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Berklee Presents Donna McElroy 1/31 to Benefit Sarah Vaughan Scholarship Fund

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BOSTON, January 7, 2002 -- Grammy-nominated vocalist and Berklee College of Music Associate Professor of Voice Donna McElroy will present a concert on Thursday, January 31, to benefit the college's Sarah Vaughan Endowed Scholarship Fund, which provides support for outstanding African-American students enrolled at Berklee.



Musical director Professor Richard Evans will conduct a 30-piece Berklee faculty orchestra, including strings and harp, as McElroy sings a musical tribute to the late Sarah Vaughan featuring signature songs from her career, such as “Tenderly" and “Prelude to a Kiss," as well as McElroy's original composition “Sarah." The event begins at 8:15 p.m. at the wheelchair-accessible Berklee Performance Center, 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston. Tickets are $5.00 -- $2.00 for seniors -- and are available at the Performance Center box office, 617-747-2261. All proceeds from the concert will benefit the Sarah Vaughan Endowed Scholarship Fund.



Vocalist Donna McElroy was the arranger/background vocalist on the gold and platinum releases “Why Haven't I Heard From You?" by Reba McIntyre, “We Shall Be Free" by Garth Brooks, “Addictive Love" by BeBe and CeCe Winans, and “House of Love" by Amy Grant. She received a Grammy nomination for “Bigger World" (Warner Brothers), a Dove Award for “Songs from the Loft" (Reunion), and a 1993 Best Actress Award for her portrayal of Sister Mary Regina in the Circle Players production of “Nunsense." Since joining the Berklee faculty in 1996, Donna has represented the college at clinics and jazz festivals around the world, including UmbriaJazz in Italy, the Phoenix Festival in Kobe, Japan, and Seoul, Korea.



African Americans have had a profound influence on the music that continues to define Berklee. The Sarah Vaughan Scholarship was established in 1999 by Berklee's three African-American trustees -- Vivian Beard, Dolores Johnson and David Lee. Trustee Mike Dreese, CEO of Newbury Comics record retail chain, has also made a significant donation to the fund.



The first recipient of the Sarah Vaughan Endowed Scholarship is Berklee student Nia Allen, who was chosen for the award two years in a row. An outstanding vocalist who performs with the Berklee Reverence Gospel Ensemble, Allen is on the Dean's List and maintains an active performance schedule. She also serves as a mentor to inner-city youth participating in the Berklee City Music Program. Allen will perform “Send in the Clowns" at the January 31 concert.



Founded in 1945, Berklee College of Music has been advancing careers in contemporary music for more than 50 years. The world's largest independent college of music, Berklee has a multi-cultural enrollment of more than 3,400 students, over 30 percent of whom are international. The college’s alumni include some of the most respected figures in contemporary music, including many multi-Grammy award winners.

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