Santo Domingo. – In the classrooms and hallways of the National Conservatory of Music, where the sound of various instruments, improvisation, and rigorous study coexist every hour, the professors from
Berklee College of Music of Boston (United States) participating in the Berklee in Santo Domingo 2026 program agree that the level of young Dominican musicians has grown remarkably, significantly raising the competition, especially for the Michel Camilo Scholarship.
This event, organized by the Ministry of Culture in coordination with the General Directorate of Fine Arts, the National Conservatory of Music and Berklee College of Music, and sponsored by the AES Dominicana and Itabo Foundation, has established itself not only as an intensive training experience, but also as a true barometer of emerging talent in the Dominican Republic. For the visiting teachers, the combination of discipline, intellectual curiosity and artistic ambition exhibited by the students is difficult to ignore.
For pianist Saily González Zamora, academic director of the program, “talent is evident.” However, they emphasize that what truly distinguishes these young people goes beyond technical skill. “The willingness, curiosity, positive attitude, and genuine desire to learn make the difference. The competition for the Michel Camilo Scholarship is higher than ever,” she stated.
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Michel Camilo gives a master class within the framework of the Berklee Santo Domingo 2026 program
“The level of focus is impressive,” noted Tyrone Chase, guitarist, producer, and assistant chair of the Ensemble Department at Berklee College of Music. “I gave them an exercise and everyone was completely focused. That responsiveness is not common,” he added.
The impression is repeated in the different rehearsal rooms. Nick Grondin, guitarist, composer, bandleader, and associate professor at Berklee, describes a diverse and technically sound musical landscape. “There are guitarists capable of approaching traditional jazz with maturity, students with very good ears and profound questions. Many of them clearly have the profile for a scholarship,” he affirmed.
According to Fernando Huergo, bass professor and academic director of Berklee in Puerto Rico, talent comes with an attitude that makes the difference. “I always find a special enthusiasm here. There is a real willingness to learn, to open up to other styles and to grow,” he expressed. However, he also recognizes the demands of the selection process. “The quota is limited. Not everyone will be able to go to Berklee, but the main objective is musical and human growth, wherever it may occur,” he maintained.
That philosophy permeates the program’s atmosphere. Josean Jacobo, who is participating for the third consecutive year as a Musicality professor and ensemble director, describes an energy that transcends the academic schedule. “If they are not in class, they are playing. They make music out of any situation. You breathe that here all the time,” he commented. Although he acknowledges that some students still need to refine technical aspects, he affirms that several stand out clearly.
With master classes, auditions, and intensive ensembles, this program is consolidated as a space where academic excellence intersects with deep personal aspirations. For many of these young musicians, the Michel Camilo Scholarship and others that are awarded at the end of the intense six-day journey represent an exceptional opportunity; for all, the experience leaves a shared certainty: Dominican talent not only exists, but is prepared to compete on stages of international demand.
