Berklee Announces 2023 Fall Signature Series Lineup

Berklee Announces 2023 Fall Signature Series Lineup This years series will feature Elena Pinderhughes, Braxton Cook, Pavel N ez, and the Pletenitsa Balkan Choir, as well as a career-spanning tribute to Madonna.

By

Daniel Pesquera

August 28, 2023

Elena Pinderhughes

Image courtesy of the artist

Miguel N ez

Image courtesy of the artist

Pavel N ez

Image courtesy of the artist

Pletenitsa Balkan Choir

Image courtesy of the artist

Braxton Cook

Image courtesy of the artist

Madonna

Image courtesy of Getty Images

Berklee has announced its fall 2023 Signature Series lineup, with performances from a wide-ranging selection of students, faculty, and alumni, as well as special guest artists including Elena Pinderhughes, Braxton Cook, Pavel N ez, and the Pletenitsa Balkan Choir. Running from October 11 through December 8, the concerts will highlight a global collective of Berklee talent, from the Middle Eastern Fusion and Berklee World Strings ensembles to dance faculty choreographers from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

Elena Pinderhughes Berklee Septet Red Room at Cafe 939

Wednesday, October 11, 7:00 p.m

Award-winning vocalist, flutist, composer, and songwriter Elena Pinderhughes will join a Berklee septet in a performance of select songs from her repertoire. A professional musician since age 9, Pinderhughes is regarded as one of the most exciting flutists active today. She blurs the lines between jazz, hip-hop, and R&B in a style that reflects her diverse musical upbringing and open-minded approach to music. Pinderhughes has toured, recorded, and collaborated with a vast range of artists, including Carlos Santana, Josh Groban, esperanza spalding B.M. '05, Herbie Hancock '86H, and Common. Matthew Stevens, assistant professor of ensembles, selected the student septet by audition.

Pablo Milan s Legacy Berklee Performance Center

Thursday, November 9, 8:00 p.m.

Berklee will pay tribute to Pablo Milan s, a Cuban vocalist and guitarist renowned as a trailblazer in the nueva trova movement, which melded traditional folk music with poignant political lyrics. To honor Milan ss legacy, his pianist and longtime musical director Miguel N ez, as well as singer-songwriter Pavel N ez, will collaborate with a Berklee ensemble to perform Milan ss compositions, including Yolanda and De Que Callada Manera, as rearranged by student composers. Milan s recorded over 40 albums and was revered throughout Latin America for his contributions to both music and social justice movements in the pivotal years following the Cuban revolution. N ez arranged for and toured with Milan s in over 30 countries and produced a number of his albums. A four-time Latin Grammy nominee and an Emmy winner, N ez is considered one of the most important artists from the Dominican Republic. Hes worked with Juan Luis Guerra B.M. '82, '09H, Alejandro Sanz '13H, Sting '94H, and others. The concert is directed by Oscar Stagnaro, Matthew Nicholl, and Lee Abe.

Berklee professor Christiane Karam performs at the 2019 Middle Eastern Music Festival.

Middle Eastern Music Festival Berklee Performance Center

Thursday, November 16, 8:00 p.m.

The Berklee Middle Eastern Festival brings together artists from the Middle East, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean with students from all over the world to learn about and experience the rich musical traditions of those regions. The annual concert, which will celebrate its 15th year of fostering music and intercultural exchange, showcases the diverse artistry of student performers, ensembles, dancers, and visual artists. The upcoming edition of the event will feature visiting artists from the early years of the festival, including the New York Gypsy All-Stars, as well as acclaimed Berklee ensembles such as the Middle Eastern Fusion Ensemble and Berklee World Strings. The Pletenitsa Balkan Choir will also present the release of their debut album, Dreams. Founded and directed by Christiane Karam, professor of voice, past festivals have focused on classical Arabic, Mediterranean, Armenian, Persian, Balkan, and flamenco traditions and have included artists such as Pepe de Luc a, Javier Lim n, Bassam Saba, Simon Shaheen, Binka Dobreva, H sn Senlendiri i, and Tigran Hamasyan.

Braxton Cook Berklee Sextet Red Room at Cafe 939

Wednesday, November 29, 7:00 p.m.

The Signature Series welcomes home Boston native and Emmy Award-winning saxophonist Braxton Cook as he leads a Berklee sextet in a performance of selections from his song catalog. Dubbed a jazz prodigy by The Fader, Cook has a world-class command of multiple styles and an ability to merge elements from jazz, soul, and R&B into a distinct, refreshing sound that stands on its own. Besides releasing five projects under his own name, Cook has worked with Rihanna, Solange, Christian McBride, and Jon Batiste, as well as Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott B.M. '04) and Berklee faculty member Marquis Hill. Matthew Stevens, assistant professor of ensembles, selected students for the sextet by audition.

Singers Showcase 40th Anniversary Special: Holiday-Four Decades of Madonna Berklee Performance Center

Thursday, December 7, 8:00 p.m.

Friday, December 8, 8:00 p.m.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Singers Showcase-Berklees longest running concert series-this interdisciplinary student production will pay homage to Madonna, one of the most influential figures in popular culture history. As the bestselling female recording artist of all time, Madonna continues to leave her mark on music, fashion, dance, music videos, film, activism, and humanitarian leadership. This two-night concert features Berklee vocalists, instrumentalists, arrangers, conductors, dancers, track producers, EDI artists, and visual designers, as well as choreographers from Boston Conservatory at Berklee. The student-led ca

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