Entitled “Berklee at the Gnaoua and World Music Festival”, this immersive program will take place in Essaouira from June 22 to June 27, 2026, ahead of the 27th edition of the Festival. It is designed for professional and semi-professional musicians aged 18 and above — instrumentalists or vocalists — coming from diverse musical traditions including gnaoua, jazz, pop, rock, contemporary and classical music, who wish to deepen their artistic practice in a setting defined by excellence and intercultural dialogue.

Conceived as a true musical laboratory, the program is part of the Festival’s broader dynamic, which for more than a quarter of a century has fostered dialogue between the spiritual heritage of the Gnaoua and musical traditions from around the world. Since its launch in 2024, 118 musicians from 30 countries have already taken part in the program, including 29 Moroccan musicians, alongside artists from Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Asia. This growing international participation reflects both the program’s appeal and its capacity to bring together talents from diverse musical scenes.

Through this partnership, the Festival reaffirms its mission: to transmit, to educate, to create, and to offer Moroccan youth and artists from around the world a space for encounter and experimentation where musical traditions are shared and continually reinvented.

An intensive learning experience led by Berklee’s excellence

Under the academic direction of pianist and researcher Leo Blanco, a Berklee professor specializing in African music studies, this new edition will revolve around the theme “Listening with a Global Ear – Playing with a Global Concept.”

Over six days, participants will take part in an intensive program built on active listening, experimentation, and musical collaboration. Sessions will focus on:

– understanding different rhythmic and harmonic concepts from around the world,
– improvisation and interaction between musicians,
– integrating diverse musical influences into a personal artistic practice,
– and developing an artistic language open to contemporary musical aesthetics.

The courses will be led by an international faculty team including:

Leo Blanco – piano, academic director
Fernando Huergo – bass professor
Nadia Washington – assistant professor of ear training
Jason Camelio – associate vice president of Berklee Global
Bri Tagliaferro – associate director of partnerships and international programs

Sessions will be conducted in English, with translation into Arabic and French to ensure the program’s accessibility to a wide range of musicians.

This immersive experience will conclude with a closing concert, reflecting the artistic work carried out throughout the week and the encounter between the different musical traditions represented.

Participation details :

Dates: June 22–27, 2026, in Essaouira
Audience: musicians aged 18 and above, professional or semi-professional
Participation fee: USD 450 / 4500 MAD
Application deadline: April 20, 2026

Applications must be submitted online and include three videos demonstrating the candidate’s musical abilities. Selected participants will also benefit from access to the concerts of the 27th edition of the Gnaoua and World Music Festival, which will take place from June 25 to June 27, 2026.

Through this initiative, the Festival reaffirms its ambition to make Essaouira — a UNESCO Creative City of Music — an international space for transmission, education, and artistic creation at the crossroads of living heritage and contemporary music.

For more information and to apply:
https://www.berklee.edu/berkleeontheroad/berklee-at-the-gnaoua-and-world-music-festival