By Jason Camelio, Director of International Programs

There are many sites to see in Valencia. Depending on where you stand your perspective can be dramatically altered. From the bridges spanning the Palau de les Arts, you see the expanse of truly vivid imaginations. It is compositional in nature. Fluid. Impressive and yet subtle with a filigree of detail juxtaposed with complex imagery. This imagery can also describe the incredible group of creative and inspired minds holding court at the 2012 Berklee International Network Summit.

2012 Summit Guests

2012 Berklee International Summit Guests - 60 Attendees from, 24 institutions and organizations in 20 countries.

As I looked across Sala A, I saw individuals with a deep passion for the craft and art of music and music education. They are an inspirational organization that is reflective of what my teachers and mentors at Berklee have shared with me of Lawrence Berk and those keeping to his ideals.

At the Summit, we set out to meet three goals.  Our partners had the opportunity to be introduced to the new vice president of global initiatives Guillermo Cisneros. This is the first Summit Guillermo has presided over. Equally important, we introduced our partners to the new campus at the Palau. Finally, by incorporating a number of new institutions and organizations with whom Berklee has been working over the past few years at the Summit, we worked to expand the potential of this truly dynamic global organization.

The members institutions and organizations in attendance at the Summit included;

Baron School of Music – Hong Kong
Conservatori del Liceu – Barcelona, SPAIN
Conservatorio de Artes del Caribe – San Juan, Puerto Rico
Conservatório Musical Souza Lima – Sao Paulo, BRAZIL
Cuyahoga Community College – Cleveland, Ohio
Escuela de Música Contemporánea – Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
Escuela de Música Moderna Audio y Tecnología – Bogota, COLOMBIA
Escuela de Música y Audio Fernando Sor – Bogota, COLOMBIA
Global Music Institute – New Delhi, INDIA
Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences – Helsinki, FINLAND
Helsinki Pop & Jazz Conservatory – Helsinki, FINLAND
Instituto de Música Contemporánea, USFQ – Quito, ECUADOR
International College of Music – Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA
Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory and College – Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC
Jazz and Rock Schulen Freiburg – Freiburg, GERMANY
JMC Academy – Melbourne and Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Koyo Conservatory of Music – Kobe and Nagoya, JAPAN
Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology – Hamilton, Ontario, CANADA
Multikultivator – Service for Culture And Arts Development – Belgrade, SERBIA
Music Academy International – Nancy, FRANCE
Newpark Music Centre – Dublin and Blackrock, IRELAND
Philippos Nakas Conservatory – Athens, GREECE
Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music – Tel Aviv, ISRAEL
Seoul Jazz Academy – Seoul, SOUTH KOREA

Hall fo Flags

Hall of Flags at the 2012 Berklee International Network Summit. A place to meet and network.

It is important to note a majority of the attending institutions have either been founded or are managed by exceptionally talented and successful Berklee alumni.  This year, a couple of these institutions reached notable milestones.  For example;

• Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music opened its new state-of-the-art campus in Tel Aviv,
• Helsinki Pop&Jazz Conservatory will be celebrating its 40th anniversary, and
• Conservatorio Souza Lima will celebrate its 30th anniversary.

The icing on this event included the attendance of two important board of trustees members Ann Kreis and Luis Alvarez, and most importantly the celebration of the individual motivating force behind the Network, vice president for academic affairs Larry Monroe.

On behalf of the Office of International Programs and Berklee, I send my heartfelt thanks to all of the attendees joining us for this Summit. We appreciate all you do for us and with us, especially the investment of your time and resources to make this event a success.

My special thanks go to our guest speakers including Ann, senior advisor for institutional advancement Debbie Bieri, dean of admissions Damien Bracken, Luis, vice president for enrollment Mark Campbell and professor of music business Jeff Dornfeld.  Also, gracious thanks to the our colleagues at the Valencia campus including Clara Barbera, Carlos Ballester and Jorge Rostoll for being excellent hosts.

We must thank assistant vice president of international programs Greg Badolato for all he does for us at Berklee and for this Network.  His deep institutional knowledge, leadership and experience are invaluable.

The few lines here cannot do the justice for all who participated in the Summit and especially for the International Programs team.  I am honored to work with Amanda Gouldthorpe, Christine Typadis and Sam Skau (the mastermind who spent countless hours organizing this event).  I could not be more fortunate to know them and have the chance to continually be blown away by their wit, skill and intense commitment to our work.

Before us, the landscape is every changing. It is music after all. Events like the Summit allow us the opportunity to challenge our perspective, change our course and find those willing to make the journey with us. Berklee and these torch-bearers of contemporary music education are leading the way and carrying on the core philosophy to which we are committed.

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