Berklee College of Music Office of International Programs photographs, 1980s-2000s

Berklee’s early international programming informally began with the “Berklee Abroad” (later “Berklee on the Road”) educational workshops, launched in 1985 as an outreach initiative to boost international enrollment. Led by Dean of Curriculum Gary Burton and Performance Studies Chair Larry Monroe, the “Berklee All-Stars” faculty band traveled to Tokyo, Japan, running a weeklong series of clinics, concerts, and recordings. Additional programs—offering classes, ensembles, workshops, and jam sessions led by Berklee faculty members, and collaborative performances by faculty, students, and alumni—were soon scheduled in Spain, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, and Israel. From 1994 to 2000, Berklee’s international partnerships also included a student exchange program with the Rotterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands.

In 1995, the Office of International Programs was formally established to “develop and manage academic and institutional networks.” Led by Larry Monroe, International Programs oversaw the Berklee International Network (BIN) schools; Berklee On the Road (BOR), including the Berklee in Umbria (since 1985), Berklee in Puerto Rico (since 1995), and Berklee in Dublin programs (since 1996); Berklee Internet Radio Network Channel 5; as well as programs for study abroad and international admissions. The Office of International Programs also helped establish Berklee’s Valencia, Spain campus, which launched in 2011.

International Programs was subsumed under the newly-created Global Initiatives department in 2012. In 2021, Global Initiatives was placed under International Learning Environments, which leads Berklee’s international campuses, centers, and partnerships. In 2022, the office was renamed Global Enrollment Initiatives and placed under the Admissions department.

International Programs department leadership included Larry Monroe (VP International Programs 1995-2011; VP Academic Affairs/Berklee Valencia 2011-2012); Greg Badolato (Assistant VP International Programs 2000-2014); Guillermo Cisneros (VP Global Initiatives 2012-2016); Matthew Nicholl (Associate VP for Global Initiatives, 2016-2019); Jason Camelio (Assistant VP Global Initiatives, 2019-2022, Assistant VP Global Enrollment Initiatives 2022-present)

In 1992, the concept for the Berklee International Network (BIN) of music schools envisioned a way for Berklee alumni to open schools in their home countries and to formalize agreements to employ Berklee’s teaching methods. The first BIN members were the L’Aula de Musica in Barcelona, Spain; the Rimon School of Jazz in Tel Aviv, Israel; and the Phillippos Nakas Centre of Music in Athens, Greece. The Pop and Jazz Conservatory in Helsinki, Finland, and the American School of Modern Music in Paris, France, joined the network two years later, and the Koyo Conservatory in Kobe, Japan joined in 1995.

By 1999, Berklee had established 13 BIN partner schools in France, Brazil, Greece, Argentina, Spain, Finland, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Germany, South Korea, and Mexico. Berklee held bi-annual BIN Summits for its network partners to address issues affecting their programs, share teaching techniques, and articulate agreements; Berklee also hosted annual training opportunities for partner school faculty members.

In 2018, the Berklee International Network (BIN) became Berklee Global Partners (BGP) to reflect the expansion of partnership categories (academic partners, network partners, affiliate partners, and special partners). Today, Berklee’s global academic partners span more than 20 institutions across 18 countries.