Berklee Summer in the City
Live Music
All summer long performers from Berklee College of Music will take stage Thursdays at 12 PM to showcase their musical stylings in South Garden. These performances brought to us by Boston’s premier institute of music and the performing arts are complimentary and welcome to all to attend.
Concerts will run June 4th through August 27th, so grab a blanket and enjoy Berklee Summer in the City!
2026 PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
June 4: Rijah
Rijah shapes layers of luminous harmony and uplifting vulnerability through candid lyrics and thoughtful arrangements. She fuses the soul of her hometown – Jersey City, New Jersey – with the jazz of Manhattan, sculpting a vivid self-portrait rooted in perseverance, growth, and human nature.
June 11: Brooklynn
Cuban-American pianist Maria Medina began her musical education in Cuba at age seven, earning an AA degree in music performance and education from the Conservatorio de Musica Esteban Salas in Santiago de Cuba, where she frequently performed as a classical soloist and accompanist. She graduated from State College of Florida under the tutoring of Russian pianist Aza Torshkoeva and was sponsored by the Steinway Society of Sarasota Scholarship, the SCF Presidential Jazz Scholarship, and the 2022 FCSAA Student Artist State Competition Award. She performed at multiple venues in the Bradenton/Sarasota area, including a concert with the Bradenton Symphony Orchestra and the SCF Jazz Band.
June 18: Michelle Aurora y Naka
En cada lugar descubrió nuevas dimensiones de su identidad, tanto como persona como música. Sumergida en distintas culturas, exploró una variedad de estilos musicales, texturas vocales y ritmos; experimentó con diferentes instrumentaciones y encontró nuevas fuentes de inspiración que nutren hoy su lenguaje artístico.
In each place, she discovered new dimensions of her identity, both as a person and as a musician. Immersed in different cultures, she explored a variety of musical styles, vocal textures, and rhythms; she experimented with different instrumentations and found new sources of inspiration that now nourish her artistic language.
July 2: Jade Faria
Jade Faria is a singer, songwriter, and producer from São Paulo, Brazil. She released her debut EP, Solar, in 2022. It is a collection of all original songs coproduced and arranged by Faria herself.
Since then, she has collaborated with artists such as François Muleka, Luiza Brina, and Diego Xavier. She was also featured in Revista NOIZE, a well-known Brazilian music magazine, as one of the emerging voices in Brazilian popular music.
July 9: Maggie Welch
Maggie Welch is an indie-folk artist with a funky twist, blending reflective songwriting with powerful themes of healing and self-discovery. Currently studying music therapy and songwriting at Berklee College of Music, Welch believes deeply in the transformative power of music – her ultimate goal is to guide others toward emotional healing through her songs. Growing up in the secluded forests of New England, Welch’s music is steeped in the introspective solitude of nature, encouraging listeners to reflect on mental health, environmental awareness, and the complexities of personal identity.
July 16: Karolina Wilgus
Karolina Wilgus is a singer-songwriter and fingerstyle guitarist. Inspired by soul and Brazilian music, she writes breezy songs combining soothing melodies with powerful grooves.
July 23: Finesse Duo
Finesse is a piano/flute duo that performs original and cover songs from world music repertoire, covering Cuban music, Latin jazz, Brazilian, and American music.
July 30: YARYNA
YARYNA is a singer and songwriter from Kyiv, Ukraine, currently studying at Berklee College of Music. Blending pop, R&B, and soul, she creates music shaped by a deeply soulful vocal style and emotional storytelling. Each of her songs is a sentimental journey filled with sincerity, vulnerability, and an appreciation for the beauty of music itself.
Her career highlights include a sold-out show at 32JazzClub, representing Ukraine at the 40th Annual Berklee International Folk Festival, and collaborating with the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University to organize and produce a tribute concert dedicated to Volodymyr Ivasiuk. Through these performances and collaborations, she continues to embody one of her artistic missions: being the voice of Ukraine on the international stage.
August 6: Aisha
Aisha Gababa is a singer-songwriter from Orange County, California, who has turned life’s chaos into colorful, story-driven songs that make you feel seen. Writing since childhood as a way to cope with big emotions, she’s grown into an artist with something to say, painting vivid pictures of the environment that shaped her. As a first-generation Ethiopian daughter in a small town in California, Gababa has blended soulful honest from her upbringing and experiences with playful energy, drawing inspiration from Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Ariana Grande, Lizzy McAlpine, and Jill Scott. Her music is where vulnerability meets vibe, with neo-soul and R&B influences.
August 13: Lord Mortis
“Lord” Dart Mortis is a Boston-based pianist and composer who began his musical journey displaying a rare gift of perfect pitch and had his first live performance at the age of 3. After long and tedious development of his skills, he eventually won top honors in numerous international competitions. By 17, he had already recorded his first collaborative album, “Catharsis”, performed at major festivals worldwide, and moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Dart earned a full scholarship at Berklee College of Music, where he continued to excel in performance, production, and music business. Alongside his work as a performer and recording artist, Lord Mortis has worked as a production assistant for legendary rapper JEEZY on his TM:101 tour and “Color of Noize” orchestra leg by Derrick Hodge, alongside music director Adam Blackstone. Lord Mortis has also shared his expertise through private teaching, masterclasses and residencies, while continually pushing musical boundaries in jazz, hip-hop, gospel and R&B.
August 20: Sophia Laure Blues Band
August 27: Tessa Brown
Tessa Brown is a storyteller at heart, crafting songs that weave the raw honest of folk into a tapestry of indie, jazz, and rock. She is currently recording a large-scale project centered on the inevitability of growth – the idea that evolution persists even when we feel we’ve fallen behind. Tessa invites you to connect with her after the performance to share in the conversation.
