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 Graduate Commencement The ceremony will be held on Thursday, June 26.

By

Colette Greenstein

June 2, 2025

Promo photo for Antonio S nchezs 2022 album, SHIFT

Image courtesy of the artist

Five-time Grammy Award-winning drummer and composer Antonio S nchez '97 will deliver the keynote address at Berklee College of Music's graduate commencement ceremony on Thursday, June 26, at 1:30 p.m., at the Berklee Performance Center, 136 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts.

The event will celebrate the achievements of 20 students in the Master of Music in Global Jazz program, marking its 10th graduating class, along with 80 students graduating from the Master of Arts in Music Business, Master of Music in Music Production, Master of Music in Film Scoring, Master of Arts in Songwriting, and Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Music Studies programs.

I'm beyond thrilled and honored to have been chosen as the commencement speaker for the 2025 class, says S nchez. As a Berklee graduate myself, I know how important it can be to hear words of truth and encouragement when embarking on the exciting and daunting prospect of a music career. I will do my best to deliver an inspiring speech that addresses the present and sometimes disorienting moment a lot of us are living.

Antonio has stretched creatively and professionally throughout his diverse career-from an innovative multi-style drummer, bandleader, and producer to an award-winning composer for film-while always creating a sound that is entirely his own, said Jim Lucchese, Berklee's president. As a longtime fan of Antonio's playing as well as his innovative career, I'm delighted to welcome him as our first keynote speaker at Berklee College of Music's graduate commencement.

Honored three times as jazz drummer of the year by Modern Drummer, S nchez has also made his mark as a composer, scoring Alejandro Gonz lez I rritu's Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), which won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, in 2015. His latest album, SHIFT (Bad Hombre Vol. II), features him playing virtually every instrument and serving as producer, with guest artists including Trent Reznor, Meshell Ndegeocello, Dave Matthews, and more.

A performance major at Berklee, S nchez spent 18 years collaborating with guitarist and composer Pat Metheny, resulting in nine albums. With more than a dozen albums as a leader or coleader, he has recorded and performed with artists such as Chick Corea '97H, Gary Burton '62 '89H, Michael Brecker, and Toots Thielmans. He also recently collaborated with banjoist B la Fleck and harpist Edmar Casta eda on the album BEATrio, which was released on May 16.

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