Berklee Abu Dhabi Fellows Bridge Worlds Through Music The fellowship provides opportunities to musicians from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia regions to grow as artists and bring their culture into the larger Berklee community.
By
Daniel Pesquera
September 20, 2024
Berklee Abu Dhabi Center
Berj Fazlian first heard about the then-nascent Berklee Abu Dhabi Center at the Dubai Culture Expo in 2021, and thought that the offerings were like nothing else he had seen.
Now a third-semester performance major at Berklee College of Music, Fazlian credits a scholarship from the Berklee Abu Dhabi Fellowship Fund, which allowed him to begin his studies in fall 2023, with transforming his life and musical journey for the better.
I'm in Boston right now, and I am still in denial that I got accepted for this scholarship, said Fazlian. Without the help of Berklee Abu Dhabi, it wouldn't have happened and I wouldn't be here. I'm very grateful for this opportunity.
Launched in March of 2023 by Abu Dhabis Department of Culture and Tourism, the fellowship fund offers scholarships to emerging artists from the United Arab Emirates and the wider Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia region, providing students with access to Berklee's state-of-the-art academic programs and creative spaces around the globe. In addition to Berklee Abu Dhabi and Berklee College of Music, prospective fellows can apply to study at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Berklee Valencia, Berklee NYC, and Berklee Online.
I've been learning so much, and I imagine what I can give back to people in the Middle East. I'm so happy to share what I've experienced.
- Berj Fazlian
To date, the fund has received over 700 applications, with scholarships being awarded to 13 students representing eight countries.
For insight into how the fellowship fund has opened possibilities for these artists, we spoke with Fazlian and fellow scholars Nejma Alkoor and Ahed Alameri about their musical and cultural backgrounds, experience with the program, and future aspirations.
Nejma Alkoor, Third-Semester Professional Music Major Growing up in a family of musicians and educators, Nejma Alkoor, a native of Abu Dhabi, had her mind set on Berklee early on. Alkoor began singing and playing piano at six years old, and soon began competing in singing contests including two appearances on The Voice Kids. In 2021, her mother, an oud player and professor, connected her with Mayssa Karaa, artistic director of Berklee Abu Dhabi, to tour the center and learn more about the academic offerings. Alkoor was immediately struck by the rigor and quality of the coursework and decided to enroll in the Performance Artistry and Learning program (PEARL) as a grade 11 student. Despite juggling the demands of her secondary school and Berklee Abu Dhabi coursework, Alkoor rose to the challenge, becoming the youngest person to earn the PEARL certificate. It was more than I thought, in a good way, said Alkoor. Honestly, I came out of [Berklee Abu Dhabi] knowing so much already and I hadn't even gone [yet] to university.
Nejma Alkoor credits Berklee Abu Dhabi with helping deepen her skills before attending college.
Soon after, Gael Hedding, director of the Berklee Abu Dhabi Center, suggested that Alkoor apply to the fellowship for the chance to study at Berklee's campus in Boston. Alkoor noted the motivation and support from the Abu Dhabi team as a big reason why she applied, despite apprehension about leaving home. I've been in some competitions . . . and after you feel drained, overwhelmed. . . . But when I entered Berklee Abu Dhabi, I felt the support and love, and I was able to do more concerts with my name in the set list. When I saw people being impacted by what I'm singing and getting emotional, it kept pushing me to do what I'm doing, even when it's difficult.
Now in her third semester, Alkoor has found a renewed sense of confidence and purpose in her artistry, citing the musical and cultural diversity at the Boston campus as a major influence on her development. Her performance in the Signature Series concert celebrating the Middle Eastern Music Festival was particularly special, not only because she took the stage at the Berklee Performance Center as a first-semester student, but because she was able to honor her culture through that performance.
I have friends that have been in a position where they don't know if they should move abroad or if they should continue following their passion. I always say, you should go for it, even if you're at a low point in your life or think you're not good enough, because one person can change so much in this world.
Ahed Alameri, Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive AlumnaUnlike many other students pursuing careers in music, Ahed Alameri of the UAE was not born into a family of artists. Instead, she found her way to the piano on her own, magnetically drawn to the instrument at a young age. Alameri's mother, while not having a background in music, recognized her daughter's deep love and natural ability for performance. Alameri would come to earn recognition for her talent from various secondary schools throughout the Emirates, eventually participating in international competitions.
The Fellowship Fund allowed Ahed Alameri to attend the renowned Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive at Berklee.
Image courtesy of the artist
Along the way, Alameri fell in love with classical music and jazz, genres she says have become an integral part of my identity, and continue to inspire and captivate me every single day. Her search to expand her artistic palette would lead her to discover the fellowship fund, through which she applied for Berklee's Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive program. I wanted to experien
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...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
29/05/2026
Experimental HIV vaccine achieves a long-sought goal In a first for the field, all non-human primates given a new series of vaccines generated antibodies capabl...
28/05/2026
Thomsons Climate Crisis Toolkit is already being put to work, helping journalist...
28/05/2026
FOX Sports' MLB coverage dominated the night at the 47th Annual Sports Emmy ...
28/05/2026
One of the most memorable postseasons in baseball history would have had no memo...
28/05/2026
NBC's Sunday Night Football is among the most-decorated and most-watched pro...
28/05/2026
The 2026 Sports Emmys marked a watershed moment for Prime Video Sports. After bu...
Berklee Abu Dhabi Fellows Bridge Worlds Through Music The fellowship provides opportunities to musicians from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia regions to grow as artists and bring their culture into the larger Berklee community.
