-nominated saxophonist and artistic director of Berklees Ensemble Department
Image by Mike Spencer
Berklee visiting scholar Paula Cole B.M. '90
Image by Mike Spencer
Starlight Finale performer Fred Wesley and the New JBs
Image by Mike Spencer
Berklee student Sheila del Bosque
Image by Mike Spencer
Berklee raised over $1.2 million in support of the Berklee City Music program at the 2021 Encore Gala, which featured over 70 faculty, student, and alumni musicians from over a dozen countries, along with an array of high-profile guests.
This years event, which was held virtually on Friday, October 22, began with remarks from Berklee leadership, and included special guest appearances by Gloria and Emilio Estefan '07H, Ray Greene B.M. '96, Donald Harrison '81 '21H, and Nile Rodgers '18H.
Grammy-nominated faculty saxophonist Tia Fuller led a group of City Music scholars in a special performance featuring members of the new City Music Ambassador program, including songwriter, producer, and composer Theron Feemster '00; trombonist Kameron Whalum; Grammy-winning keyboardist, composer, and bandleader Ond ej Pivec; jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold; producer Michael Refuerzo; and singer-songwriter Niu Raza B.M. '18. Berklee City Musics inaugural anthem, That Feeling, and the songs official music video, were also premiered at the event.
Watch the music video for That Feeling:
The events musical program consisted of several special guest performances, including Berklee visiting scholar Paula Cole B.M. '90 and Berklee student and American Idol finalist Grace Kinstler. Student and alumni artists Sheila del Bosque Quartet, Brandon Harris & Friends, and Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road treated viewers to a range of musical genres, while the Starlight Finale featured legendary funk forefather and trombonist Fred Wesley and his band, the New JBs.
Proceeds from the Encore Gala support Berklee City Music, a recognized leader in creative youth development. Founded 28 years ago, City Music works with marginalized communities, both through in-person and virtual classrooms, to help develop talented youth and provide them with pathways to college. City Music reaches thousands of students in Greater Boston and across the country, and provides vulnerable youth an opportunity to develop their talents and express their voices in a safe, supportive environment.
The Encore Galas co-presenting sponsors included Abrams Capital and Bain Capital Community Partnership, with co-chairs Sandhya S. and Craig S. Douglas, and Andrew and Mariann Youniss.
Related Categories
News
Most Popular
Contemporary Music Is Our History: A Sonic Timeline Listen to 75 songs that made Berklee what it is today.
Latest
Image courtesy of Getty Images
Berklee Salutes the Music of Tina Turner A global cast of students will perform Turner's most iconic songs from her 60-year career on Thursday, December 9.
Left to right: Berklee Provost Larry Simpson, MOME Commissioner Anne del Castillo, Berklee NYC Executive Director Stephen Webber, Berklee trustee Pete Muller, and Berklee President Erica Muhl
Image by Ryan Nava
Berklee NYC Reopens the Legendary Power Station Recording Studio with Star-Studded Kickoff The event featured remarks from Cyndi Lauper, Nona Hendryx, and Berklee President Erica Muhl, among others.
Brazilian singer Alice Macedo is a Berklee College of Music senior majoring in music business/management.
Image courtesy of the artist
Two Track Showcases Songs of Transformation in October Berklees new YouTube series features music and storytelling segments by students in an intimate setting with one microphone and continuous camera takes.
Read All
Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
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...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
18/05/2026
Despite a bumpy start to the year, the provider of event-production support and ...
18/05/2026
Daktronics has partnered with the University of North Carolina to manufacture and install 11 LED displays totaling more than 10,000 square feet and more than 14...
18/05/2026
CBS LA has announced a multi-year partnership with the Los Angeles Rams, covering exclusive local broadcasts of Rams preseason games, weekly year-round programm...
18/05/2026
Skyline Communications has announced an integration between its DataMiner xOps p...
18/05/2026
eCLUTCH, the hybrid esports platform powered by iKOMG, has announced an expansion of its distribution across Europe, MENA, Africa, and Asia, along with new cont...
18/05/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/05/2026
With 22 games this season, the production team looks forward to tweaking and enhancing the coverage
After 8,660 days off the air, the WNBA returned to NBC yest...
18/05/2026
(L-R) Midori Francis and Natalie Erika James attend the Saccharine premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 22, 2026, in ...
18/05/2026
Last night, the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico returned to the country's capital. Now in its second year, the evening honors creators whose voices are hel...
18/05/2026
ZEN-Core synth goes mobile
Roland's powerful ZEN-Core software synthesizer has just been introduced to the iPad, offering a convenient entry point into ...
18/05/2026
Versatile new limiter plug-in announced
Based in Sheffield, UK, fedDSP offer a range of plug-ins that span the music production, live sound and high-end med...
18/05/2026
A new use for convolution?
Viiri Audio's debut plug-in aims to do something a little different with convolution processing, allowing users to adjust all...
18/05/2026
Delta Goodrem shines for SBS as more than 3.27 million Australians tune in for E...
18/05/2026
The Australian Defence Force uses L3Harris T4 and T7 robots for explosive ordnan...
18/05/2026
Continued investment across Europe and Germany is expanding local teams and improving access to stock, regional expertise, and specialist broadcast support.
CV...
18/05/2026
Monday 18 May 2026
Sky News offers ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes for just...
18/05/2026
Comscore March 2026 Consumer AI Chatbot Usage Rankings Show Claude Gaining Share OpenAI's ChatGPT maintains lead while Anthropic's Claude continues to c...
17/05/2026
Delta Goodrem's Eurovision Eclipse marks end of a stellar run
17 May, 2026
Media releases
Bulgaria wins Eurovision 2026
Relive every spellbinding mome...
17/05/2026
Back to All News
Oasis Premieres on Netflix June 19
Entertainment
17 May 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Summer, sunshine, the beach, parties. T...
16/05/2026
Helps to deliver a clean, balanced midrange
Developed alongside Newfangled Audio, the latest plug-in in Eventide's software collection has been designed...
16/05/2026
Brings onboard stem rendering to RANE System One
Engine DJ have just released Engine DJ 5.0, a free update for their Engine DJ OS embedded hardware and Engi...
16/05/2026
Boris FX Continuum Pairs AI Precision and Advanced Creative Controls
Jessie Electa Petrov May 16, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic de...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, in partnership with RAVE Foundation an...
15/05/2026
Dan Brumm has served as sound designer on Bluey, the Australian children's t...
15/05/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are accepting applications for the 6th annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Schola...
15/05/2026
Netflix has announced an expanded NFL schedule for 2026 and beyond under a four-year partnership extension with the NFL through the 2029-30 season. Each season,...
15/05/2026
Ateme is supporting TVRI (Televisi Republik Indonesia) with a contribution and d...
15/05/2026
Concacaf has announced the launch of a new website and mobile app built on Deltatre's FORGE platform. Concacaf.com and the mobile app, available on iOS and ...
15/05/2026
Eutelsat has announced the launch of QBC Business Economic Channel by Qatar Media Corporation, broadcasting in 4K/UHD via Eutelsat's 7/8 West video neighbo...
15/05/2026
Major League Soccer has announced four original content series timed to the 2026...
15/05/2026
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has announced it will exhibit and present at InfoComm 2026, taking place June 13-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Cente...
15/05/2026
InfoComm 2026 will take place June 13-19 (exhibits June 17-19) at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show will include sessions and exhibits covering broadcas...
15/05/2026
Tracy McGrady's Ones Basketball League (OBL) and FuboTV Inc. have announced ...
15/05/2026
Disguise has partnered with Creative Technology (CT) to deliver visual playback ...
15/05/2026
Sony Electronics has announced two new products for professional imaging: the Alpha 7R VI full-frame mirrorless camera and the FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS super-te...
15/05/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
15/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
15/05/2026
For sports organizations, the most valuable assets are often the most sensitive:...
15/05/2026
The NFL's broadcast partners released their 2026 regular season schedules ye...
15/05/2026
Besides drawing on experience with boxing, the production integrates specialty c...
15/05/2026
Daniel Roher attends the Tuner Premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at Eccles Theatre on January 22, 2026 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Neilson Bar...
Berklee's 27th Encore Gala Raises More than $1.2 Million The virtual event featured performances from Tia Fuller, Paula Cole, Fred Wesley and the New JBs, Grace Kinstler, and many more.
