Berklee College of Music Launches First Year Abroad Program for Undergraduate Students to Begin their Degree Studies at its Campus in Valencia, Spain

13/12/2016 02:00

VALENCIA, Spain, December 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Berklee College of Music is beginning another new era. After merging with the Boston Conservatory in June of 2016, and launching a 5-year dual degree program with Harvard, Berklee will offer entering undergraduate students the opportunity to begin their degree or diploma studies at its campus in Valencia, Spain, through the First Year Abroad program starting in September of 2017.

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Every year, Berklee welcomes more than 1,000 new undergraduate students to its campus in Boston to become part of a community of talented musicians, composers, producers and future music industry professionals. Thanks to the First Year Abroad program, a group of entering students will be able to begin their academic journey in the vibrant, culturally rich Mediterranean city of Valencia, Spain, where they will benefit from an intimate academic setting of less than 300 students and dedicated faculty with whom they'll be able to connect in meaningful ways. The programs and services strongly emphasize the global music industry and international career paths, and immersion in one of Spain's most important musical regions.

"Students come to Berklee because they are passionate about music and creativity, and seeking expert guidance to help them realize their dreams of becoming artists and innovators," said María Martínez Iturriaga, executive director of Berklee's campus in Valencia. "Just as in their entering year at Berklee's Boston campus, the First Year Abroad program will develop their musicianship and engage them in a coherent liberal arts curriculum that will inform their thinking. At the same time, the First Year Abroad program will provide a life-changing international experience to those who are especially curious about the world around them."

Berklee's First Year Abroad program at the Valencia campus will offer students the same core curriculum taken by entering students on the Boston campus-with courses in arranging, ear training, harmony, composition, ensemble and private instruction, and music technology-while also providing access to the Spain campus' state-of-the-art recording studios, technology labs, and classrooms. Upon completion of their first-year studies in Valencia, students will transfer to the Boston campus to continue in their declared major.

Located in the iconic City of Arts and Sciences complex in Valencia, Spain, Berklee's campus in Valencia is the first international campus established by Berklee College of Music, and its first campus outside of Boston. The magnificent 3,600 square meter campus, self-contained in one building and with shared performance spaces with the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, has been designed specifically for music and is equipped with cutting-edge technology with the aim to provide a hub to launch careers across the globe for the most musically talented international students.