Berklee College of Music
In 1945, pianist Lawrence Berk founded Schillinger House at 284 Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay. He had just quit his job at Raytheon to start this new venture. The school specialized in the Schillinger System of harmony and composition developed by Joseph Schillinger. At that time almost all music schools focused on classical music. Schillinger House offered training in jazz and commercial music for radio theater television and dancing instead. Initial enrollment was fewer than 50 students. By 1949 there were more than 500 students. Many students were former World War II service members funded through the G.I. Bill. In 1954 when the curriculum expanded to include music education classes and traditional theory Berk changed the name to Berklee School of Music after his twelve-year-old son Lee Eliot Berk.
The guitar department began with nine students in 1962. Guitarist Jack Petersen accepted an invitation by Berk to design and chair the first formal guitar curriculum. This became the largest instrumental major at the college. Trombonist Phil Wilson joined the faculty in 1965. His student ensemble the Dues Band helped introduce contemporary popular music into the ensemble curriculum. In 1973 the school offered the first college-level instrumental major in electric bass guitar. Vibraphonist Gary Burton joined the faculty in 1971 helping to solidify the place of jazz-rock fusion in the curriculum. As Dean of Curriculum from 1985 to 1996 Burton led the development of several new majors including music synthesis and songwriting. The world's first undergraduate degree program in film scoring started in 1980. The world's first college songwriting major followed in 1987.
Berklee remained at its original location at 284 Newbury Street from its founding in 1945 until 1966. It moved into the larger 1140 Boylston Street building which was the former Hotel Bostonian. Beginning in 1972 an era of more rapid expansion began with the purchase of the Fenway Theatre and the adjoining Sherry Biltmore Hotel at 150 Massachusetts Avenue. The theater was renovated and opened as the 1,227-seat Berklee Performance Center in 1976. The former Biltmore Hotel provided additional classroom and practice room spaces and residence halls. In early 2011 Berklee announced plans for three new buildings along Massachusetts Avenue. The first building a 16-story mixed-use structure at 160 Massachusetts Avenue opened in February 2014. This building includes 370 dorm rooms and received the American Institute of Architects' 2015 Housing Award. Since 2012 the school has operated a campus in Valencia Spain housed in the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía. In December 2015 Berklee College of Music and the Boston Conservatory agreed to a merger creating the combined institution known as Berklee.
In 1979 founder Lawrence Berk stepped down as president. The board of trustees appointed his son Lee Eliot Berk to replace him. Under new leadership the school underwent further growth and diversification of its curriculum. In 2004 Lee Eliot Berk stepped down as president of the school his father had founded. Roger H. Brown was installed as the college's third president. On the 22nd of October 2020 Berklee announced Erica Muhl as its new president-elect. Muhl previously worked at the University of Southern California where she was dean and founding executive director of the Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts Technology and the Business of Innovation. For the fall semester of 2020 the college taught classes remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The college then moved to a hybrid model learning system in the spring semester of 2021. David Bogen served as interim president from 2023 to 2024 before Jim Lucchese took office in 2025.
Berklee alumni have won 310 Grammy Awards more than any other college. They also hold 108 Latin Grammy Awards. Other accolades for its alumni include 34 Emmy Awards 7 Tony Awards 8 Academy Awards and 3 Saturn Awards. Members of the first graduating class to receive degrees included Alf Clausen Stephen Gould and Michael Rendish. Gould taught film scoring at Berklee and became program director for the Educational Leadership PhD program at Lesley University. Starting in 2014 the college will audition some applicants online using high speed internet technology. From 2005 to 2012 the University Professional Continuing Education Association awarded Berklee Online with its Best Online College Course Award. Since its inception Berklee Online has taught more than 30,000 students from 144 countries. Former Berklee Online students include members of Nine Inch Nails Dave Matthews Band Karmin Sugarland and Train.
As of the 2021, 2022 academic year total enrollment at Berklee was 7,943 students. Among undergraduate students 42% were female and 58% were male. Among graduate students 46% were female and 54% were male. Seventy-three students out of the total identified as transgender or gender diverse. Students from 97 countries outside the U.S. accounted for approximately 25% of the student population. China Canada India Brazil and Colombia were the top five countries of origin. For the 2017, 2018 school year the acceptance rate for the Boston campus was 33.8%. The acceptance rate for Berklee Online was 66%. As part of the application applicants are required to complete a live audition and interview. An integral part of selecting the entering class is the audition and interview experience designed to show applicants' strengths while helping the school assess talent and potential to succeed in Berklee's dynamic environment.
Common questions
When was Berklee College of Music founded and by whom?
Berklee College of Music was founded in 1945 by pianist Lawrence Berk. He established the institution originally as Schillinger House at 284 Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay.
What year did Berklee change its name to Berklee School of Music?
The school changed its name to Berklee School of Music in 1954 after twelve-year-old Lee Eliot Berk. This renaming occurred when the curriculum expanded to include music education classes and traditional theory.
Where is the main campus of Berklee College of Music located today?
The main campus of Berklee College of Music is located along Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. The institution moved from its original location at 284 Newbury Street to larger buildings including 1140 Boylston Street starting in 1966.
Who became president of Berklee College of Music in 2025?
Jim Lucchese took office as president of Berklee College of Music in 2025. David Bogen served as interim president from 2023 to 2024 before Lucchese assumed his role.
How many Grammy Awards have Berklee alumni won compared to other colleges?
Berklee alumni have won 310 Grammy Awards which is more than any other college. These alumni also hold 108 Latin Grammy Awards among their accolades.