Berklee considers Valencia campus
Zahylis Ferro
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Greg Badolato, Berklee College of Music's assistant vice-president for international programs, said discussions about opening a new campus in Valencia, Spain, are progressing. The Spanish Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers (SGAE) presented Berklee with the original proposal and is conducting the dialogue with the government of Valencia. The land for the school was donated to Berklee and has been already set aside. The campus is expected to open in 2010.
Even though Berklee has fairly large international partnerships, Badolato said, this is the first time Berklee is under its own name outside the United States. Currently, the Berklee International Network (BIN) has 15 partner schools in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. These schools use Berklee's brand name under limited circumstances, conduct auditions for Berklee, have curriculum transfer agreements, and offer lectures given by Berklee professors. However, they are independent schools. Valencia, Badolato said, will be different, "it will be Berklee."
The curriculum for the Valencia school is still under development but it leans towards offering a focus on music technology, music business, film scoring, etc. "There might be some private music lessons, but the main focus will be graduate courses," Badolato said. All classes will be taught in English.
Financial issues are the topic of the final discussions. "We are trying to make sure there won't be losses," Badolato said. Deliberation is focusing on pricing and services, students' interest on services and economic sustainability. According to Badolato, marketing research has been done to validate the decision, proving that Berklee's awareness in Europe is higher than in the United States. Also, Valencia, the Mediterranean city where the school plans to be built, is among the top cities for Europeans to study abroad.
Valencia's reputation for being a musical city is another reason why it was picked. According to Badolato, bands in Valencia are a major component of the culture,and they are well known for their high level of performance. "Valencia is like New Orleans," Badolato said, "a musical city, different from New York, LA, Madrid and Barcelona where the music industry takes place."
The new campus will be beneficial for both Berklee students and faculty. Students will have another study abroad opportunity, while faculty could teach there permanently or on a semester-by-semester basis.