MUSIC

Boston, MA – The 2012 Signature Music Series at Berklee continues an extraordinary season with jazz, funk, and Middle Eastern music, and selections from the Great American Songbook. Performers include a cross-section of Berklee students, faculty, and alumni, and world-renowned, award-winning musicians. The concerts feature a wide range of sounds: George Clinton Meets Berklee (2/16), the Great American Songbook: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer (2/26), Middle Eastern Music Festival (3/12), and An Evening with Kirill Gerstein: Rhapsody in Blue, with special guests Gary Burton and Anat Cohen (3/30). The Signature Series at Berklee takes place at the Berklee Performance Center (BPC), 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston. Purchase tickets at berkleebpc.com, call 617-747-2261, or visit the BPC Box Office. The entire BPC spring concert season goes on sale December 13. Visit berkleebpc.com for a full list of events. Become a member for exclusive offers on select Berklee events. The BPC is wheelchair accessible. February 16 - George Clinton Meets Berklee The Berklee P-Funk Ensemble has been a popular ensemble since the 1990s. George Clinton made a surprise visit and directed the group for an MTV special a few years back. Now, one of the foremost innovators of funk music returns to Berklee for a four-day residency and a concert covering his career from Parliament in the 1960s to Funkadelic, and his amazing solo career. The concert is produced by faculty member Lenny Stallworth and Africana Studies. 8:15 p.m. $20, $15, reserved seating. February 26 - The Great American Songbook: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer Individually, Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer composed some of the greatest tunes in the American songbook. Together, they wrote time-tested standards as “Stardust” and “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening.” At the annual celebration of the American Songbook, student and faculty vocalists backed by a full orchestra interpret the individual and collaborative songs of these American masters. 7:30 p.m. $15, $10 reserved seating. March 12 - Middle Eastern Music Festival The Middle Eastern Music Festival is a celebrated annual event that joins gifted artists from the Middle East and the Balkans with students from all over the world to perform traditional and inspiring music from these homelands. The concert is produced by Christiane Karam, assistant professor of voice, and Javier Limon, artistic director, Berklee Valencia's Mediterranean Music Institute. 8:15 p.m. $15, $10 reserved seating. March 30 - An Evening with Kirill Gerstein: Rhapsody in Blue With special guests Gary Burton and Anat Cohen Since completing his studies at Berklee, Kirill Gerstein has devoted his career to classical repertoire. In 2010, he was awarded the coveted Gilmore Artist Award, which is presented every four years to recognize extraordinary artistry. Gerstein returns to Berklee with a program that includes Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in the original 1924 arrangement. Special guests include Grammy-winning vibraphonist Gary Burton, and clarinetist and Berklee alumna Anat Cohen. The concert is produced by Kirill Gerstein, and directed by professor Phil Wilson. 8:15 p.m. $25, $20, $17.50 reserved seating.