Berklee Announces Fall 2026 Signature Series

Berklee Announces Fall 2026 Signature Series This years concerts feature MonoNeon, Brandon Woody, Marcus Gilmore, and Caroline Davis, alongside Berklee Asia Rising and a Singers Showcase celebration of Whitney Houston.

August 28, 2026

By

Nicole Morano

MonoNeon will join the Berklee Planet MicroJam Institute for the first Signature Series performance this year.

Image courtesy of the artist

Berklee has announced the lineup for its fall 2026 Signature Series, a slate of concerts showcasing world-class guest artists performing alongside Berklee's top student ensembles. This year's series spans jazz, funk, soul, pop, and contemporary Asian music, with events running from October through December at the Berklee Performance Center and the Red Room at Cafe 939. Each concert offers a unique collaboration between acclaimed musicians and the next generation of artists.

Here's a closer look at this year's concerts:

MonoNeon's Micro-Southern SoulThursday, October 1, at 7:30 p.m. | Berklee Performance Center

The Planet MicroJam Institute presents Grammy Award-winning bassist MonoNeon performing original music and microtonal compositions with Berklee students, directed by professor David Fiuczynski. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, MonoNeon is known for his imaginative approach to composition and improvisation. He received a Grammy Award for his contributions to Nas's 2020 album King's Disease, and was honored by Fender in 2022 with his own signature bass, a five-string model in his trademark neon yellow and orange. One of the last musicians to work with Prince, he has also collaborated with Mavis Staples, George Clinton, Pete Rock, Ne-Yo, Mac Miller, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Ghost-Note. He has performed at the Newport Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, and Melbourne International Jazz Festival. Buy tickets.

Brandon Woody Berklee EnsembleThursday, October 8, at 7 p.m. | Red Room at Cafe 939

Baltimore-born trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Brandon Woody leads a Berklee student ensemble in a program of his chosen repertoire. Selected and prepared by associate professor Matthew Stevens and interim managing director of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute Gregory Groover, the ensemble will bring its own voice to Woodys blend of jazz, gospel, and improvisation, rooted in the rich traditions of Black music and exploring themes of love, resilience, and community. Woody signed with Blue Note Records in 2024 and released his acclaimed debut album, For the Love of It All, in 2025 with his longtime band Upendo. Woody has performed at the Hollywood Bowl, the Montreal Jazz Festival, Blue Note Tokyo, and SFJAZZ, and has collaborated with artists such as Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice founder and artistic director Terri Lyne Carrington, Robert Glaspers Black Radio Orchestra, BADBADNOTGOOD, Solange Knowles, and Marc Cary. Buy tickets.

Berklee Asia Rising: Celebrating Asian and Asian American Voices in Contemporary MusicTuesday, November 3, at 8 p.m. | Berklee Performance Center

In this showcase of the contemporary Asian music landscape, Berklee students take the stage with original music, artist-led collaborations, and reimagined works spanning C-pop, K-pop, Southeast Asian pop, independent Asian American scenes, and film music. Berklee Asia Rising, founded by associate professor Edvard Lee, highlights people, places, and stories shaping Asian and Asian American music today, representing communities across East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, and the Asian diaspora. Celebrating students not only as performers but as creators and emerging industry leaders, the program reflects the growing influence of Asian and Asian American voices across global music, media, and entertainment. Buy tickets.

Marcus Gilmore: Journey to the NewThursday, November 5, at 7:30 p.m. | Berklee Performance Center

Grammy Award-winning drummer, composer, and producer Marcus Gilmore brings his fluid, rhythm-expanding style to Berklee for a performance featuring Morgan Guerin on an electric wind instrument (EWI) and saxophone, David Virelles on piano, Emmanuel Michael on guitar, and Endea Owens on bass. Gilmore, whose distinctive sound and approach have helped shape the pulse of contemporary music since he was a teenager, will continue his exploration of percussion through new compositions, sounds, and rhythms. Buy tickets.

Caroline Davis Berklee EnsembleWednesday, December 2, at 7 p.m. | Red Room at Cafe 939

Acclaimed saxophonist, composer, and educator Caroline Davis leads a Berklee student ensemble in a program of her chosen repertoire. Selected and prepared by faculty Matthew Stevens and Gregory Groover, the ensemble will bring its own voice to Daviss adventurous approach to improvisation and composition, through music that explores connection, social inquiry, and creative expression. A 2025 Guggenheim Fellow in Composition and recipient of the DownBeat Critics Poll Rising Star award for alto saxophone, Davis has released eight albums as a leader, including the critically-acclaimed records Portals Vol. 1 and 2, and contributed to Terri Lyne Carringtons New Standards, a landmark collection of jazz compositions by female-identifying composers. She has collaborated with artists including Allison Miller, Lee Konitz, John Zorn, Nicole Mitchell, Miles Okazaki, and Angelica Sanchez, and teaches at the New School and the Manhattan School of Music. Buy tickets.

Singers Showcase: Forever Whitney HoustonThursday, December 3, and Friday, December 4, at 8 p.m. | Berklee Performance Center

Now in its 43rd year, Berklees longest-running concert series presents Forever Whitney Houston, a multifaceted celebration of the artistry and enduring legacy of one of the greatest singers of all time. Selected through a highly competitive audition process, a global cast of Berklees f

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