Alumni and Careers

Just as no two guitarists are the same, there is not just one career path open to Berklee guitar students. For a detailed look at the wide spectrum of careers that Berklee alumni pursue, explore Career Communities.

Guitar Performance Alumni

Many Berklee alumni have gone on to successful guitar performance careers. Learn about a small sample of them.

  • Denise Barbarita
    Class of 1994
    Owner and Head Engineer, MONOLisa Studios
    Grammy-winning engineer Denise Barbarita is the owner and head engineer of MONOLisa Studios in New York City. She works on album projects and audio post-production for film and television.
  • Nili Brosh
    Class of 2009
    Guitarist; Songwriter

    Nili Brosh was only 18 and a Berklee College of Music student when she shot to YouTube fame. In her 2007 video, she was practicing guitar in her family home in Newton, Massachusetts, playing a solo originally performed by her hero, Guthrie Govan. Two years and 120,000 views later, Brosh had attained a form of modern celebrity. She didn’t waver from her studies, though, graduating summa cum laude in 2009 even while she performed with the Nili Brosh Band in the Boston area.

  • Maddie Rice
    Class of 2014
    Guitarist

    Maddie Rice has proven to be a young musician to watch. As a 2014 Berklee College of Music graduate with a burgeoning pop-rock career in electric guitar, she was chosen in 2015 to be part of the house band for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. As a member of Stay Human, Jon Batiste’s band, Rice adds to the group’s unique blend of jazz, funk, and pop.

  • John Scofield
    Class of 1973
    Guitarist; Composer

    A master of his art, John Scofield has been a major figure in the guitar world since the 1970s. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 1973, he set out on a stellar career, playing music that ranges from jazz to funk to R&B. For more than four decades, he has been a major jazz influence as a guitarist and composer.

  • Mike Stern
    Class of 1975
    Guitarist; Composer

    The bluesy style and blistering chops of Mike Stern have made him an electric guitar icon for more than four decades. An eclectic and virtuoso guitarist and composer, he first gained notice playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears; Billy Cobham; and Joe Henderson.

  • Angie Swan
    Class of 2005
    Guitarist, Bassist, Producer
    Accomplished guitarist, bassist, and producer Angie Swan ‘05 has toured with David Byrne, Cirque du Soleil, Fifth Harmony, CeeLo Green, Will.i.am, and many others. Learn about Swan’s experience as a female artist and how her education and network at Berklee continually allow her to make valuable professional connections.
  • Steve Vai
    Class of 1979
    Guitarist; Singer; Composer; Producer

    Known for his virtuosity and style, Steve Vai has had a long and enviable career as a guitarist, singer, composer, and producer.

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