Joe Lovano Receives Berklee Faculty Chair

Berklee College of Music President Lee Eliot Berk announced today that J. Scott Benson, a member of the college’s board of trustees, has made a gift of one million dollars to endow Berklee’s first-ever faculty chair. The chair is named in honor of Berklee Executive Vice President, five-time Grammy-winning vibraphonist, and alumnus Gary Burton ’62. Appointed to the Gary Burton Chair in Jazz Performance is Grammy-nominated saxophonist and fellow alumnus Joe Lovano ’72, who begins his appointment with the Fall 2001 semester.

A Cleveland native, Joe Lovano attended Berklee in the early 70s, where he met future collaborators such as Bill Frisell, John Scofield, Kenny Werner, Billy Drewes and Joey Baron. Lovano has received six Grammy nominations since 1994.

Originally Published February 19, 2001