Alejandro Sanz to Receive Honorary Doctorate from Berklee

Spanish superstar Alejandro Sanz will receive an honorary doctor of music degree from Berklee at a career-spanning concert performed by Berklee students on November 6, 2013. Sanz, who has won a total of 16 Latin Grammy Awards and three Grammy Awards, is being recognized for his achievements and influence in music and for his enduring contributions to international culture. Past honorary doctorate recipients include Duke Ellington, Chucho Valdes, Juan Luis Guerra, Paco de Lucia, Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon, Sting, Gloria Estefan, and Willie Nelson.

“It is a great honor for me to receive this doctorate degree from one of the most prestigious music schools in the world,” Sanz said of the Berklee recognition. “I will continue to work every day of my life to deserve this honor.”

At the concert, a 40-piece Berklee student ensemble will pay tribute to Sanz’s musical legacy, with Sanz joining the students to perform select tunes. The concert will be produced by Oscar Stagnaro, a professor in Berklee’s Bass department, with Matthew Nicholl, chair of Berklee’s Contemporary Writing and Production department, serving as music director.

Earlier this year, in a course taught by Grammy-winning producer/artist Javier Limon, Berklee students created a viral video for Sanz’s hit, “La Música No Se Toca.” Filmed in Boston and at Berklee’s international campus in Valencia, Spain, the video features more than 60 students and alumni representing 20 nationalities.

“I am excited to honor Alejandro Sanz for being one of the most important Latin artists and composers in the world, as well as for his contributions to flamenco music,” said Limon, Sanz’s longtime friend and collaborator. Limon will be the executive producer of the concert at Berklee.

Watch an excerpt of Alejandro Sanz's talk at a clinic for Berklee students:

About Alejandro Sanz

Alejandro Sanz is one of the most recognized Latin artists in the world. He is also the Spanish artist with the highest number of social network followers online: more than 9,700,000 on Twitter and more than 3,500,000 on Facebook. He has sold more than 22 million albums and has accumulated 19 Grammy Awards (16 Latin Grammys and three American Grammys). He has released 15 albums, all which have reached multiple-platinum sales levels. His latest release, “La Música No Se Toca,” debuted at number one in 18 countries.
 
Sanz is currently in the midst of an extensive international tour that has taken him throughout Latin America, the United States, and now Spain. With this tour, he has performed in front of an audience of more than half a million people. Sanz also just finished an expedition of the Arctic alongside Greenpeace, an organization for which he serves as an ambassador, to witness the effects of global warming firsthand and to lobby for the Arctic’s protection.