![](//www.4rfv.com/images/no_image.jpg)
Foundation Has Awarded Berklee Students Over $5 Million in Scholarships Since Inception The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, along with prominent artists, awards over half a million dollars in scholarships each year to students focusing on Latin music. Berklee students win the majority of them.
By
Kimberly Ashton
November 13, 2023
The 2023 Prodigy Scholarship sponsor, reggaeton star Nicky Jam (center), on stage in Miami with previous scholarship award recipients.
Image courtesy of Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation
Itzel Reyna's obsession with jazz started suddenly. She was 16 and had no background in music when she went to see a documentary about the genre. What she heard in that Mexico City movie theater sounded to her like freedom.
Jazz was really like a revelation, Reyna B.M. '19, now 30, says.
She went home and told her family she needed a saxophone. My family was like, But really?' It was like out of nowhere, Reyna recalls.
What followed over the years was an intense dedication to the instrument-one that led her to getting an associate degree in Mexico, to attending Berklee's Five-Week summer program, and to eventually landing the first Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Prodigy Scholarship, the Enrique Iglesias Scholarship.
Itzel Reyna B.M. 19 and Enrique Iglesias
Image courtesy of Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation
Established in 2015, the $200,000 scholarship covers a student's tuition and room and board for all four years at Berklee and is cosponsored by the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation and a prominent Latin artist. The artists change each year and have included Iglesias; Juan Luis Guerra '82, '09H; Miguel Bos ; Carlos Vives; Emiio and Gloria Estefan '07H; Julio Iglesias '15H; Juanes; and Sofia Carson.
The 2023 Prodigy Scholarship, which was awarded in Miami in August to Dominican pianist Leomar Cordero Castro, was sponsored by Puerto Rican reggaeton star Nicky Jam.
During the Miami award event, a video was played of the Zoom call notifying the Cordero family that Leomar, 20, had won the award. The call started with a split screen showing Nannette V lez B.M. '06, the foundation's senior director of programs; Raquel Egusquiza, its executive director; and Cordero.
We have a member of the committee who's going to join the call now to ask you a question, V lez told Cordero. At that moment, Nicky Jam appeared to share the news. Cordero and his father, seated next to him, broke out in smiles and hugged. Nicky Jam, whose mother hails from the Dominican Republic, said it fills him with pride that a Dominican will attend one of the best colleges in the world. He also joined Cordero and past scholarship recipients on stage in Miami.
Leomar Cordero Castro and Nicky Jam in Miami in August.
Image courtesy of Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation
On the Zoom call, Cordero thanked him for the award and for motivating not only me but also a large number of young people who are passionate about Latin music and our culture. In doing so, he underlined the mission of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, which was created by the Latin Recording Academy to further awareness and appreciation of Latin music's contributions to world music and to provide educational opportunities that advance Latin music and its heritage.
A large chunk of those educational opportunities are realized at Berklee. Of the $9.3 million in scholarships and other aid the foundation has awarded since its inception, about $5 million has gone to Berklee students. The Prodigy Scholarship is the largest of the annual awards but the foundation also gives out 43 other scholarships each year: three worth $100,000 each and 40 at $10,000 apiece. The vast majority of students who receive these awards attend Berklee.
To be eligible for the Prodigy Scholarship, a student must have been accepted to Berklee, be between the ages of 17 to 25, have financial need, and have a passion for Latin music. Applicants do not need to be Hispanic or Latin, and they can be from any country.
A committee of accomplished musicians around the world reviews roughly 1,000 applications each year and flags a few candidates for the top award. Of the candidates who have the highest scores, the sponsoring artist chooses which one will receive the Prodigy award, taking into consideration the applicant's musicality, technique, tone, rhythm, musicianship, originality, and overall performance.
Berklee's collaboration with the foundation goes back to the foundation's beginnings, when the college helped it establish a process to identify talent, merit, potential, and need. The foundation was also able to look at Berklee's structure for educational outreach and programming as a blueprint for how to build a multinational network that serves as many promising students as possible.
The shared goal of Berklee and the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation is to create more accessible pathways to education and to career opportunities, says Jason Camelio, Berklee's assistant vice president of Global Initiatives. The scholarship program is part of that collaboration, but other programs to expand access are also being developed, he says.
Alexis Soto B.M. '19
Meanwhile, the foundation recently announced two new initiatives. One, the Leading Ladies of Entertainment Connect Together Mentorship program, was established to mentor women interested in careers in the music industry. Another is the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Scholarship Alumni Network, in which scholarship recipients can share their expertise with each other, mentor current students, network with industry pros, and gain access to exclusive events and resources.
Esmirna Ortiz B.M. '17
The alumni network's members, and those eligible for membership, are a testament to the success of the foundation's effort
More from Berklee
26/07/2024
Berklee Alumni Nominated for 2024 Emmy Awards Twenty-one Berklee alumni received Emmy nominations this year for music composition, sound mixing, and sound editi...
23/07/2024
Alum Notes: Spring/Summer 2024 The most recent news from your fellow alumni.
July 10, 2024
Emily McGuire B.F.A. '18 of Glendale, CA, found a new love f...
18/07/2024
Faculty Notes: Spring/Summer 2024 Recent accomplishments, releases, and events by Berklee faculty.
July 8, 2024
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Assistant Pro...
18/07/2024
Jim McNeely and Miguel Zen n Named the 2024-2025 Ken Pullig Visiting Scholars in...
18/07/2024
Jim Lucchese Named Berklee's Fifth President A 20-year music industry veteran and a committed artist advocate with deep Berklee roots, Lucchese sets the t...
16/07/2024
Dr. Judith Christie McAllister Joins Gospel Performance Summer Program as Artist...
15/07/2024
Berklee Alumni Publications Win CASE Awards The magazine Berklee Today received a gold award and podcast Pass the Mic earned bronze from the Council for Advan...
11/07/2024
Berklee NYC Honors Largest Class of Master Scholars at 2024 Commencement Grammy and Tony Award-winning alum Charlie Rosen delivered the commencement address a...
09/07/2024
Legendary African Musician Youssou N'Dour Receives Honorary Degree at Berkle...
08/07/2024
Berklee City Music Celebrates Three Decades Empowering Young Artists The program has given generations of musicians-sometimes within the same family-the tools...
08/07/2024
Renate Rohlfing Awarded Mass Cultural Council Grant The music therapy faculty member will use the grant to help foster more opportunities to create in-person co...
06/07/2024
Berklee Online Offers Courses to Students in Juvenile Justice Centers To date, Berklee Online classes are offered at nearly 30 such centers across the United ...
06/07/2024
Working to Make Music More Accessible to All New technologies and changing attitudes mean more disabled musicians are playing instruments.
By
Adrian Ananta...
29/06/2024
Students Help Bring Nona Hendryxs Dream Machine to Life at Lincoln Center A group of electronic production and design majors created sonic landscapes for Hend...
28/06/2024
Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin Named Chair of the Ensemble Department A renowned vocalist, arranger, and educator, Robinson-Martin is known for developing innov...
26/06/2024
LGBTQ Student Group to Hold Inaugural Pride Music Festival Lavanda, founded by student Emma Whitney, will host Camp Fest, an outdoor music festival and commu...
15/06/2024
What Exactly Is Dad Rock? 21 Songs that Explain the Totally Not Embarrassing Gen...
14/06/2024
Dr. Lenora Helm Hammonds Named Dean of the Professional Education Division A renowned jazz vocalist, educator, and Berklee alumna, Hammonds is known for her i...
13/06/2024
Final Exams or NBA Finals? For These Boston Conservatory Students, It's Both Two commercial dance students joined the Boston Celtics dancers for a memorab...
05/06/2024
Taylor Swifts Global Popularity Explained (Berklees Version) Music business, songwriting, and live production faculty weigh in on what makes Taylor Swift unst...
05/06/2024
Professor and Two Alumni Receive Fulbright Awards Faculty member Stacy Mattingly and alumni Shanelle Villegas and Lili Chey Warren have been selected for Fulb...
05/06/2024
Music and Sustainability at Berklee and Beyond Integrating sustainability practices into music not only helps address environmental concerns but also contribute...
24/05/2024
Boston Conservatory Plays a Leading Role at the 41st Annual Elliot Norton Awards With six wins and eight additional nominations, the Conservatory's theate...
22/05/2024
Berklee's Summer in the City Brings Free Concerts to Boston Area The series will feature Berklee students, faculty, and alumni performing at popular venue...
21/05/2024
Dr. Ray Seol Awarded Grant for Creative Individuals from Mass Cultural Council The grant will expand his Seu Aprendiz project designed to help individuals bui...
15/05/2024
Berklee Artists to Perform at Major US Music Festivals this Summer and Fall The Berklee Popular Music Institute arranged placements at top festivals including...
12/05/2024
Berklee Honors Ledisi, Q-Tip, and Gilberto Santa Rosa at Commencement This years honorary doctorate recipients were recognized for their profound influence as...
10/05/2024
Berklee Announces 2024 Songs for Social Change Contest Winners Student songwriters shine in the annual contest that recognizes music with a socially conscious...
10/05/2024
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2024 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
10/05/2024
Berklee and Audio Engineering Society to Host Symposium on AI in Music The inaugural AES International Symposium on AI and the Musician will highlight excitin...
08/05/2024
Q&A with Visiting Artist Lei Liang The acclaimed composer discusses his collaboration with Boston Conservatory, his work as a research artist, and what it mea...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
02/05/2024
Two Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
By...
30/04/2024
Next Jazz Legacy Announces 2024 Cohort of Women and Nonbinary Awardees The program was created by New Music USA and the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender J...
27/04/2024
Berklee's Music and Health Institute Launches Community Health Musician Cert...
25/04/2024
Berklee Student Riko Sasaski Named 2024 Yamaha Young Performing Artist The accomplished saxophonist secured a spot among the elite winners of this year's ...
24/04/2024
Berklee Online to Hold 2024 Berklee Onsite Music Conference May 31-June 1 The in-person conference is open to Berklee Online students and the music community ...
18/04/2024
Krisha Marcano Announced as Dean of Theater for Boston Conservatory at Berklee The theater educator, choreographer, and performer will join Boston Conservator...
18/04/2024
Berklee's Yoon-Ji Lee Receives Guggenheim Fellowship Lee, an assistant professor of composition, creates music based on unconventional and nonlinear struc...
17/04/2024
Simone Pilon Appointed Executive Director at Berklee Valencia Pilon, who has served as Berklee Valencia's interim executive director since March 2023, has a...
17/04/2024
FINNEAS and Ashe Talk Confidence and Collaboration in the Music Industry Days before his sister Billie Eilishs new album announcement, producer and songwriter...
12/04/2024
Youssou NDour to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee Valencia's 2024 Comme...
12/04/2024
Berklee and Electronic Arts Celebrate Annual EA Day The second annual EA Berklee Day celebrated women in the screen scoring industry and presented the Electro...
11/04/2024
Boston Conservatory at Berklee to Honor LaChanze and Lar Lubovitch at Commenceme...
11/04/2024
Berklee Hosts Leading Artists and Entertainment Pros at Annual Career Jam Grammy-winning producer and singer-songwriter FINNEAS and hitmaker Ashe BM 15 headli...
10/04/2024
Ledisi, Q-Tip, and Gilberto Santa Rosa to Receive Honorary Doctorates at Berklee...
05/04/2024
Berklee Honors Three Outstanding Artists at Alumni Achievement Awards Natalie Toro, Gustavo Borner, and Mark Kelley were recognized for their achievements in ...
05/04/2024
Berklee's Africana Studies Department to Host its First Annual Symposium The inaugural event will feature scholar, political commentator, and author Dr. E...
04/04/2024
Boston Conservatory at Berklee to Present Five Iconic Works at Spring Dance Conc...
04/04/2024
Morton Subotnick Named 2024 Herb Alpert Visiting Artist for Electronic Productio...