Applications Open for Berklee in Santo Domingo The weeklong contemporary music program will run January 5-10, 2026.
By
Colette Greenstein
September 17, 2025
The Berklee in Santo Domingo program in 2025.
Image courtesy of the Ministry of Culture of the Dominican Republic
Applications are open for the Berklee in Santo Domingo program, which will be held at the National Conservatory of Music in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, January 5-10, 2026.
Berklee in Santo Domingo is sponsored by the AES Dominicana Foundation and Itabo, and organized in collaboration with the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Culture and the National Conservatory of Music in Santo Domingo, a Berklee Global Partner institution. The program is open only to Dominican residents who are at least 15 years old by the start of the program and have six months or more of experience playing an instrument or singing. Candidates who are accepted into the program attend at no cost.
In just a few short years, the Berklee in Santo Domingo program has already had an immense positive impact on talented students on the island, said Berklee President Jim Lucchese. We are grateful for our ongoing partnerships with the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Culture and National Conservatory of Music, and program sponsors AES Dominicana Foundation and Itabo, and look forward to witnessing the growth and expansion of Berklee in Santo Domingo in the years to come.
Berklee in Santo Domingo 2026 is more than an academic program; it is a pledge to nurture the dreams and talent of Dominican youth, said Roberto ngel Salcedo, Minister of Culture, Santo Domingo. Our government reaffirms its commitment to excellence in artistic education as a driver of the international reach of our music. The recently signed agreement with Berklee Online opens a new chapter that broadens opportunities and strengthens the global presence of Dominican music.
At Fundaci n AES and Itabo, we are proud to support Berklee in Santo Domingo, a program that transcends music education to become a powerful tool for social transformation, said Edwin De los Santos, president of AES Dominicana. By providing young Dominican talents with access to world-class training and inspiration, this initiative enriches our cultural fabric and strengthens the future of our society. The commitment of the companies behind this effort reflects our shared belief that investing in education, creativity, and opportunity is one of the most impactful ways to build a more vibrant and sustainable Dominican Republic.
The academic director of the 2026 edition is Zahili Gonzalez Zamora, an associate professor of ensemble and piano, with Jason Camelio, assistant vice president of global initiatives, serving as the program director.
Joining Berklee in Santo Domingo is a transformative opportunity for students passionate about music, said Gonzalez Zamora. This program not only offers the chance to learn from world-class faculty but also to connect with fellow musicians and explore pathways to Berklee College of Music. I encourage all aspiring artists to apply and embrace this unique chance to elevate their musical careers.
The program will include five days of intensive study from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with lectures and classes encompassing contemporary musicianship, music theory, ear training, improvisation, ensemble performance, and instrumental techniques. Program participants will attend a series of master classes led by Berklee faculty and learn from special guest artists in composition, arranging, and songwriting. Students will then present a concert on the final day to mark the end of the program. Faculty members will perform a special concert for program participants and the general public at the Sala Manuel Rueda on Saturday, January 10, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The Berklee program in Santo Domingo is a wonderful opportunity for young Dominicans to get a glimpse of what it's like to have a student life at Berklee, added Alejandro Tavares, a Berklee student and Michel Camilo scholar, who attended the program in 2023. Through this program, many can have their first international contact, which allows them to discover new ways of musical expression and how to successfully carry them out, through theory, direct mentorship from top-quality professors, and without a doubt, a space to enjoy making music alongside others who share the same eagerness to learn that you have or can develop! I am very grateful for the program, as it can be a gateway to great possibilities for knowledge, international relationships, and solid musical foundations.
Berklee's admissions team will hold auditions and interviews for selected students who are interested in being admitted to the college's full-time undergraduate program, while other selected students may qualify for merit-based scholarships to attend the Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive summer program.
Applications for Berklee in Santo Domingo, together with supporting materials demonstrating musical experience and talents, must be submitted via online form by Monday, November 3, 2025. Accepted musicians will be contacted by Friday, November 14, 2025.
About AES Dominicana FoundationThe AES Dominicana Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works for the protection of the earth and the well-being of its inhabitants. Since 2015, AES has supported more than 50 outstanding young musicians from the National Conservatory of Music, providing them with scholarships to Berklee summer programs.
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
Berklee Student Attends Elite Co
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
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...
15/06/2026
Detach from Direct-Attached: How Remote Editing with EVO Keeps Creative Teams Mo...
14/06/2026
Library captures 1960s R&B/pop drum sound
Following on from their recent wave of plug-in effects, Iconic Instruments have just launched an all-new virtual d...
14/06/2026
HBO Comedy Rooster Shot with URSA Cine 17K 65
Brie Clayton June 14, 2026
0 Comments
Large format brings viewers intimately close to characters.
Black...
13/06/2026
Latest expansion pack includes 252 presets
Devious Machines have recently introduced another expansion for their powerful multi-effects plug-in, Infiltrator...
13/06/2026
Create custom DAW/plug-in controllers using prompts
MetaGrid have recently introduced an all-new AI Builder function to their touchscreen-based control surf...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air seven Athletes Unlimited Softball...
12/06/2026
The United Football League will host its FAST Innovation Suite at the 2026 United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Audi...
12/06/2026
PTZOptics and LayerJot will present live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how natural-language AI prompting, robotic camera control, and on-device comput...
12/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026, featuring...
12/06/2026
Ateme has announced that Eurovision Services is using Ateme's software-based frame-rate conversion technology for international live event workflows. The de...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin and Simplestream have announced a partnership with Xperi to simplify the launch of OTT streaming services on TiVo OS smart TVs and devices. The collabo...
12/06/2026
Net Insight has announced that a multinational technology company is deploying a...
12/06/2026
MLB Players Inc., the business arm of the MLB Players Association, has announced a partnership with Athletes First to develop and sell brand partnerships across...
12/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall have announced the CommandKeyboard-Advanc...
12/06/2026
Comcast Smart Solutions announces a new smart technology deployment with Major L...
12/06/2026
Elevation Worship completed the initial leg of its Elevation Nights 2026 tour ...
12/06/2026
AJA Video Systems has announced KONA IP25 support for Colorfront Transkoder and ...
12/06/2026
Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8) will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7321, Ce...
12/06/2026
Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has announced the appointment of Scott Adametz as Chief Technology Officer. The Pac-12 describes the hire as the first CTO appo...
12/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced AMPP Edge Live, a production system combining Grass Valley hardware, NVIDIA Blackwell GPU acceleration, and AMPP OS in a single platf...
12/06/2026
At one time a trailblazer with the launch of the Longhorn Network, the Universit...
12/06/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
12/06/2026
Chyron has announced PAINT 10.4, an update to its illustrated replay and sports ...
12/06/2026
SVP, Production, Mark Gross: With the new schedule, with not having every Sunday night, it has given us an opportunity to take a step back and reimagine what o...
12/06/2026
For Televisa Technical Engineering Manager Roberto N nez Ibarra and the small team of 12 technicians and two production personnel at the IBC things are already ...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
AJA Announces KONA IP25 Integration with Colorfront Software
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Collaboration enables uncompressed SMPTE ST 2110 I/O ...
12/06/2026
URSA Cine 12K LF Used to Create Visuals for STUTS' K-Arena Concert
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Organic visuals projected on a giant scre...
12/06/2026
MTI FILM Acquires Mango New Edit, Expanding its Global Post-Production Services ...
12/06/2026
AI Point Tracking Speeds Up Complex VFX Tracks in Mocha Pro
Jessie Electa Petrov June 12, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic point trac...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Simplestream, a provider of OTT and broadcast solutions, and technology provider Xperi, to...
12/06/2026
Leostream Corporation, creator of the world-leading Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform, today announced Jigsaw24, a leading B2B IT solutions provider wit...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
How Aussie indie games and screen are levelling up with IP 11 June 2026
Ari Harrison, Pro Jank Footy
Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella sha...
12/06/2026
AgentPerf from Artificial Analysis, the industry's first agentic AI benchmark, gives developers, enterprises and infrastructure providers a clear way to com...
Applications Open for Berklee in Santo Domingo The weeklong contemporary music program will run January 5-10, 2026.
