Sean K. Skeete Appointed Chair of Berklee’s Ensemble Department

Berklee College of Music has named Sean K. Skeete chair of Berklee’s Ensemble Department.

“We are very excited that Sean has moved from his interim role to the permanent position of Ensemble Department Chair,” said Ron Savage, dean of the Professional Performance Division. “Sean's vision, skilled leadership, and artistic excellence will now be at the forefront of the world's largest, most dynamic and musically diverse performance department.”

Skeete has been the interim chair since 2017 and has led the department on a multitude of fronts, from budgeting and academic scheduling to program and curriculum development. He has collaborated with various departments in producing concerts, including the Opening Our Doors event, in which a student ensemble performed for Berklee’s neighborhood and community partners. 

As chair, he will continue to oversee the department with the goal of building on the current curriculum, developing new performance opportunities, creating relationships within the industry, and further stimulating the type of creative collaborations on campus that have made Berklee a leader in preparing students for careers in music.

During his tenure as interim chair, Skeete has created several visiting artist residencies and clinics with such notable musicians as Grammy Award winner Robert Glasper, multi-instrumentalist and composer Sona Jobarteh, songwriter Clay Cook '98 (Zac Brown Band), musician and film composer Rob Lewis '94, and many more.

A drummer and educator from Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies, Skeete grew up in a musical family. His love for music began at the age of 3, while playing in his father’s church. He found his calling and dedicated much of his youth to studying music intensely, with the hope of becoming a professional performer. Skeete attended high school in Boston and was awarded a full scholarship to Berklee upon graduation, where he continued to develop his musical style.

Skeete is an extremely versatile performer whose musicality is informed by his love for the music of the Caribbean, as well as jazz and R&B. He has been performing and teaching professionally for more than two decades, and he has worked with a range of artists and musicians including Take 6, CeCe Winans, Raul Midón, Will Downing, Oleta Adams, Edwin Hawkins, Walter Beasley, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Boston Pops. The musician and educator also travels extensively, presenting music workshops and clinics domestically and internationally.