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| 28 scholarships awarded at Berklee in Puerto Rico by Nick Balkin Twenty-eight Puerto Rican musicians were awarded scholarships at the closing ceremony of Berklee in Puerto Rico, a weeklong workshop held at the Escuela de Bellas Artes de Carolina, in conjunction with the Puerto Rico Heineken JazzFest. Four students received full tuition awards to Berklee's Five-Week Summer Performance Program; 16 students received partial scholarships for full-time study at Berklee in Boston; 5 students won Berkleemusic.com free online courses; and 3 students won one semester of study at Conservatorio de Belles Artes del Caribe in San Juan. 179 students, ranging in age from 12 to 34, participated in this year's workshops. Over $3 million in tuition assistance has been awarded in the 15 years of the Berklee in Puerto Rico program. More than 100 of these recipients have gone on to attend Berklee, including Miguel ZenСn. A group of the program's top students played for thousands of people at the Puerto Rico Heineken JazzFest, at the Tito Puente Amphitheater, in San Juan, on the final day of the festival. Following the performance, Berklee presented an honorary doctor of music degree to percussionist, composer, and bandleader Giovanni Hidalgo. A native of Puerto Rico, Hidalgo is considered one of the best conga players of his generation, and possibly the fastest. A former member of Dizzy Gillespie's United Nation Orchestra, he has performed or recorded with Tito Puente, Paul Simon, and Art Blakey, among others. Hidalgo taught in Berklee's percussion department from 1992-1996. Berklee in Puerto Rico is a crash course in the Berklee method of musical instruction, encompassing theory, ear training, improvisation, ensemble performance, and instrument instruction. This year's faculty included Eguie Castrillo, island native and associate professor of percussion; saxophonist Greg Badolato, assistant vice president for international programs; Oscar Stagnaro, bass professor; Rick Peckham, assistant chair of guitar; drummer Ron Savage, chair of ensembles; pianist Rebecca Cline, assistant professor of ensembles; trombonist Bob Pilkington, professor of jazz composition; vocalist Darcel Wilson, ear training instructor; and trumpeter Christine Fawson, brass instructor. Berklee in Puerto Rico is made possible by generous support from Berklee alumnus and trustee Luis Alvarez '83, vice president of Mendez & Company, Inc., and executive producer of the Puerto Rico Heineken JazzFest. In addition to helping coordinate the program, Alvarez and his corporation will donate $20, 000 for the Mendez & Company Puerto Rico Heineken JazzFest Scholarship to be awarded at the end of the Berklee in Puerto Rico program. In the 15 years that the program has run, Mendez & Company has awarded over $150, 000. Additional Berklee in Puerto Rico sponsors include FundaciСn Banco Popular de Puerto Rico (main sponsor); Triple-S; Fiddler GonzАlez & RodrМguez; and CarriСn, Laffitte & Casellas. # # # # Berklee in Puerto Rico 2010 Scholarship Recipients Five-Week Summer Performance Program full tuition awards: Alpha Berrios - Toa Baja - Flute Carlos Abdiel Hernandez Rivera - San Juan - Trumpet Nathanael Perez Del Valle - San Juan - Alto Saxophone Paola Maria Vazquez - Toa Baja - Violin Full-time study at Berklee in Boston partial scholarships: Dorianne Andrades - Carolina - Voice Arturo Caraza Orozco - San Juan - Alto Saxophone Luisa Cartagena - Guaynabo - Flute Joel Corporan - Saint Just - Piano Alex Gasser - San Juan - Electric Bass Fernando Lopez Roman - San Juan - Trombone Jesus M. Melendez Vazquez - Humacao - Flute Christian Negron - San Juan - Drums Leonardo Osuna - Bayamon - Drums Andres Padro - Carolina - Voice Juan Rivera - Moca - Guitar Alexandra Rivera - Aguada - Piano Barbara Rivera - Richardson - Carolina - Voice Pedro Ruiz - Carolina - Trumpet Jonathan Suazo - San Juan - Tenor Saxophone Johnny Torres Medina - Bayamon - Electric Bass Berkleemusic.com free online courses: Lourdes Gonzalez - Caraballo - Caguas - Voice Angel Graciani - Carolina - Tenor Saxophone Alejandro Proskauer Valerio - Guaynabo - Baritone Horn Marcos Rios - Caguas - Guitar Walter Gorra - Glenwood Springs - Piano Conservatorio de Belles Artes del Caribe awards: John Carlos Medina - Aguada - Piano Julio Pena Hernandez - Ponce - Trombone Marina Molina - Ponce - Flute, Voice - write your comments about the article :: © 2010 Jazz News :: home page |