Melissa Perales

Melissa Perales is a Mexican-American music curator, promoter, and cultural connector from Chicago who has been shaping Berlin’s independent music scene since the 1990s. She is the founder of M, co-founder of Music Pool Berlin, and curator of projects including Café Chocolat and DURCHLÜFTEN at the Humboldt Forum.

Her work focuses on building sustainable bridges between artists, venues, and communities, with a strong commitment to inclusion, grassroots support, and marginalized voices. Through decades of experience in Berlin’s live music scene, she has supported countless artists in navigating local structures, building networks, and creating meaningful cultural spaces.

She is a consultant at Music Pool Berlin and moderates the Open Session focusing on Berlin’s live music scene: from booking shows and connecting with venues to communication strategies and the question of how artists can collaborate beyond DIY isolation to build stronger collective structures.