Grammy-Winning Jazz Trumpeter Chris Botti to Teach Master Class to 6th Through 12th Grade Students at Berklee College of Music in Boston on Wednesday, November 29, at 1 pm

The Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter Chris Botti will teach a master class at Berklee College of Music to a group of 6th through 12th grade students and Berklee students as part of the Berklee City Music Program on Wednesday, November 29, at 1 pm. Botti's master class will be held at the Berklee Performance Center, located at 136 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA. The clinic will also feature pianist Billy Childs and guitarist Mark Whitfield, Berklee associate professor of ensembles. The event is not open to the public, but members of the media are welcome to attend.

At 7:30pm that evening, Boston's PBS affiliate, WGBH, will broadcast "The Chris Botti Holiday Special," which will open with a new 30 minute live in- the-studio performance of Botti and pianist Billy Childs performing a set of yuletide classics followed by an airing of the acclaimed "CHRIS BOTTI with Orchestra & Special Guests."

A 2006 edition of Chris Botti's best-selling seasonal album, December, is in stores now. Produced by Bobby Colomby, the new version of December premieres two new songs: a breathtaking interpretation of Franz Schubert's "Ave Maria" (featuring the Choir of St. John's, Smith's Square) and "I Don't Really Want Much For Christmas" (featuring Eric Benet). The newly expanded edition of December also debuts new versions of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and "Silent Night."

"CHRIS BOTTI LIVE with Orchestra & Special Guests," shot December 1 and 2, 2005, over a Thursday -- Friday run at LA's fabled Wilshire Theatre, inspired the Los Angeles Times music critic Don Heckman to write, "It was apparent, from the first notes Chris Botti played at the Wilshire Theatre on Friday, that the sold-out house was in for a special evening ... "

About the Berklee College of Music City Music Program

The Berklee City Music Program (BCM) is the college's strategic initiative to engage talented urban 6th- through 12th-graders in a yearlong extracurricular music education program. Its purpose is to reduce the achievement gap between minority and non-minority students and between economically disadvantaged students and their more advantaged peers. Over the past 13 years, BCM has grown with inspiring vigor, establishing a continuum of learning that comprises the Music Mentoring Program, the Saturday Preparatory School, the Saturday Upper School, the Summer Youth Scholarship for Talent and Excellence in Music (SYSTEM 5), and the Continuing College Scholarship Award.

http://www.chrisbotti.com/

http://www.columbiarecords.com/

SOURCE: Columbia Records

CONTACT: Margot Edwards of Berklee College of Music, +1-617-747-2004,
medwards@berklee.edu, or Maggie Wang of Columbia Records, Media,
+1-212-833-8208, Maggie.Wang@sonybmg.com

Web site: http://www.columbiarecords.com/
http://www.chrisbotti.com/