Oscar Stagnaro

Anative of Lima, Peru, Oscar Stagnaro is a Grammy winner who studied at the
Conservatory of Musicin Lima while working extensively as a first-call session
musician and live performer for many international artists and local bands. He moved
to the U.S.in 1979, where he continued his studies with pianist Mike Marra and
saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi. Since then, he has become one of the most versatile and
in-demand bass players on the East Coast.

 

His mastery of different styles, from jazz and fusion to Latin, Brazilian, and South American music, has
allowed him to travel the world performing with a virtual who's who of jazz and Latin music. Stagnaro
has been a faculty member at Berklee College of Music since 1988. He received the Performance
Division’s Distinguished Faculty Award in 2016.

Matthew Nicholl

Matthew Nicholl, dean of the Professional Writing and Music Technology Division at
Berklee and executive director of the Mediterranean Music Institute, is a composer,
arranger, pianist, and educator. He joined Berklee's faculty in 1996, later serving as
chair of the Contemporary Writing and Production Department and associate vice
president of Global Initiatives. He has created music for the National Geographic
Society, PBS, NASA, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Subway, RadioShack, and several
presidential, senatorial, and congressional campaigns.

 

Nicholl is the author of Music Notation: Preparing Scores and Parts (with Richard Grudzinski), and
Bossa Nova Standard Songs. His latest publication is The Art and Craft of Writing Music. He has released
several albums, including Carinhoso, with Larry Monroe and Donna McElroy, an album of Brazilian
standards produced in collaboration with Berklee Professor Michael Farquharson. Left to the Right

of Center, an album of original instrumental music also produced with Farquharson, was released in
October of this year. Nicholl has arranged and conducted many live performances at Berklee, including
concerts featuring globally influential artists such as Rosa Passos, Alejandro Sanz, Guinga, Ivan Lins,
Toninho Horta, Issac Delgado, Milton Nascimento, and Jorge Drexler. Nicholl holds bachelor’s and
master's degrees in music from the University of North Texas.

Tsunenori “Lee” Abe

Tsunenori “Lee” Abe, an associate professor in the Contemporary Writing and
Production Department, is a composer, arranger, performer, and producer from
Chiba, Japan. Winner of the 2012 S&R Washington Award for composition, he has
written music for solo piano, pop rock bands, and big bands, as well as world-class
orchestras such as the Boston Pops. While Abe is versatile in many genres, he is
especially well known in the vocal jazz world.

 

Praised by Keith Lockhart of the Boston Pops, Cheryl Bentyne of the Manhattan Transfer, Joyce Moreno,
Toninho Horta, and others, his works are published through Yamaha Music Media and University of
Northern Colorado (UNC) Jazz Press. Abe is also a respected educator who gives master classes in
arranging, producing, and vocal group singing.