Welcome to the Fall 2025 Semester
Dear Berklee students,
Welcome to fall. The semester is off to a strong start across our Boston, Valencia, and New York campuses, with students coming from 110 countries around the world to begin or continue their academic and creative journeys. Since joining Berklee, I’ve learned so much from all of you, and recognize how powerful it is to continue learning from young musicians. This semester holds so many exciting creative directions and possibilities, and I want to remind you that we’re here to support every step of your path through the Berklee Bridge. As classes get underway this week, I also want to provide an update on institutional happenings.
Strategic Plan
In the spring, I shared Berklee’s student-centered strategic direction, charting a path forward grounded in innovation and focused on student success. We have turned the priorities into an action plan focused on the three structural innovations that are most critical:
- making Berklee more affordable and accessible to exceptional students around the world,
- curriculum flexibility and innovation that allow students to go deeper while maintaining the ability to graduate in four years,
- and career centricity and experiential learning that put our students in the best possible position to pursue careers in the arts.
Our strategic direction keeps student success and affordability at the center, while ensuring that Berklee remains strong for the future. With students from 110 countries, our community is more than diverse—it’s what makes learning here so powerful.
1249 Boylston Street
Our newest facility in Boston, 1249 Boylston Street, opened its doors this week after an extensive renovation. The 41,000-square-foot building features dedicated spaces for Berklee’s academic institutes, nine general-use classrooms, and five state-of-the-art dance studios. The design incorporates spacious, fully furnished community lounge areas that encourage collaboration and connection, while also providing thoughtfully designed spaces for independent study. The facility also includes a health room, workspaces for staff, and offices for the institutes. In addition to enhancing the student experience, 1249 Boylston Street supports our commitment to expanding Berklee’s physical capacity and contributes to our priority of creating an environment that models the future of creativity.
I’m looking forward to a fantastic year and I encourage you to be open and take advantage of the opportunities all around you for learning, artistic growth, and creative expression.
Thanks,
Jim Lucchese
President
