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 tone for a new era at the institution.
July 18, 2024
By
Tori Donahue
Jim Lucchese
Image by Kelly Davidson
Berklee has announced that Jim Lucchese, a pioneering music industry executive and a dedicated artist advocate will become its fifth president, effective January 1, 2025. Lucchese brings to this role 20 years of experience innovating artist-focused services. A Boston-born musician who has served Berklee in many advisory roles over the course of his career, Lucchese is uniquely positioned to lead Berklee in providing unmatched learning experiences for todays students and realizing the institution's vision to build the future of arts education.
It is an immense honor to become a part of the Berklee community, an institution that means so much to me personally and has been a singularly positive force for creativity around the world, said Lucchese. I look forward to working with this amazingly talented and diverse community-students, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters. I am eager to learn from their experiences and expertise across such a wide range of creative disciplines, from music education, dance, and theater to management, production, performance, music therapy, and more. All of these talents and perspectives are central as we uphold Berklee's mission, honoring the artistic traditions of the African diaspora and centering diversity in all its forms.
Lucchese began his career as an attorney representing artists across a range of ventures. In 2007, he became the CEO of The Echo Nest, a musician-founded start-up that aimed to improve music discovery, making it as easy to discover an unsigned artist on the other side of the globe as it is to discover a major-label pop star. The Echo Nest was acquired by Spotify in 2014, where Lucchese later founded the Creator team, building products and services directly for musicians, including the popular Spotify for Artists. In 2019, Lucchese was named CEO of Sofar Sounds, a global live music community that has curated over 30,000 live performances across 78 countries. As he did at Spotify, Lucchese focused at Sofar on artist services, launching a new Artist Services division and acquiring the company Seated to provide artists with tools to control their fan data and take ownership of their fan relationships.
A drummer since high school, Lucchese is an active member of the Boston music scene and often collaborates with Berklee musicians. His relationship with Berklee began in 1989 when he participated in the school's five-week summer performance program, an experience he says transformed both his thinking and playing.
Jim's success as an entrepreneur has stemmed from his ability to recognize shifts in the music industry and engage in collaborations to shape those changes, always demonstrating profound respect for artists, said Martin J. Mannion, chair of Berklee's Board of Trustees. He is a highly regarded and empathetic leader with a proven record of building career-advancing services for musicians and performing artists. Berklee trustee Bill Kaiser, who led the search effort, echoed this sentiment: We were struck by Jim's humility, his deep connection to Boston's music community, and his commitment to the success of artists.
Berklee's presidential search process was grounded in an extensive series of community listening sessions designed to provide a fuller understanding of the qualities needed in its next leader. From these sessions, the profile emerged of a collaborative leader and organizer with an instinctual understanding of creative industry trends and a proven commitment to providing equitable access to education and opportunities. This profile informed the process that led the Presidential Search Committee to Lucchese.
Testimonials
Read some of the many heartfelt reflections from the community about Luccheses leadership.
Jim Lucchese is in the most unique position to advocate for music and the people that make it, said Matt Pincus, music publisher and investor. As a musician, he understands the challenge inherent in creation, audience building, and establishing a durable career as an artist. As one of the leading executives in music technology, he has a cutting-edge view of the opportunities and challenges innovation will bring to music as we enter a critical time of profound innovation. I am thrilled that Jim is the one to lead Berklee as its next president.
Jim's appointment marks a transformative moment for Berklee. Having worked closely with him, I've witnessed firsthand how his curiosity, entrepreneurial mindset, and dedication to artist empowerment have continuously positioned him at the forefront of our evolving music industry, said Katie Vitolins BM '06, head of fan commerce at Amazon Music and a Berklee trustee. I have every confidence that through Jim's leadership, Berklee will achieve new levels of academic success and creativity, defining the future of arts education.
When we embarked on this search, we recognized that Berklee's strength is rooted in its rich history, its commitment to excellence, and the transformative power of music and the arts, said Sean Skeete, dean of the Professional Performance Division and search committee member. Jim embraces and embodies this vision, bringing a distinguished record as a leader and pioneer. I believe his stewardship will propel Berklee to new heights in educational, technological, and creative leadership across music, dance, and theater.
Throughout his career, Jim Lucchese has shown steadfast support for the artistic community, said Isa Jess Mu oz, interim dean of music for Boston Conservatory at Berklee and search committee member. His m
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
20/08/2026
Multiview available via SaaS for streaming platforms and operators through broadpeak.io, with live demonstrations at IBC2026
Broadpeak , a leader in streaming ...
20/08/2026
Techex, a leading provider of live broadcast infrastructure solutions, has appointed Stuart Almond as Chief Revenue Officer, further strengthening its executive...
20/08/2026
Avid today announced that MediaCity Studios has upgraded its production infrastructure with an enhanced end-to-end Avid production ecosystem, including the dep...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
IPC Expands Brazilian Presence with New Channel Partner CCATech
Industry veterans Carlos Abrah o and Bruno Lopes strengthen local support and expand IPCs prese...
20/08/2026
Zixi Enters Mauritius Market Through Strategic Deployment with MTC Jockey Club
Worlds Oldest Horse Racing Club in the Southern Hemisphere Selects Zixis Softwar...
20/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Scripps Research assistant professor Tiantian Liu has received a five-year NIAID DP2 award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Di...
20/08/2026
Audiences reveal appetite for multicultural Australia on-screen 20 August 2026
Dr Georgie McClean, Dr Rebecca Huntley (L-R)
By Dr Georgie McClean and Dr Rebec...
20/08/2026
How Mavis Studio Is Expanding Live Production Teaching at Sussex
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image displays a student about to mix be...
20/08/2026
Vertical Unscripted Series Legal Queens Captured with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Reality TV veteran Eric Gardner create...
20/08/2026
It's a new way into the cloud.
GeForce NOW welcomes Firefox support to the cloud, opening up another way to jump into high-performance PC gaming straight ...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
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 tone for a new era at the institution.
