Diego Ureña Santana, a guitarist from the National District (Santo Domingo) won the prestigious Michel Camilo Presidential Scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Carlos Fabré, an electric bass musician also from the National District won the Berklee College of Music full tuition scholarship for the four-year undergraduate program.
The winners of the Michel Camilo Scholarship Competition were chosen on Saturday, 2 December 2017 at the National Conservatory of Music in Santo Domingo. The total awards were for US$1,152,000 in 13 awards. The announcement was made following a three-day clinic on performance, composition, and music technology for local students taught by Berklee faculty and guest artist Camilo.
The Michel Camilo Scholarship is a full scholarship opportunity awarded to one gifted instrumental musician, either Dominican-born or of Dominican descent, who is accepted to Berklee for the upcoming year. The Michel Camilo Scholarship covers the cost of tuition, room, and board, and is renewable over four years of study. This scholarship is donated by Sandra and Michel Camilo, Trustee Emeritus Mike Dreese, and many friends of the Camilos. Berklee College of Music has presented its matching full scholarship recognizing the abundance of local music talent.
In addition to Ureña and Fabré, 11 other students received scholarships to Berklee College of Music, including seven partial tuition scholarships and four won scholarships for the five-week summer performance program.
The winners of the partial tuition scholarships were:
The winners of the partial tuition scholarships were:
Sheldon Martínez Sandoval from Puerto Plata (drums)
Juan Garcia Tuba fro the National District (tuba)
Rony Khoury from the National District ()
Diego Méndez from Santo Domingo West (guitar)
Loreng Salcedo de Castro from Santo Domingo (voice)
Francis Peña Almonte from Santo Domingo West (drums)
Geann Mendez from the Santo Domingo Colonial City (cello)
The four winners of the five-week summer performance program were funded by US$36,000 by an anonymous donor. These were:
John Martez Melenciano from San Cristóbal (trumpet)
Maria del Rosario Fernández from La Vega (violin)
Jacinto Lachapel Mercedes from Santo Domingo Norte (piano)
Laura Montero Mendez from the National District/Santo Domingo (flute).
4 December 2017
