Opening Doors for Young Dominican Musicians

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Berklee will award the Michel Camilo Scholarship to a gifted instrumentalist who is Dominican-born or of Dominican descent. The full scholarship will cover tuition, room, and board, and be renewable over four years of study. The recipient will begin studies in the fall of 2018. To be considered for the scholarship, students must complete the Berklee on the Road Dominican Republic application, and submit three web links of recent video performances. A select number of eligible students will be invited to participate to audition and interview for the scholarship.

Berklee will also produce three days of clinics at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música in Santo Domingo from November 29–December 1. Sean Skeete, interim chair of ensembles and drummer, and Chrissy Tignor, assistant professor of contemporary writing and production, and special guest Michel Camilo ’00H will discuss and demonstrate trends in performance, composition, and music technology.

Opening Doors for Young Dominican Musicians

The Camilo Scholarship will provide an opportunity for a young musician with exceptional talent and passion for a career in music to experience the benefits of a Berklee education. It is intended for an instrumentalist who meets Berklee’s undergraduate admissions requirements, and is made possible through the generosity of Sandra and Michel Camilo, Trustee Emeritus Michael Dreese, and friends of the Camilos.

“I feel proud that since we started the Michel Camilo Scholarship back in 2006 we have been able to help so much young talent make their dream of coming to study at Berklee a reality,” said Camilo. “Also, I am delighted to once again be serving as president of the jury and very much looking forward to these auditions.”

About Michel Camilo

Music and education has always been at the heart of Camilo’s life. A native of the Dominican Republic, Camilo is an internationally acclaimed Grammy, Latin Grammy, and Emmy award–winning jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, lecturer, and visiting professor. He composed his first song at the age of 5, and studied for 13 years at the National Conservatory. He became the youngest member of the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic at 16.

In 1979, Camilo moved to New York to study at Mannes College and the Juilliard School. He broke onto the international stage in 1983 when Tito Puente’s pianist was unable to make a concert at the Montreal Jazz Festival, and Camilo was asked to substitute. Over time, he has performed with dozens of jazz luminaries all over the world, as well as toured with his own trio, in solo piano, as a guest artist with Symphony Orchestras, and in duo collaborations with flamenco guitarrist Tomatito. He has released 25 albums and holds honorary doctorates from Berklee College of Music, Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, Universidad Pedro Henriquez Ureña, and UTESA University.

By Allen Bush