Joining the Berklee Community
A Letter from Berklee President Roger H. Brown and Former Boston Conservatory at Berklee President Richard Ortner
Dear prospective students and parents,
We are excited to share the news that, in December 2015, the boards of trustees of Boston Conservatory and Berklee each voted unanimously in favor of merging the two institutions. This is a momentous achievement that sets the stage for the creation of the world’s most comprehensive and dynamic training ground for music, dance, theater, and related professions. The accompanying press release provides more information about the vision for the merger.
To achieve this vision, our two institutions will work together to leverage our individual strengths, preserving the education and training that has been the hallmark of each, while designing new courses and hybrid programs not possible elsewhere. These new offerings will give Conservatory students enhanced access to Berklee’s leading studies in music business, music technology, music therapy, sound design, production, film scoring, contemporary world music, and online education. Likewise, Berklee students will benefit from access to the Conservatory's expertise in classical music, opera, dance, movement, acting, and musical theater.
The strategic vision of the merger will take time and patience to realize. For students applying for fall 2016, there are no changes in our admission procedures or core programs. We do, however, plan the broadest possible conversations with students and faculty, and we expect many surprising and unexpected synergies to emerge as our communities unite; indeed, that's the power of joining two institutions with such an abundance of creative and passionate students, faculty, and staff.
Students often say they learn as much from each other as they do in the classroom. As you know, our campuses in Boston already create an extraordinary shared community, inspiring shared creative exchange and learning. A number of collaborations already point to this potential, among them Bridge the Gap, a student organization with members from both institutions who have staged numerous student collaborations.
We have a unique opportunity at hand: to create an educational environment that will enable the next generation of performing artists and arts professionals not only to thrive, but to lead the field. We are fully energized to make this a reality for current and future students at the combined institution.
We hope you find the information on the following pages helpful toward understanding our vision and hopes for this merger and take advantage of the opportunity to send us your comments and questions.
For more information about admissions, contact admissions@berklee.edu.
Roger H. Brown
President, Berklee
Richard Ortner
Immediate Past President, Boston Conservatory at Berklee (2008-2017)