Berklee Celebrates the Inauguration of President Jim Lucchese

Berklee Celebrates the Inauguration of President Jim Lucchese In his inaugural address, Lucchese highlighted Berklee's power to connect, create, and heal through music, and called on the community to shape what comes next.

By

Tori Donahue

October 30, 2025

Berklee President Jim Lucchese delivers his inaugural address at the Berklee Performance Center

Image by Dave Green

Berklee President Jim Lucchese drums as part of the Berklee Inauguration All-Star Band

Image by Dave Green

Berklee celebrated the inauguration of Jim Lucchese, its fifth president, on Thursday, October 30, at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston. The administration of the oath of office was led by Martin J. Mannion, chair of Berklee's Board of Trustees, followed by the presidential medallion presentation.

Lucchese opened his inaugural address by affirming Berklee as an institution that listens deeply to its students, learns from their creativity, and keeps its focus fixed on what's next. He expressed gratitude for those who have supported him during his presidency so far. I'm thankful to have found a home here, he said. A home that makes place and space for such a diverse range of exceptional people, all trying to keep creativity at the center of their life in one way or another. I'm grateful to be a part of that.

Some institutions talk about helping students find their vocation. If youre here, that's not a problem. If you're here, it found you.- President Jim Lucchese

He spoke to Berklee's unique role in the world of higher education, highlighting the importance of vocation among students, faculty, and alumni. Some institutions talk about helping students find their vocation, he said. If youre here, that's not a problem. If you're here, it found you. You're pursuing your art because you have to, and it creates a special connection. Our faculty see that calling in our students, and our students see themselves in their teachers.

Lucchese also reflected on the power of music and its ability to restore and uplift, citing studies that show how music aids those recovering from strokes or living with dementia. He emphasized the importance music plays in creating a deeper sense of empathy and human connection in a deeply divided world. That's our students' gift: the ability to heal and bring people together. That's why our students are here, he said. And that's why we're here, too.

He concluded his address by outlining the strategic pillars that will shape Berklee's future: affordability, careers, and sustainability. Yes, we're doing this work in uniquely challenging times, he said. We're facing the greatest technology-driven disruption to creative industries in our lifetime, economic challenges, and fragmented online discourse making it harder to feel connected. But I'm so optimistic. What better time to help these students bring their power to heal-their power to connect people-into the world? I consider it such a great honor to be here and will do all I can to protect this place and its mission.

The inauguration opened with remarks by Krisha Marcano, dean of theater at Boston Conservatory at Berklee and the event's master of ceremonies, who introduced the Berklee Inauguration All-Star Band, directed by Billy Buss, assistant professor of brass. Mannion then welcomed the audience, drawing parallels between Berklee and the Fringe, a jazz trio known for their distinctive approach to improvisation. He introduced a performance of one of the group's pieces by two original members, George Garzone and John Lockwood, joined by Terri Lyne Carrington, who took the part of the late drummer Bob Gullotti, to whom the piece was dedicated.

Berklee's third president, Roger H. Brown, also shared his reflections, speaking to Lucchese's business acumen in entertainment law, the streaming industry, technology, and live music through his previous leadership of organizations such as Sofar Sounds and the Echo Nest. He also noted their shared similarities as drummers and promised to provide guidance and support as needed, just as the late Lee Berk had done for Brown in his early days as president.

During the ceremony, students, faculty, and alumni presented a diverse range of performances. A medley dedicated to Luccheses eclectic taste featured songs by Jimi Hendrix, the Roots, Claude Debussy, Thomas Snowden, Prince, Ida Nielsen, and Ervin Drake, performed by 11 students under the direction of Andres Gonzalez-Cardona PD '18 BM '19, senior audio creative producer.

The program concluded with a high-octane set of Tower of Power songs- Don't Change Horses, Soul Vaccination, and What Is Hip? -performed by the Berklee Inauguration All-Star Band, composed of 14 faculty members with Lucchese on drums. The ceremony's finale befit the Berklee ethos-those who teach in the classrooms are also the ones giving it their all on stage, with a new president on a drum stool, wiping sweat from his brow as he puts in the reps to set the next tempo.

Additional speakers included Anu Mendsaikhan, president of the Berklee Student Government Association, and Lydia Harrell, assistant professor of voice and former bandmate of Lucchese's. The program also featured video testimonials from Krisha Marcano; Berklee trustee Bill Kaiser, who led the presidential search; Ron Savage, vice president and executive director of Berklee College of Music; Michael Shinn, executive director of Boston Conservatory at Berklee; Grace Kelly BM '12, acclaimed jazz saxophonist and Berklee trustee; Kim Perlak, chair of the Guitar Department; Adrian Sicam, assistant professor of voice; Brooke Parrott BM '07, critically lauded writer and musician; and student Keeme Tajudeen.

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