Boston, MA — Berklee President Roger H. Brown will present Lionel Richie, Lucinda Williams, Todd Rundgren, Neil Portnow, and Shin Joong Hyun with honorary doctor of music degrees at Berklee’s commencement ceremony, Saturday, May 13, at the 7,000-seat Agganis Arena at Boston University. Rundgren, this year’s commencement speaker, will address more than 1,000 Berklee graduates along with their parents and invited guests.

This year’s honorary doctorate recipients are being recognized for their achievements and influences in music, and for their enduring contributions to American and international culture. Past recipients include Duke Ellington (the first, in 1971), Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, Smokey Robinson, Loretta Lynn, Juan Luis Guerra, Annie Lennox, Paco de Lucia, Carole King, Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, George Clinton, Rita Moreno, Julio Iglesias, Plácido Domingo, and A.R. Rahman.

As is Berklee’s tradition, on commencement eve, Friday, May 12, students will pay tribute to the honorees by performing music associated with their careers at the Agganis. The concert and ceremony are not open to the public.