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Global MBA Cohort

2019 Cohort

Following a global review process involving hundreds of highly accomplished candidates from around the word, a select Cohort of 40 rising change-makers in music was selected to take part in the 2019 GLI Journey. The 2019 Cohort comprises 24 nations, spanning five continents, and includes project founders, teaching artists, chamber music entrepreneurs, professional orchestra members, university & conservatory professors, MBAs, and doctoral candidates. The 2019 Cohort represents Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Germany, Guatemala, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Cohort Mosaic

An active teacher and performer, Sarah Agrios performs with the Tallahassee and Albany Symphonies. She holds a Master’s degree from Florida State University and a Bachelor’s from Virginia Commonwealth University.
USA
Teaching Artist &
Freelance Musician
A versatile musician, Vivianne Asturizaga has performed with both orchestral and chamber ensembles, including several of which she has been a founding member. She has been on faculty at the National Conservatory of Music (Bolivia), among others.
Bolivia
Florida State University
Doctoral Candidate
Adjunct Instructor of Flute at Prairie View A&M University, Meghan Bennett holds a DMA from The University of Texas at Austin, an MM from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, and a BM from the University of South Carolina.
USA
Prairie View A&M University
Adj. Instructor of Flute
Cecilia Bercovich is a violinist, violist, composer, arranger, and conductor. She teaches at Centro Superior de Música Katarina Gurska and her recordings with Trio Arbós can be found on Deutsche Grammophone and Naxos.
Spain & Israel
Gurska Foundation
Teaching Committee
Minnesota native Lindsay Bobyak received her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Double Bass Performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She has worked as a Teaching Artist with MusAid, ArtistYear, and the Aspen Music Festival and School.
USA
BSO OrchKids
Strings Fellow
Kardelen Buruk performs with the chamber ensembles ODA Quartet and Black Büyü. She has collaborated with the HSV International Primary School to organize a music education project for autistic youth.
Turkey & Netherlands
Conservatory of the Hague
Graduate Fellow
Mexican flutist Yazhmín Castañón graduated from UNAM’s School of Music. She is a member of Camerata Metropolitana, and has performed with Orquesta del Teatro de Bellas Artes, among others.
Mexico
Kol Shalom Orchestra
Conductor
Ivana Cirrincione holds degrees from Conservatorio Nacional (Argentina), University of Music & Performing Arts (Austria), and University of Music Detmold (Germany). She has worked with many social music projects including Superar Vienna and Sistema Lombardia (Italy), among others.
Argentina & Italy
Superar Suisse
Program Director
Laura Feeney studied the viola at Chetham’s School of Music, The Royal Northern College of Music, and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. As a freelance performer, she has performed with a wide range of ensembles from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra to Eminem and Ed Sheeran.
United Kingdom
Pro Corda
Director of Outreach
Janet Fischer holds MMus and MBA degrees. She has performed in the UK, Europe, Asia, and North America, and is a teacher, producer, and strategy consultant. She recently founded Proper Opera with the aim to effect lasting social change through exceptional art.
Canada & United Kingdom
Proper Opera
Chief Executive
María Cristina Gatica received her Bachelor’s from the Universidad de Valparaíso. She has performed in a number of choruses since her youth, and recently founded the Fundación Artístico Coral Cantares, which promotes arts and choral music in Chile.
Chile
Fundación Coral Cantares
President
Aaron Glaser holds a Bachelor’s degree from York College of Pennsylvania. He works as Music Director of Cypher, and as a freelance musician and independent music educator in piano, guitar, and percussion.
USA
Cypher
Music Director
Clarinetist Kristi Hanno has performed across the US, and throughout Europe in Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Iceland, and Croatia. She has led workshops on topics including clarinet performance, chamber music, and sustainability.
USA
Arizona State University
Doctoral Candidate
Sarah Harris studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She performs with some of the UK’s top opera and ballet companies. She has taught in Trinidad and Tobago, and spends several months each year as a volunteer teacher in Asia and Africa.
United Kingdom
Mayflower Federation
Teaching Artist
Kelly Herrmann holds a Bachelor’s degree from McGill University and a Master’s degree from University of Memphis Scheidt School of Music. She has performed with various ensembles, including the Memphis and Arkansas Symphonies.
USA
Crosstown Winds
General Manager
Irene Labrador is a Spanish cellist based in Aarhus, Denmark, where she is a teaching artist with Musiksak. She completed her Bachelor’s at the University of Music of Catalonia (Spain), and her Master’s in cello at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus.
Spain & Denmark
Musiksak
Instructor
Israel Macedo studied at the National Conservatory of Music in Lima, Peru. He teaches a private studio in Arequipa and performs as a member and soloist of the Peruvian Air Force Military Band.
Peru
Peruvian Air Force Band
Teaching Artist
Julieta Márquez holds Bachelor’s degrees from the National Conservatory of Music (Mexico) and from La Salle University. She has performed in some of the most important halls in Mexico.
Mexico
La Salle University
Information Analyst
Cuban-born Yoelvis Medero Lunar relocated to Belize in 2010, where he is Co-Director of the Allegro Music School. He has also worked with the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport and as an adj. lecturer with University of Belize.
Belize & Cuba
Allegro Music School
Co-Director
Soprano and cultural entrepreneur Maria José Morales has appeared in a number of operatic roles. She received the Revelation Artist and Artist of the Year Foundation medals. She has given a TEDx Talk at Zamorano University on the role of music a tool to transform society.
Guatemala
Querido Arte Ópera
CEO & Co-Founder
Originally from Mexico, Maryen Munoz has taught at the School of Music and Dance Ollin Yoliztli Cultural Center in Mexico City and has performed internationally throughout Argentina, Venezuela, Peru, England, Spain, and the US. Her work includes numerous publications and discography.
Mexico
Tierra 47 Festival
Artistic Director
Bethany Nette is a teaching assistant and graduate of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore. She is a trainer and practitioner in facilitating collaborative music making in community engagement contexts.
Singapore & Australia
Yong Siew Toh Conserv.
Teaching Artist
A graduate of McGill University, Angela Otcuoglu made her solo debut at the University State Conservatory of Istanbul and is co-founder of Duo Columbus, a piano duo creating music relevant for today’s generation while also promoting peace and understanding.
Canada & Turkey
Duo Columbus
Co-Founder
A native of Costa Rica, Rosa Pampillo holds degrees in violin performance and musicology. She currently teaches privately in Spain and is pursuing a Doctorate at Aveiro University (Portugal).
Costa Rica & Spain
INET-md
Doctoral Fellow
Filipina–American clarinetist Lea Pandy received her Bachelor’s Degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Music. She has been an advocate for equity in the arts, working in development for music programs in New York and Los Angeles.
USA
American Youth Symphony
Development Officer
Alexander Peña holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music. He is a founding member and Youth Education Director at the Lakes Area Music Festival in Minnesota, and has served as a panelist for the New York State Council on the Arts.
USA & Mexico
Iolani School
Director of Orchestras
Anja Poulsen holds a degree from the Royal Academy of Music Aarhus. She has worked on social music projects in Argentina and is part of El Sistema Europe. She founded Moellevangens Blaeserband, a wind orchestra project in Denmark.
Denmark
Kulturskolen på Nordmoere
Instructor
Debora Preuss studied at the University of Freiburg (Germany) and co-founded Sinfonieorchester Crescendo Freiburg. She has participated in the Gongs and Skins Festival in Myanmar and has taught at the Gitameit Music Institute in Yangon.
Germany
Symph. Crescendo Freiburg
Teaching Artist
Victoria Romann is a graduate of the University of Music Dresden, with added studies at Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse Lyon. She is founder of Architects of Music, an intercultural youth music project in Kampala.
Germany
Ensemble Hankelmusik
Teaching Artist
Susanne Simma holds dual Master’s degrees from the Royal College of Music and a Bachelor’s degree from the Mozarteum Salzburg. Susanne performs regularly with the Sinfonieorchester Vorarlberg and as Principal Bassoon with the Sinfonietta Vorarlberg.
Austria & United Kingdom
Royal College of Music
Instructor
A graduate of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, Judith Sweet currently designs and teaches curriculum around live concert experiences with a range of performing arts and educational organizations.
USA
Jerusalem Music-Dance Academy
Teaching Artist
Originally from Alaska, Tylor Thomas holds a Bachelor’s degree from Boston Conservatory and a Master’s degree from Mannes School of Music. He has performed with 13th St Winds and the Martha Graham Dance Company.
USA
Orchestra of St. Luke’s
Administrator
Liam Underwood holds a Master’s degree from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami and a Bachelor’s degree from the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University. As an educator, he has worked with the Miami Music Project.
USA
Camp Boggy Creek
Program Associate
Etty Wake holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has performed with the Southbank Sinfonia and currently maintains a busy schedule of teaching and performing as a freelance trumpeter.
United Kingdom
Teaching Artist
Royal Conservatoire Scotland
Bailey Wantuch holds a Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University. A graduate student at McGill University, she is involved in chamber music in various ensembles, winning first prize at the 2017 McGill Chamber Music Competition.
Canada & USA
McGill University
Graduate Fellow
An active soloist, chamber musician, orchestral performer, and teacher, Dr. Patricia Weitzel is an Instructor of Music at Augustana College and a Teaching Artist at St. Ambrose University. She is also a member of the Des Moines and Quad Cities Symphonies.
Brazil
Professor
Penn State
Edith Widayani is an actively performing solo artist, chamber musician, and music educator. She received her DMA from Eastman School of Music, and has taught intensively at Eastman as instructor in keyboard, theory, and musicology.
Indonesia
World Piano Teacher’s Association
President | Indonesia
Scott Wilson is Conducting Teacher at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Junior Department. He has taught at the Royal College of Music, Guildhall School of Music, Trinity College of Music Junior Department, and the Aldeburgh Young Musicians Programme.
Australia & United Kingdom
Royal Academy of Music
Conducting Faculty

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