“For nearly 50 years, Berklee College of Music and the Boston Conservatory have lived side by side as neighbors in the Fenway, sharing everything from faculty to food services,” writes Malcolm Gay in Thursday’s (6/25) Boston Globe. “But now the two storied institutions want to become much closer. The schools said Thursday that they have agreed to explore a merger, a union they say could create a national powerhouse in performing arts education, with rich programs in music, theater, and dance. Governing boards for the two schools have approved plans to pursue the potential merger, which could occur as soon as 2016. ‘The combined institution creates in one stroke the most comprehensive training ground for performing arts and related careers in the country, if not the world,’ said Boston Conservatory president Richard Ortner. Berklee would retain its name, and the Conservatory would become known as the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. The schools would maintain separate admissions processes and financial aid awards for the foreseeable future, but would share facilities, faculty, programs, and other assets, enabling students to take courses at each institution and possibly transfer between programs or earn joint degrees.”
Posted June 29, 2015
