Berklee College of Music has appointed Erica Muhl its new president. Muhl becomes the first woman to hold the title in the school’s 75-year history and arrives from University of Southern California’s Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation, where she served as the dean and founding executive director. Under Mule’s leadership, the school welcomed its first class in 2014 and quickly expanded, launching two graduate programs in integrated design and product innovation.
“I want to offer my deepest thanks and appreciation to Berklee’s trustees and to the amazing (president) Roger Brown,” said Muhl. “The institution you have all built has no equal, and I am deeply honored by your faith in my ability to continue to grow its mission and to provide unprecedented and unrivaled learning and professional experiences across the spectrum of music, the arts, technology and creative entrepreneurship.”
Muhl has been selected as the school’s fourth president, following a yearlong search conducted by a committee of Berklee community members. The renown composer-conductor will start her term in July 2021, succeeding Roger H. Brown who served in the role for 17 years.
“Erica’s experience as a strong, seasoned leader who has innovated and managed in times of change uniquely places her to lead Berklee into a new era,” said Marty Mannion, chair of the presidential search committee and vice chair of Berklee’s board of trustees. “Her enthusiasm for our mission, along with a skill set that readily embraces the full range of what we do, makes her a strong choice to lead Berklee as our next president.”