Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Berklee's Gospel Performance Program Welcomes Jonathan Nelson as the Herb Alpert Visiting Artist

03/07/2025

Berklee's Gospel Performance Program Welcomes Jonathan Nelson as the Herb Alpert Visiting Artist The program will take place July 21-25 and will feature a free gospel concert directed by Nelson on July 24.

By

Colette Greenstein

July 2, 2025

Students singing in the 2024 Gospel Performance Program summer showcase in Boston, Massachusetts.

Image by Bryan Lasky

Berklee's annual Gospel Performance Program will celebrate its fourth year on the Boston campus July 21-25, with special guest Jonathan Nelson as the Herb Alpert Visiting Artist. Launched by the Africana Studies Division in 2022, the immersive five-day program is open to high school students ages 15 and older with at least six months of instrumental or vocal experience.

The Gospel Performance Summer Program has been a phenomenal experience for so many high school students, domestic and abroad, says Emmett G. Price III, founding dean of the Africana Studies Division. The program, delivered by Berklee faculty, alumni, and visiting guest artists and scholars has continued to display our commitment to the elevation of gospel music as an art form and a foundational cultural expression, while also emphasizing the importance of creating pathways and portals into the industry for young people.

The weeklong program will offer ensemble rehearsals, technique-in-performance classes, gospel history discussions, and a master class led by Nelson. Additionally, there will be a presentation on the gospel music industry covering performance and business techniques while also exploring the genres cultural relevance and its connection to contemporary music.

Classes will be led by Berklee faculty who are trained in the gospel tradition, with Mark Copeland, an assistant professor of ensemble, and Ayeisha Dennise Mathis 09, an assistant professor of harmony and jazz composition, as academic directors. Copeland is a pianist, organist, and keyboardist by trade who has performed with a slew of jazz greats, including Al Jarreau, Kirk Whalum, Marcus Miller, and George Duke. Boston native Mathis was born into a musical family who introduced her to various instruments, such as keys and guitar, at a young age. She is the first recipient of the college's presidential scholarship, graduating with dual degrees in music production and engineering (MP&E) and music business/management.

Visiting artist Nelson is a contemporary gospel singer and songwriter who has won multiple Stellar Awards. He has released several albums, including Right Now Praise, Better Days, Finish Strong, Fearless, and Declarations, in his more than 20 years of performing. The Baltimore native was born into a family steeped in ministry and music and studied at the Baltimore School for the Arts. His music, which encompasses praise and worship styles, is known for its modern sound and often features elements of R&B and soul. Nelson has been recognized numerous times with Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards, with his first nominations occurring simultaneously in 2008 in the categories of Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year for My Name Is Victory, and New Artist of the Year. In 2021, Nelson achieved his first number one single with Manifest, featuring John McClure and his ensemble Purpose, on Billboard's Gospel Airplay chart.

The program will culminate in a free live concert on Thursday, July 24, with students performing and sharing the stage with Nelson. Hosted by Dr. Teresa Hairston Jackson, the event will take place at 7:00 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center, located at 136 Massachusetts Avenue, in Boston. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required.

Related Categories

News

Most Popular

Image by Maddie Ross, courtesy of Tape Op magazine

Building a Home Recording Studio? Here's What You Need. Experts break down the home studio setup and share tips to create a pro-level recording space on any budget.

Latest

Allison Miller

Image courtesy of Erika Kapin Photography

Allison Miller Named the 2025-2026 Ken Pullig Visiting Scholar in Jazz Studies The three-time Jazz Journalists Association Drummer of the Year nominee will join Berklee's Harmony and Jazz Composition Department this fall.

The Velvet Sundowns images are also AI-generated.

Image courtesy of the Velvet Sundown

The Velvet Sundown: The AI Band Controversy Explained Berklee faculty explain what you need to know about the now-confirmed AI band with over 1 million streaming subscribers.

Los Angeles-based engineer Sarah Tudzin '14 was featured in an episode of Variations Signature Series.

Berklee Alumni

Berklee Wins CASE Award for Standout Digital Campaign The Alumni Affairs team's Variations Signature Series earned recognition for offering an authentic perspective on the post-graduation experience.

Read All

Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
LINK: https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/berklee-s-gospel-performance-...
See more stories from berklee

More from Berklee

28/08/2025

Dr. Rhoda Bernard Releases Groundbreaking Debut Book on Accessible Arts Education

Dr. Rhoda Bernard Releases Groundbreaking Debut Book on Accessible Arts Educatio...

28/08/2025

Boston Conservatory at Berklee Announces Center Stage Performances for 2025-2026 Season

Boston Conservatory at Berklee Announces Center Stage Performances for 2025-2026...

27/08/2025

Lara Pellegrinelli Named Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice Visiting Scholar

Lara Pellegrinelli Named Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice Visiting S...

25/08/2025

The Berklee-Spelman Exchange Program Enters Year Three

The Berklee-Spelman Exchange Program Enters Year Three The initiative celebrates the contributions of African American women to jazz and contemporary music. ...

23/08/2025

$2.2 Million Donation Fuels Next Phase of Berklee Bridge

$2.2 Million Donation Fuels Next Phase of Berklee Bridge The anonymous gift will amplify the impact of the student success initiative built to support student...

22/08/2025

This Berklee Program Turns Class Projects into Career Breakthroughs

This Berklee Program Turns Class Projects into Career Breakthroughs Experiential Design Lab students take on creative briefs from Red Bull, Disney, and more, ...

19/08/2025

Where Is 2025s Song of the Summer?

Where Is 2025s Song of the Summer? Professor Joe Bennett comments on why this year doesnt have a clear song of the summer. By Tara Bellucci August 19, 202...

18/08/2025

Berklee Announces Fall 2025 Signature Series

Berklee Announces Fall 2025 Signature Series This year's concerts feature Sasha Berliner, Samora Pinderhughes, and Rakim, alongside tributes to Bob Dylan,...

18/08/2025

Dorico Music Software: Tips for Switching from Finale

Dorico Music Software: Tips for Switching from Finale Professor Lee Abe explains the music composition software and how it compares to the now-sunset Finale. ...

15/08/2025

Arlen Borrego Miranda Awarded 2025 Prodigy Scholarship by Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation

Arlen Borrego Miranda Awarded 2025 Prodigy Scholarship by Latin Grammy Cultural ...

14/08/2025

Graduate Spotlight: Sofija Zlatanova

Graduate Spotlight: Sofija Zlatanova The educator, who grew up in North Macedonia, shares how her Berklee journey went from viola performance to music educati...

12/08/2025

KPop Demon Hunters Is Coming to Theaters

KPop Demon Hunters Is Coming to Theaters Assistant Professor Claire Marie Lim discusses the Netflix film and K-pop trends ahead of the one-weekend-only theatr...

07/08/2025

Berklee City Music Students Receive Scholarships, Awards at Concert

Berklee City Music Students Receive Scholarships, Awards at Concert This year, 17 students received scholarships, housing awards, and aid to attend Berklee Co...

06/08/2025

Boston Conservatory Dancers Light Up Coldplay's Gillette Stadium Shows

Boston Conservatory Dancers Light Up Coldplay's Gillette Stadium Shows Fifteen commercial dance students and recent grads performed as planet operators ...

01/08/2025

Boston Conservatory Grads Costar with Sutton Foster and Kelli O'Hara for One Night Only

Boston Conservatory Grads Costar with Sutton Foster and Kelli O'Hara for One...

31/07/2025

Ozzy Osbourne Was Master of His Own Reality

Ozzy Osbourne Was Master of His Own Reality From being the founder of heavy metal to a foul-mouthed reality TV star, the Prince of Darkness built a legacy on ...

31/07/2025

Lucy Khadder Named 2025 Jimmy Lyons Scholarship Recipient

Lucy Khadder Named 2025 Jimmy Lyons Scholarship Recipient The valedictorian from the Oakland School for the Arts will perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival in...

31/07/2025

Berklee Songwriters Win 2025 John Lennon Awards

Berklee Songwriters Win 2025 John Lennon Awards Chloe Southern BM '22 and student Julia Kirkwood honored by the BMI Foundation for standout original songs...

26/07/2025

Berklee's South Asian Scholar Association Celebrate First-Ever Concert at Brighton Music Hall

Berklee's South Asian Scholar Association Celebrate First-Ever Concert at Br...

25/07/2025

That Great Gretsch Sound: The Iconic Gear that Made Music History

That Great Gretsch Sound: The Iconic Gear that Made Music History From the Beatles on Ed Sullivan to jazz drumming evolution, Gretsch has been there. Listen t...

25/07/2025

Berklee Partners with Playing for Legacy for 2025 Summer Program

Berklee Partners with Playing for Legacy for 2025 Summer Program Students from around the world gain real-world music industry experience through hands-on art...

24/07/2025

Allison Miller Named the 2025-2026 Ken Pullig Visiting Scholar in Jazz Studies

Allison Miller Named the 2025-2026 Ken Pullig Visiting Scholar in Jazz Studies The three-time Jazz Journalists Association Drummer of the Year nominee will ...

23/07/2025

The Velvet Sundown: The AI Band Controversy Explained

The Velvet Sundown: The AI Band Controversy Explained Berklee faculty explain what you need to know about the now-confirmed AI band with over 1 million stream...

18/07/2025

Berklee Singers Wow the Competition on Netflixs Building the Band

Berklee Singers Wow the Competition on Netflixs Building the Band Netflixs new music competition show features two Berklee artists looking to make their pop b...

17/07/2025

Berklee Wins CASE Award for Standout Digital Campaign

Berklee Wins CASE Award for Standout Digital Campaign The Alumni Affairs team's Variations Signature Series earned recognition for offering an authentic p...

17/07/2025

Berklee Alumni Nominated for 2025 Emmy Awards

Berklee Alumni Nominated for 2025 Emmy Awards Twenty-seven Berklee alumni received nominations across categories in sound mixing, sound editing, and compositi...

11/07/2025

Model/Actriz Performs Lead Single Cinderella on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Model/Actriz Performs Lead Single Cinderella on The Late Show with Stephen Colbe...

03/07/2025

Berklee's Gospel Performance Program Welcomes Jonathan Nelson as the Herb Alpert Visiting Artist

Berklee's Gospel Performance Program Welcomes Jonathan Nelson as the Herb Al...

02/07/2025

Boston Conservatory and the Sphinx Organization Join Forces to Make Classical Education Accessible

Boston Conservatory and the Sphinx Organization Join Forces to Make Classical Ed...

30/06/2025

Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics to Host 40th Anniversary Concert

Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics to Host 40th Anniversary Concert The celebration will be held on July 10 in Perugia, Italy. By Colette Greenstein June 30, 202...

27/06/2025

How Two Berklee Alumni Landed Songs in the Oscar-Winning Film Anora

How Two Berklee Alumni Landed Songs in the Oscar-Winning Film Anora Joseph Capalbo BM '12 and Lyusi Simon BM '16 share how their collaboration spanned...

26/06/2025

Berklee in Puerto Rico 30th Anniversary Celebration Culminates in Awarding $3.74 Million in Financial Aid

Berklee in Puerto Rico 30th Anniversary Celebration Culminates in Awarding $3.74...

25/06/2025

Study Reveals Stark Gender Gap in Jazz Education

Study Reveals Stark Gender Gap in Jazz Education A new report from the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice and researcher Lara Pellegrinelli finds th...

25/06/2025

Jazz at the Fort Returns, Featuring Yoron Israel and High Standards

Jazz at the Fort Returns, Featuring Yoron Israel and High Standards The performance is part of Berklee's Summer in the City concert series. By Kelly Won...

19/06/2025

Chelsey Green Makes History as Recording Academy Board Chair

Chelsey Green Makes History as Recording Academy Board Chair The violinist, violist, vocalist, and Berklee professor is the first Black woman and youngest per...

18/06/2025

Bostons Dear Summer Mixtape Vol. 3 Features Berklee Artists, DJs, and Producers

Bostons Dear Summer Mixtape Vol. 3 Features Berklee Artists, DJs, and Producers Created by Mayor Michelle Wu and the Office of Tourism, Sports, and Entertainm...

13/06/2025

Berklee's Music Business/Management Department Recognized by the Music Biz Association

Berklee's Music Business/Management Department Recognized by the Music Biz A...

13/06/2025

On Chick Coreas Birthday, a Newly Uncovered Archival Release

On Chick Coreas Birthday, a Newly Uncovered Archival Release The Visitors, composed by Corea and performed by vibraphonist Gary Burton and pianist Kirill Gers...

11/06/2025

Boston Conservatory Heads to Tanglewood This Summer

Boston Conservatory Heads to Tanglewood This Summer Student dancers and musicians from Boston Conservatory at Berklee will debut a new work by choreographer K...

10/06/2025

Berklee Professor Regie Gibson Named First Poet Laureate of Massachusetts

Berklee Professor Regie Gibson Named First Poet Laureate of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey honored Gibson as the inaugural Poet Laureate for the state in...

10/06/2025

Summer Songwriting Programs: Boston or LA? Berklee Lets You Choose Your Coast

Summer Songwriting Programs: Boston or LA? Berklee Lets You Choose Your Coast Whether you head east or west, Berklee offers aspiring songwriters the chance to...

07/06/2025

Berklee Professor's Fulbright Project Addresses Suicide Loss Through Art

Berklee Professor's Fulbright Project Addresses Suicide Loss Through Art Ray Seol's cross-cultural production Another Season draws from personal grief...

05/06/2025

Bob Clearmountain to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee NYC Graduate Commencement

Bob Clearmountain to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee NYC Graduate Commence...

04/06/2025

Betsie Becker Named Executive Director of Berklee NYC

Betsie Becker Named Executive Director of Berklee NYC A veteran arts and education leader, Becker brings a strategic vision for academic innovation and commun...

03/06/2025

Antonio Snchez '97 to Deliver Keynote at Berklee College of Music's Graduate Commencement

Antonio S nchez '97 to Deliver Keynote at Berklee College of Music's Gra...

03/06/2025

Alf Clausen, Composer for The Simpsons, Dies at 84

Alf Clausen, Composer for The Simpsons, Dies at 84 Alf Clausen '66 won two Emmys during his 26-year career on the iconic animated series. By Tara Bellu...

30/05/2025

How Musicians Can (and Should) Use AI-According to Berklee Experts

How Musicians Can (and Should) Use AI-According to Berklee Experts At Berklee's first AI and Music Innovation event, artists and educators explored how ar...

30/05/2025

The Most Underrated Hip-Hop Producers, According to J. Rawls

The Most Underrated Hip-Hop Producers, According to J. Rawls The producer whos worked with Mos Def, Talib Kweli, the Roots, and Common, joined a panel on camp...

23/05/2025

Berklee Global and Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Host Emerging Talent Intensive Program in Mexico City

Berklee Global and Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Host Emerging Talent Intensi...

23/05/2025

Berklees 2025 Commencement, Through the Lens of a Graduate

Berklees 2025 Commencement, Through the Lens of a Graduate Photographer Matthew Ryu shares a look at Berklees 2025 commencement from a graduates POV. By Ma...