Berklee in Puerto Rico Program to Host 30th Anniversary Concert The event will feature Grammy- and Latin Grammy-winning artist Miguel Zen n BM '98, cuatro player Fabiola M ndez BM '18, and other musical guests.
By
Colette Greenstein
April 23, 2025
Students performed at the Berklee in Puerto Rico concert in 2024.
Image courtesy of Make Music Happen
The Berklee in Puerto Rico program will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a concert headlined by Berklee alum and Guggenheim and MacArthur fellow Miguel Zen n BM '98 on Thursday, June 5, at the Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferre in the Sala de Festivales Antonio Paoli in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Produced by Luis lvarez '83, founding president of Make Music Happen, the concert will be led by Berklee alum and musical director Edmar Col n BM '15, MM '16. It will feature a host of Berklee alumni, including cuatro player Fabiola M ndez BM '18, who recently performed with Bad Bunny on NPR's Tiny Desk concert series; multi-percussionist Marcos L pez BM '11, who is currently on tour with Marc Anthony; composer, arranger, and producer David Antonio Rosado Ortiz BM '24; electric bassist Aldemar Valent n PD '99, BM '03; drummer David Rivera '08; flutist Kalani Trinidad '12; vocalist Jeremy Bosch '12; saxophonist Mario Castro '11, and percussionist Zayra Pola Ocasio '13. The evening will also include a performance by a special surprise guest artist.
Listen to a playlist of artists performing at the Berklee in Puerto Rico 30th Anniversary Concert:
With this magnificent concert, we are celebrating the virtuosity of these unique musicians and, most importantly, their commitment to becoming outstanding performers, said lvarez '83, a former Berklee trustee and current vice chair of the Berklee Valencia Advisory Board. They have become best-in-class with conviction, relentless resiliency, inexhaustible energy, and self-discipline. In doing so, they prove to the next crop of young artists that there are no limits to what can be achieved with energy and discipline. This is what we celebrate with the 30th anniversary concert of Berklee in Puerto Rico; this is how we make music happen.
I'm very excited to be part of the concert celebrating the 30th anniversary of Berklee in Puerto Rico, said Zen n. I was part of the very first class in 1995, and it's been a real joy to see the program grow over the last three decades, becoming such an important platform for up-and-coming Puerto Rican musicians. Im looking forward to the concert in June.
Berklee faculty will also be well-represented on stage, including Fernando Huergo, professor of bass and the program's academic director; Rebecca Cline, professor of piano and a 1997 Berklee in Puerto Rico alum; Yoron Israel, chair of percussion; Grammy Award-winning percussionist Eguie Castillo; Nadia Washington, assistant professor of ear training (vocal instructor); Jeff Claassen, professor of harmony and jazz composition (brass instructor); Lauren Sevian, associate professor of woodwinds; Jonathan Suazo MM '17, alumni artist (woodwind instructor) and a 2005 Berklee in Puerto Rico student; Caio Afiune, a Brazilian guitarist and composer and associate professor of ear training; and Jason Camelio, trombonist and assistant vice president of global programs and partnerships.
The concert will also feature Berklee in Puerto Rico legacy professors Ron Savage, an acclaimed drummer and vice president and executive director at Berklee College of Music; trumpeter Greg Hopkins, professor of harmony and jazz composition; and Oscar Stagnaro, a Grammy Award-winning bassist and Berklee professor.
Since its inception in 1995, more than 4,000 students have participated in the Berklee in Puerto Rico program, which is anchored by a foundation in Berklees core areas of music instruction, including music theory, ear training, improvisation, ensemble performance, and instrumental training. Over six days, Berklee faculty and special guest artists lead master classes in composition, arranging, and songwriting, while students also have the opportunity to audition for admission to the college and for scholarships to attend Berklee. All artists performing in the concert have participated in the program.
The Berklee in Puerto Rico program changed my life. It opened a new door of possibilities and dreams I didnt even know I had, said Fabiola M ndez. Being a cuatrista and growing up with traditional music, I didnt think of myself as an instrumentalist who was capable of exploring other genres, studying with non-cuatro teachers, or expanding the harmonic and melodic language of my instrument. The program allowed me to challenge these notions about myself, to audition for Berklee and eventually earn a scholarship to attend the college, which then opened a multidimensional path of opportunities and growth that was totally unimaginable.
lvarez, who has been instrumental in creating the program, is also a scholarship donor, supporting talented and deserving students in attending Berklee's full-time programs. He has helped provide more than $350,000 in scholarships to the institution. In recognition of his significant contributions to the Berklee community, lvarez will receive the Berklee Alumni Achievement Award at the 30th anniversary concert. This prestigious honor is presented to alumni for their outstanding accomplishments and lasting impact on the performing arts and beyond. Previous recipients include Abraham Laboriel Jr. '94, Terri Lyne Carrington '83, H '03, and Juan Luis Guerra '82.
I owe a great part of my early musical development to the comprehensive work realized during my time at the Berklee in Puerto Rico program, which I had the opportunity to attend on three occasions, said Col n. I can attest to how transfo
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
18 May 2026
Dubai and New York, May 18, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a glob...
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...
Berklee in Puerto Rico Program to Host 30th Anniversary Concert The event will feature Grammy- and Latin Grammy-winning artist Miguel Zen n BM '98, cuatro player Fabiola M ndez BM '18, and other musical guests.
