About BIMC

Professor, Berklee College of Music

Associate Dean (retired), Boston Conservatory at Berklee

Tuba, Euphonium, Instrumental Music Education, Conductor

James O’Dell has been professionally active in instrumental music and music education since 1979. Mr. O'Dell holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Southern Oregon University (1978), a Master of Music in Tuba, Euphonium, and Bass Trombone Performance from the University of Oregon (1983), and doctoral studies at Arizona State University (1983-84). Mr. O'Dell recently retired as Associate Dean from Boston Conservatory at Berklee after serving 26 years, including twice as Dean and Chief Academic Officer at interim, and Director of the Conservatory's Music Division.

A distinguished and versatile educator, conductor, and musician, Mr. O'Dell is the Music Director and Conductor of the Concord Band. His collegiate conducting tenures have included all athletic bands, concert and jazz bands, wind and brass ensembles. He is founder of the New England Collegiate Jazz Festival, Boston Tuba Christmas, and cofounder of the Boston Tuba Quartet and The Brass Consortium.

Professor at Berklee College of Music

Guitar, Bass, Voice, Music Performance

Tom Stein is an international musician, leading music educator, global music industry and educational consultant, and a cultural diplomat. Tom has been professionally active in the music industry for over 40 years, and has performed in over 30 countries on guitar, electric bass, and voice.

As a Senior Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Tom has taught thousands of students, many who have gone on to illustrious music careers, winning GRAMMY awards, recording hit records, and touring the globe to give concerts.

At Berklee, Tom also served as Alumni Admissions Coordinator, Interim Department Chair, member of the Board of Admissions, and as Concert Producer or Music Director for hundreds of mainstage concerts featuring well-known alumni and honorary doctorate recipients.

 Famous Erhu Artist, Composer in China

Mr. Jun Chen is currently the Vice President of the National Bow and String Music Society of the Chinese Musicians Association, and the Vice President of the Erhu Professional Committee of the China Nationalities Orchestra Society.

As an erhu artist, Jun Chen participates in more than 60 performances around the world every year. He has held concerts in the Wiener Musikverein in Vienna, the Sydney Opera House, the Albert Hall in the United Kingdom, and the Lincoln Center in the United States. He once performed erhu for French President Sarkozy, American President George Bush, Obama, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, and Dubai Prime Minister Mohammed. The performance video has been circulated more than 100 million times on the Internet.

Distinguished Business Executive

As Managing Director/EVP, Derek Olsen serves as a senior member of the leadership team, overseeing a wide range of advisory and asset management engagements. Derek brings more than 25 years hospitality experience with expertise in investment underwriting, operational assessment, property and portfolio valuations, contract negotiation and value creation through asset management.

Derek has a BS in Hospitality Management from Cornell University and a Master of Science in Real Estate from M.I.T.

Entrepreneur, Educator & Concert Producer, Director

For over twenty years of business in network and cloud computation, Harry Zhu had found and invested in three companies and had served as the President of China for a leading Nasdaq-listed cloud data storage company. In recent years, Harry has devoted himself to college consultation and education, especially the music and performing art education, concerts, as well as helping students in music competitions around the world. He has helped many outstanding students got accepted into top music schools or Ivy League Universities in the United States. He has initiated the establishment of “WeStar Music Education Foundation” to help talented but underserved music students, and to promote Sino-US exchanges for music and performing arts. Harry Zhu graduated from Beijing University and Harvard University.

Harry is also the Founder and Producer of the Boston International Music Competition (BIMC), Boston International Symphony Orchestra (BISO) & Boston Youth Talent Spectacular (BYTS).