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Global MBA Cohort

2022 Cohort

Following a global review process involving hundreds of highly accomplished candidates from around the world, a Cohort of 60 rising changemakers in music was selected to take part in the 2022 GLI Journey. The 2022 Cohort comprises 29 nations, spanning six continents, and includes project founders, social entrepreneurs, teaching artists, concert presenters, professional orchestra musicians, university & conservatory professors, & doctoral researchers. 2022 Cohort Members represent Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Eswatini, the European Union, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Historic Palestine & The Levant, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the United States, & Venezuela.

Cohort Mosaic

Dr. Alberto Acquilino is a researcher in Music Education at Western University. His work combines music, engineering and technology to create innovative, inclusive approaches to learning and performing music.

Canada & Italy
Western University
Researcher

Canadian conductor and flautist Claire Ahern is a teaching artist with Sistema New Brunswick, instructs voice and piano at InterAction School of Performing Arts, and is a graduate of Dalhousie University’s Fountain School of Performing Arts.
Canada
Sistema New Brunswick
Teaching Artist
Venezuelan-American cellist Laura Azuaje holds a MM degree in Cello Performance from University of Memphis. She founded and owns a private studio in Katy, TX, where she teaches students of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.
United States
Laura Azuaje Cello Studio
Founder
Ignacio Barrón Viela holds degrees from Univ of Zaragoza and USC Marshall School of Business. He was selected to be one of twelve orchestra professionals to participate in the League of American Orchestras Emerging Leaders Program.
United States & Spain
Billings Symphony
Executive Director
Benjamin Bayl is an Australian/Dutch symphony orchestra and opera conductor who works with artists across the world. His special interests include period instrument performance, education, and bringing new audiences to classical music.
Australia & Hungary
Conductor
Freelance Artist
Julián Camilo Bernal holds Masters degrees from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Universidad EAN, and Universidad Antonio Nebrija de Madrid. He is an orchestral musician with experience in teaching, management, and cultural policies.
Colombia
Pentatono Producciones
Founder
Brian Bersh is a music educator for Arlington Public Schools. His roles have included elementary instrumental instructor, Lead Teacher for Secondary Instrumental Instruction, Director of Bands, and Music Department Chair for Yorktown High School.
United States
Arlington Public Schools
Music Educator
Spanish pianist, musicologist, and cultural manager Ana-Guiomar Blanco has 20 years of experience as an artist and educational manager. She is the Founding Director of the music agency Music Management GB and the educational platform World Kids.
Spain
Music Management GB
Founding Director
Colombian cellist Natalia Bohórquez holds a MM degree from the Longy School of Music. She is a teaching artist at Sistema New Brunswick, the Co-Founder of ensembles Cabo Sur and Dúo Guajira, and the producer and host of Cielo Sounds Podcast.
Colombia
Sistema New Brunswick
Teaching Artist
Mezzo-soprano Fredrika Brillembourg has made an international career singing leading roles such as Carmen, Octavian, and Amneris in productions worldwide. She was also the host and creator of radio show Leitmotifs.
United States & Germany
Mezzo-Soprano
WQXR Radio Host
Juanita Calderón holds a BA in Language Teaching and is finishing her Music Education and Choral Conducting studies. She believes art and language are deeply rooted in human culture and is committed to transforming lives through music and education.
Colombia
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Teaching Artist
Hannah Carpenter is a freelance singer, teacher, and choral conductor in New Zealand. She is the Founder of the Tron Songsters Children’s choir and passionate about education, young voices, and creating communities through song.
New Zealand & United Kingdom
Surrey Arts
Voice Teacher and Choral Director
Composer Zinia Chan has been awarded and recognized by Melbourne Recital Centre, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, & Australian Music Centre. She is known for her community-minded approach to interdisciplinary artforms.
Australia
DeepBlue – Cultivate+
Co-Artistic Director
Loop pedal violist, composer, & educator Kathryn Patricia Cobbler has crafted a singular niche in improvisation & classical performance. She explores the link between music & community connection.
Canada
National Arts Centre
Teaching Artist
Violinist Emily Davis leads a busy career as an orchestral leader, soloist, and teacher. She is the Associate Leader of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and a Violin Professor at St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh.
United Kingdom
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Associate Leader
Kristine Dizon is an international artist and teacher. Recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship & Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia, her research focuses on “Remaking: The Reshaping of Sound in Portuguese Musical Comedies.”
United States
Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Doctoral Scholar
Brazilian violinist Barbara Domingos acts as a performer at Safira Trio, Youth Orchestra of São Paulo and is Concertmaster of the Paulista Women’s Orchestra. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Federal University of Minas Gerais.
Brazil
Paulista Women’s Orchestra
Concertmaster
Steven Edwards is Director of the Honors Program and Professor of Music at Delgado Community College in Louisiana. He has been the Music Director of the Symphony Chorus of New Orleans since 1990.
United States
Delgado Community College
Honors Director
Helen Ella is an educational outreach specialist and Scottish Choral Director based in Saintes, France. She also works in arts administration and music production for the Edinburgh Festivals.
France & UK
Conservatoire à Rayonnement
Specialist Music Leader
Natalie Fasheh leads vocal music experiences and designs social impact-based choral composition projects rooted in empowerment, cultural awareness, and activism.
Historic Palestine & The Levant
Jumblies Theatre and Arts
Community Arts Facilitator
Venezuelan violist & violinist Margaret Gonzalez has performed with the National Orchestra of Venezuela. As Founder & Artistic Director of Music Mission San Francisco, she aims to provide social change through music for inner-city youth.
Venezuela
Music Mission San Francisco
Founder & Artistic Director
Dominican violinist Josefina Guzmán has performed with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and is currently pursuing a Performance Diploma from Boston University. She enjoys performing in orchestral and chamber settings.
Dominican Republic
Boston University
Fundación Sinfonía Fellow
Alfonso Hernandez is a DMA candidate at the University of Maryland researching Guatemalan piano literature. A passionate educator, he co-founded the Festival Internacional de Música de Cámara de Guatemala.
Guatemala
FIMC Guatemala
Co-Founder
Gabriel Iscuissati is a native of Brazil and lives in Austria, where he is a Teaching Assistant at Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien. He is Coordinator at Ilumina Music with young artist engagement and innovation.
Brazil
Ilumina Music
Innovation Coordinator
Classical and traditional cellist McKinley James has toured and taught internationally. She is currently a graduate student at McGill’s Schulich School of Music.
Canada & United States
Schulich School of Music
Graduate Student
Laura Jay is a violist currently teaching orchestra at Kenmore East High School in Tonawanda, New York, USA. In addition, Laura is a member of the faculty at Buffalo String Works, a nonprofit after-school music program.
United States
Buffalo String Works
Teaching Artist
Adam Jeffrey is a percussionist, conductor, teacher, and music writer from Sydney, Australia. He performs as a Guest Principal Timpani with the Sydney Symphony and studies Orchestral Conducting at the University of Adelaide.
Australia
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
Ensemble Coach
American artist Angie Joseph is a recent graduate of Florida Atlantic University’s Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College where she spent the past four years fully immersed in an interdisciplinary learning environment.
United States
Florida Atlantic University
Arts Entrepreneur
Rebecca Kim is the Orchestra Director at Soundscapes, an El Sistema-inspired program in Newport News, Virginia. She holds degrees in music from James Madison University, East Carolina University, and The Boston Conservatory.
United States
Soundscapes
Orchestra Director
Grace Laminack graduated from Boston Conservatory. Partnering with organizations specializing in integration for refugees, she is passionate about using music to build bridges cross-culturally.
Germany & United States
Bridges – Musik Verbindet
Performing Artist
Anita Lee is Founder of Music Go Global and an international educator across North America, Asia, and Europe. She received degrees in violin performance, linguistics, and education from Univ of British Columbia and Harvard Univ.
Taiwan & Canada
Tianjin Juilliard School
Faculty
Hyeeun Lee, a business professional from Boston, found a vision in changing the lives of African children through music education. She is now Co-Founder and Managing Director of Africa Ntjilo Empowerment, an El Sistema-inspired NPO in Eswatini.
Eswatini & South Korea
Africa Ntjilo Empowerment
Managing Director
Portuguese soprano Sofia Marafona is a recent graduate from the International Opera Academy in Belgium. Apart from teaching at the Nucleo Project in London, she collaborates with several music institutions both as a recitalist and an opera soloist.
Portugal
The Nucleo Project
Teacher
Rose Martus is a recent graduate of UNC Greensboro in Flute Performance. A freelance educator and content creator, Rose has worked with higher ed. organizations and arts presenter orgs. to facilitate engagement with audiences.
United States
Uni. North Carolina Greensboro
Graduate Assistant
Two-time winner of the National Music Award of Costa Rica, Manuel Matarrita is an active soloist, collaborative performer, and composer. He currently serves as professor of piano at the University of Costa Rica and President of WPTA-COSTA RICA.
Costa Rica
Universidad de Costa Rica
Professor
Katie McDermitt Blandford is an Indianapolis flutist and educator, Co-Founder of the Indiana Private Music Teachers Guild, and President of the Board for El Sistema Indianapolis. She earned her BM in Flute Performance and Spanish from Butler University.
United States
El Sistema Indianapolis
President of the Board of Directors
Alejandra Mendoza impacted the world and inspired her peers as a violinist, conductor, and the national coordinator of the Organization of American States’ OASIS program in Honduras, which teaches social emotional skills through music.
In Memoriam
1991-2022
Organization of American States
American saxophonist Nathan Mertens has performed recitals in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and throughout the United States. He currently serves as Assistant Professor at Hastings College.
United States
Hastings College
Assistant Professor
A graduate of Santa Cecilia Conservatory (Rome), Daniel Montes is the founder of the FAO Philharmonic Orchestra and currently the Latin American General Coordinator of Schola Cantorum Argentina.
Honduras & Bolivia
Schola Cantorum Argentina
Latin American General Coordinator
Adrián Nájera-Coto has performed and taught throughout the Americas. As Associate Director of the Dept. of Media and Digital Culture at Tec de Monterrey, he leads strategic development and designs new curricular experiences.
Costa Rica
TEC de Monterrey
Associate Director
Arts Manager Jenny O’Connor-Madsen has worked with a number of organizations in Ireland to develop programs and platforms for Music Education. She is the co-editor of a forthcoming book on Women and Music in Ireland, published by Boydell and Brewer.
Ireland
Arts Manager
Mexican harpist Emmanuel Padilla is the youngest member of the renowned group of soloists Concertistas de Bellas Artes in Mexico and recently co-founded the non-profit Asociación Latinoamericana del Arpa.
Mexico
Latin American Harp Association
Co-Founder & Co-Artistic Director
Maria Claudia Parias is the Executive President of Fundación Nacional Batuta in Colombia. She leads one of the most renowned organizations of musical training from a perspective of social inclusion in Latin America.
Colombia
Fundación Nacional Batuta
Executive President
Marianne Parker is a Chicago-based pianist, educator, and arts entrepreneur. She is the Founder of L+M Duo, an Executive Committee member of Ear Taxi Festival, and a piano anthology curator for NewMusicShelf Publishing.
United States
New Music Chicago
Pianist
Mauricio Peña has worked as Director of Colombia’s Banco de la República music office, Artistic Administrator for Colombian National Symphony, Executive Director for Bogota Philharmonic, and in the development department of NYC Opera.
Colombia
Arts Management Professional
Cathy Phillips Brady has developed impact participatory programs for 15 yrs alongside a choral singing career. Formerly Exec. Dir. of Creative Crieff, she works with Univ. of Glasgow to develop strategic partnerships and music programming.
United Kingdom
University of Glasgow
Music Development Lead
Salvadoran violinist Sandra Rivera has performed with the El Paso Symphony. As a Global Shaper from the Salvador Hub, she leads Rayo de Sol, a music education program for elementary-aged children from vulnerable communities.
El Salvador
Global Shapers San Salvador
Teaching Artist
Italian classical guitarist Francesco Rocco trained in Bologna/London and is active as a performer, composer, and music teacher. As VP of Lilium SoundArt, he creates dialogues between music, art, and science with new technologies.
Italy
Lilium SoundArt APS
Vice President
Brazilian classical guitarist & soprano Júlia Rodrigues Simões is a music teacher who holds a Bachelor’s in Classical Guitar from EMESP Tom Jobim & an undergrad degree in Music Education from UNESP Institute of Art.
Brazil
São Paulo Montessori School
Music Teacher
Karen Rodríguez is a Venezuelan guitarist, singer, choral conductor, songwriter, & arranger. She has been a conductor for Promúsica Foundation and soprano section leader/trainer in Cantoria of Mérida.
Venezuela
University of Los Andes
Alumna
Greek double bassist Evangelos Saklaras’ collaborations range from the Academy of Ancient Music to the London Jazz Festival. He is a teacher at The Nucleo Project and a student at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London.
Greece
The Nucleo Project
Double Bassist
Romanian soprano Angela Sindeli is often invited to sing in concerts and recitals, performing a wide range of repertoire. Since 2012, she has been a vocal pedagogy teacher at the National University of Music Bucharest.
Romania
Nat. Univ. of Music Bucharest
PhD Lecturer
Kelly Suthers holds degrees from Eastman & Northwestern. After freelancing & teaching for Sistema Ravinia, she joined the Reach Teach Play music ed. program at Ravinia administratively and now runs the Ravinia Lawndale Programs.
United States
Sistema Ravinia
Manager of Lawndale Programs
Lia Uribe is the principal bassoonist of SoNA and APO, and a member of the Lyrique Quintette. She directs RefleXions Music Series, a celebration of musicians and advocates that fosters creative justice and diversity.
United States & Colombia
University of Arkansas
Associate Chair & Professor
Canadian violinist, composer, & collaborative leader Emmanuel Vukovich is emerging internationally. He performs across 5 continents and is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Parcival Project.
Canada
The Parcival Project
Founder & Artistic Director
Brendan Walsh studied music and international management. He is a cellist, composer, conductor, consultant, curator, DJ, lecturer, moderator, presenter, and producer. Currently, he is building Soladoreti, a global artist solidarity fund.
The European Union
Soladoreti
Founder
Rebecca Winckworth has graced international stages as a singer and performer. Originally from Ireland and now living in Colombia, she is the Founder of Citizens of Song, a musical production organization uniting the world through music.
Ireland
Citizens of Song
Founder

Include country code, e.g., US: +1 202 555 0123

Special Exemption for Career Artists

The Global Arts MBA recognizes that across the sector, many of the highest-level career creatives (music prodigies, professional dancers, and others) have pursued their craft from a young age and therefore may not possess a conventional academic background.

The Admissions Committee acknowledges these exceptional career experiences where relevant as serving in place of the bachelor’s degree otherwise required for admission to The Global Arts MBA.

Candidates with this profile should slect "Other" for Highest Academic Degree.