Berklee raised over $1.5 million in support of the Berklee City Music program at the 2020 Encore Gala, which featured over 150 faculty, student, and alumni musicians from 23 countries, and an array of celebrity guests.
This years event, which was held virtually on Saturday, October 24, began with remarks from Berklee leadership, and included special guest appearances by Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest '07H, Gloria and Emilio Estefan '07H '16P, Quincy Jones '51 '83H, LL Cool J '24P, Alex Lacamoire B.M. '95 '19H, Rickey Minor, famed Red Sox player David Ortiz, and comedian Sinbad.
The importance of this City Music program that reaches kids from marginalized communities and gives them hope for a college education through music is, I think, a fantastic idea, said special guest and hip-hop pioneer LL Cool J. Music basically took me out of the inner city and it let me see the world.
Multiple Grammy Award-winner and music industry giant Quincy Jones '51 spoke about the importance of music to the students in the City Music program: Music has the power to change lives, and I say this from the bottom of my heart, because it absolutely saved mine. Jones is an alumnus and remains an active member of the Berklee community.
The Gala musical program consisted of an array of performances, highlighted by renowned singer-songwriter Jackson Browne and legendary vocalist and musician Steve Winwood 08H. Browne performed his hit The Pretender, and Winwood performed classics such as I'm a Man, Can't Find My Way Home, and Higher Love.
Various digital rooms showcased more live music, notably the Hip-Hop Room, which featured a performance by Daryl DMC McDaniels, founding member of the historic hip-hop group Run DMC, and DJ Charlie Chan Soprano. The night also featured performances by R&B/soul artist Dreion B.M. 20, jazz prodigy Grace Kelly B.M. 12, student and Latin music artist Esperanza Delgado, the Berklee Indian Ensemble, and alumni American roots band the Ruta Beggars.
Proceeds from the Encore Gala support Berklee City Music, a recognized leader in creative youth development. Founded over 26 years ago, City Music works with marginalized communities to help develop talented youth and provide them with pathways to college, both through in-person and virtual classrooms. City Music reaches thousands of students in Greater Boston and across the country, and provides vulnerable youth an opportunity to develop their talents and express their voices in a safe, supportive environment.
Copresenting sponsors included Abrams Capital and Bain Capital Community Partnership. Encore Gala cochairs included Michael and Barbara Eisenson, Jim and Judy O'Brien 14P, and David and Lori Sprows.
Related categories:
News
Related Reading
Encore Gala Raises $2.3 Million for Berklee City Music The 25th annual Encore Gala included guest musicians such as Chaka Khan, Grandmaster Flash, and Livingston Taylor.
Meet Five City Music Scholars Attending Five-Week This Summer Berklee awarded full-tuition scholarships to 60 young musicians taking part in the college's flagship summer program.
Berklee City Music Awards Seven Full-Tuition Scholarships The City Music program celebrated this years scholarship recipients with a virtual ceremony and concert on Tuesday, August 11.
More from Berklee Now
Most Popular
Berklee Partners with MIT to Help Students Get Paid for Their Music RAIDAR, a new licensing platform, makes it easier for student musicians to earn money from their songs and retain full control over their work.
Latest
Berklee's 26th Annual Encore Gala Raises More Than $1.5 Million This years Encore Gala was held virtually and featured Jackson Browne, Steve Winwood, Darryl DMC McDaniels, and many more.
Aja Burrell Wood Joins Board of Directors for New Music USA Wood, who is managing director for the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, will support New Music USA's mission of promoting new creative works through advocacy, grants, and more.
How Originality Took Tank and the Bangas from a New Orleans Cafe to a Grammy Nomination At a virtual Berklee Visiting Artist Series clinic, Tank and the Bangas talk about their origin, how they come up with such original tunes, and how the pandemic has affected them as a band.
Read All
Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
Berklee Blogs
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Instagram
Snapchat
Soundcloud
Spotify
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
How Chris Bolte Builds the Sound of PlayStation Games Chris Bolte '16 is a technical sound designer at Sucker Punch Productions, where he helps create the...
19/03/2026
Other Voices presents a legendary night of music as Foo Fighters bring their stadium anthems to St James' Church, An Daingean. The surprise performance teas...
19/03/2026
***Issued by RT on behalf of RTS Ireland Awards / Gradaim RTS 2026...
19/03/2026
It's a double feature on GFN Thursday. This week, GeForce NOW offers smoother sights in virtual reality (VR) and a sprawling new land to conquer.
Streaming...
18/03/2026
Newly named chief product officer (CPO), Larissa G rner Meeus will return to Net Insight on May 4.
Larissa G rner Meeus will become CPO of Net Insight on May 4...
18/03/2026
SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026 explored how the sports broadcasting i...
18/03/2026
The 2026 NAB Show kicks off one month from today and SVG is once again set to cover the show from every angle. SVG's SportsTech@NAB Show Blog is now live - ...
18/03/2026
(L-R) The cast and crew of Dead Lover at The Ray Theater for its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundan...
18/03/2026
Yamaha C7 captured in Nashville
Wiltone Productions have announced the release of Music Row Piano, a deeply sampled Yamaha C7 piano library that's been ...
18/03/2026
Bass-enhancement plug-in upgraded
Along with a steady stream of new releases, Techivation have recently been revisiting some of the older plug-ins in their ...
18/03/2026
Mix-reference plug-in overhauled
iZotope's powerful mix-referencing plug-in has just reached its third major version, and now boasts a new capture proce...
18/03/2026
Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives
Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...
18/03/2026
Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture
18 March, 2026
Media releases
New SBS Audio podcast For The Culture, hosted ...
18/03/2026
Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz...
18/03/2026
London Calling - When The Industry Convened to Help Streaming Find its MoJo In this blog, Laura Rognoni reflects on key discussions from the Connected TV World...
18/03/2026
SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations
Brie Clayton March 18, 2026
0 Comments
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...
18/03/2026
Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K
Brie Clayton March 18, 2026
0 Comments
LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...
18/03/2026
Brainstorm transforms productivity and sustainability with Suite 7 at NAB Show 2...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today unveiled its educational presentations for the 2026 NAB Show. This year SMPTE will ...
18/03/2026
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming, and more, today ann...
18/03/2026
Digital Alert Systems
Preview
2026 NAB Show
April 19 - 22
Booth C3452
At the 2026 NAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will showcase Version 6.0 of its DASDEC ...
18/03/2026
Setplex today announced that it will showcase its complete, fully integrated Zapflex platform for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show, introducing powerful new ...
18/03/2026
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...
18/03/2026
Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...
18/03/2026
Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...
18/03/2026
Charlie Puth Joins Switched on Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...
18/03/2026
X-Rite Pantone Demonstrates Advanced Color Management Solutions to Support Smart...
Berklee raised over $1.5 million in support of the Berklee City Music program at the 2020 Encore Gala, which featured over 150 faculty, student, and alumni musicians from 23 countries, and an array of celebrity guests. 
