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Global MBA Cohort

2023 Cohort

Following a six-month review process involving hundreds of highly accomplished candidates worldwide, a Cohort of 70 exceptional arts changemakers was selected to participate in the 2023 GLI Journey. The 2023 Executive Cohort spans 41 nations across six continents and includes organization founders, social entrepreneurs, conservatory leaders, concert presenters, career performers, teaching artists, media consultants, university professors, and doctoral researchers. 2023 Cohort Members represent Argentina, Australia, Belize, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Guatemala, Jamaica, Japan, Ireland, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, and Venezuela.
A native of Costa Rica, Esteban Alvarez is the Executive Director of Chorus Austin and co-founded the Music Peace Project. He is a Steinway Artist and an active world music concert pianist.
Costa Rica & United States
Chorus Austin Inc
Executive Director
Mexican arts entrepreneur Mariol Arias is Managing Director at Fundación Azteca. Previously, Director of the Morelia Music Festival, Mariol is a Fellow of DeVos Institute of Arts Mgmt, with a Master’s in Cultural Management Barcelona University.
Mexico
Fundación Esperanza Azteca
Managing Director
Spanish oboeist María Arias works as a professional musician in three areas: education, music therapy and performance. She has worked in different musical and social projects in Mexico, Portugal and Spain. She also works with people with functional diversity.
Spain
PROA + Segovia.
Instructor for Educational Equity
A trainer and storyteller who believe in the power of hope to belong to humanity, Catherine found a path of truth about herself and about Life through several volunteering international trips.
Egypt
C Branding Agency
Co-Founder
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.
Venezuela & United States
Cello Studio
Founder
Founder of youth music training social enterprise, The Sound Initiative, Laura’s interest lies in supporting youth in the informal arts economy. She leads a team in Phnom Penh, running a music studio, delivering music training and advocating for artists.
United Kingdom
The Sound Initiative Cambodia
Managing Director
US-American bassist, Melissa Barlow has performed with multiple orchestras throughout North America and Europe. She founded and leads MOSAIC, an El Sistema inspired after school program that creates musical opportunities for youth in Fort Myers, FL.
United States
The Heights Center
Director of Arts & Community
Georgina Barton is an artist, researcher, and teacher. She is Professor of literacies and pedagogy at the University of Southern Queensland. Her research is creative and reflective with diverse communities and schools in the arts, literacy, and multimodality.
Australia
University of Southern Queensland
Professor
Peruvian percussionist Diego Becerra has collaborated with Juan Diego Flórez, San Francisco Symphony among other collaborations in Perú and US. Diego is Music Programs Manager at Sinfonía por el Perú and professor at National University of Music of Perú.
Peru
Sinfonía por el Perú
Program Manager
American percussionist Colleen Bernstein is a performer & educator. She is Director of Percussion for NJ Youth Symphony & teaches at Léman Manhattan School & Hunter College. Bernstein produces Strength & Sensitivity, dedicated to gender equality advocacy.
United States
New Jersey Youth Symphony
Director of Percussion
Trombonist & educator Taylor Brandon studied Music at Georgia State University. He has performed with the Gwinnett Symphony and Northeast Atlanta Ballet. Taylor teaches music in a variety of styles at Stripling Elementary School.
United States
Stripling Elementary School
General Music Teacher
Sophie Brown is a harpist from South Wales who integrates electronic and vocal elements. She is a PhD student in Critical Studies in Improvisation, and her research combines Kant, improvisation and education.
United Kingdom
University of Guelph
PhD Candidate
A dramatic mezzo known for her riveting operatic and concert performances, Leah Brown holds a DMA from the University of Connecticut. Research interests include the music of African derived religions in the Caribbean and Community Arts Engagement.
Trinidad & Tobago
University of Trinidad & Tobago
Asst. Professor
Sophia Butler teaches orchestra and jazz in South Minneapolis, MN, and is dedicated to providing equitable access to music education in her community. As a violinist and violist in the community, she also enjoys gigging with a local tango and swing band.
United States
Minneapolis Public Schools
Director of Orchestras & Bands
Lynsey Callaghan is Head of Programmes and Research at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She is the Founding Artistic Director of Dublin Youth Choir and the Cross Border Youth Choir, and the Artistic Director of the Belfast Philharmonic Youth and Chamber Choirs.
Ireland
Dublin Youth Choir
Artistic Director
Mexican flutist Yazhmín Castañón is a graduate of The School of Music at Mexico’s National Autonomous University. Tazhmín is a member of Camerata Metropolitana, and has performed with Orquesta del Teatro de Bellas Artes, among other ensembles and institutions.
Mexico
Orquesta Kol Shalom
Musical Director
Australian violinist Peter Clark is a member of the renowned Omega Ensemble, and performs as concertmaster and director all over the world. His research is generously supported by Judith Neilson AM, and the General Sir John Monash Foundation.
Australia
University of Melbourne
PhD Candidate
Rebecca is a New Orleans-based educator/musician. She currently acts as the Music for Life Consultant for the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, coordinating after-school and Saturday youth programming.
United States
Birdfoot Festival
Executive Director
A bright light for diversity in Classical music, Marlon is one of the most dynamic conductors of his generation and has performed throughout Asia, Europe and the Americas. He is the world’s foremost exponent of the music of Joseph Bologne and Chevalier de Saint-Georges.
United States
Festival Int. Mus. Saint-Georges
Founding Artistic & Music Director
Canadian-American clarinetist and pianist Rebekah Dennis is currently pursuing her Master’s in Music Education at McGill University. She has taught with Harmony Project Long Beach and Bach to Rock Music School, and is passionate about community music pedagogy.
Canada
McGill University
Graduate Researcher
As Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Angel Band Project, Rachel Ebeling leads the organization which sponsors music therapy programming for survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence as part of their healing process.
United States
The Angel Band Project
Co-Founder & Executive 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 & United Kingdom
Conservatoire à Rayonnement
Specialist Music Leader
Mitsuko Flynn is the Director of Education and Community Engagement of the Charleston Symphony in Charleston, SC. Ms. Flynn oversees all of the CSO’s educational initiatives and community programs, including the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra.
United States & Japan
Charleston Symphony Orchestra
Director of Education & Engagement
Vania Andrea Garcia is Artistic Coordinator and Cello Professor at the Bolivia Clasica Foundation. An active performed, Vania is also Principal Cellist of the National Symphony of Bolivia.
Bolivia
Cello Bolivia Clasica Foundation
Administration & Cello Instructor
Graduate of Lyon’s Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique and London’s Royal College of Music, Eugénie Guibert performed in major orchestras before her arts entrepreneurship career. With 15+ years of experience, she is the founder of an agency in France & abroad.
France
Sartory Artists Ltd France
Founder & Managing Director
Erin Guinup is the founding Executive and Artistic Director of the Tacoma Refugee Choir, a TEDx speaker, composer, musical theatre performer, vocal pedagogue, author, and community leader.
United States
Tacoma Refugee Choir
Executive & Artistic Director
Dr. Ivan Anthony Henares is Assistant Professor & Graduate Coordinator at the Asian Institute of Tourism, Secretary General of ICOMOS Int. Cultural Tourism Committee, & Philippine President of the Int. Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage.
Philippines
University of the Philippines
Assistant Professor
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
Chamber Festival of Guatemala
Co-Founder
Sarah Patricia Howard is a singer-songwriter, teaching artist, and manager. As Coordinator of the Music Alive Program at Canada’s National Arts Centre, she collaborates with artists, partners, and communities on learning and engagement.
Canada
National Arts Centre of Canada
Music Alive Program Coordinator
Heidy Huwiler studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Zürich and at the Hochschule Luzern – Musik. She performs in a duo with pianist Andrea Isch and is founder of the German-Swiss klezmer ensemble Freilach Trio.
Switzerland
Freilach Trio
Founder
Ronald Kabuye is a Ugandan attorney, trombonist, and cultural entrepreneur. He is Music Director and Manager of Lab Uganda and the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement’s Community Music Project, where teaching music and life skills create opportunities.
Uganda
Brass for Africa
Project Manager
Bio coming soon.
Germany
Berlin Cosmopolitan School
Head of Secondary School Music
Thomas Kurtz enjoys a multifaceted career as a performer, educator, arts administrator, and scholar. He is completing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The University of Texas at Austin in Saxophone Performance with a portfolio in Cultural Arts Management.
United States
University of Texas at Austin
Teaching Assistant
Christine Lauck is a Hamburg-based Arts Manager and Communications & PR specialist. She has worked in Europe and Latin America for The Orchestra of the Americas, the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, and renowned agencies and promoters.
Germany
Claussen-Simon Foundation
Officer of Events & Ideal Support
Cuban-born Yoelvis Medero Lunar lives and works in Belize, where he is Co-Director of the Allegro Music School. Yoelvis has also worked with Belize’s Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport, and as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Belize.
Belize & Cuba
Allegro Music School
Director
Atteqa Malik is a conceptual artist, cultural operator and critical thinker living in Karachi, Pakistan. Her work involves delivering new media art knowledge to young people. She is one of the founding trustees of the Karachi Biennale Trust established in 2015.
Pakistan
Karachi Biennale Trust
Vice Chairperson
Maria Mathieson is Executive Director of Peabody Preparatory at Johns Hopkins University, the community music and dance school of the Peabody Institute. Mathieson oversees the artistic education of 2500 students of all ages, disciplines, and skill levels.
United States
Johns Hopkins | Peabody Prep
Executive Director
Venezuelan artist Susana Meza has worked at WomenatthecentrE, Workman Arts, MABELLEarts, and other Toronto organizations as an arts educator. A Yale University fellow, she developed ReclaimedArts.ca, a series of collaborative social art projects.
Venezuela
Reclaimed Arts
Founder
Blair Mothersbaugh (BME, MM) is Citizen Artist & Collaboration helping to drive a new generation of performance and civic engagement, upending traditional concert models. Blair is currently a member of the sales team at the William S. Haynes Flute Company.
United States
William S Haynes Company
Inside Sales & Customer Service
Mexican harpist and entrepreneur Maryen Munoz has taught at the School of Music & Dance Ollin Yoliztli Cultural Center in Mexico City. She performs internationally throughout the Americas and Europe, and her work includes publications & recordings.
Spain & Mexico
Tierra 47 Harp Festival
Artistic Director & Founder
Kenyan violinist and entrepreneur Ken Mwiti is a member of Nairobi String Quartet and various ensembles in East Africa. He is also co-founder of an event and artist management business in Nairobi to promote classical music.
Kenya
Chamber Music Keny
Co-Founder
Anna-Maria Nitschke is Senior Producer Jazz Department Conservatorium van Amsterdam. An alumna (MA jazz voice) of the program herself, Anna-Maria also serves as a curator, advisor and jury member for several art foundations and jazz competitions.
Netherlands
Conservatorium van Amsterdam
Senior Producer Jazz Department
Bulgarian-British-American soprano, researcher, & educator Theodora creates cross-cultural arts connections. A Fulbright scholar (Austria), she is winner of the American Prize in Vocal Performance and Pan-American Vocology Association’s Best Student Presentation.
Bulgaria & United States
McGill University
Interdisciplinary PhD Candidate
Kenyan conductor Keziah has performed with the Kenya Conservatoire of Music Orchestras & Kenya’s National Youth Orchestra. As Lead Conductor of the Conservatoire’s Women’s Orchestra, Keziah leads an all-female orchestra to celebrate women artists.
Kenya
KCM Women’s Orchestra
Lead Conductor
Nigerian born Mezzo Soprano and educator Nmesoma has a MM in Vocal Performance. Nmesoma is currently training as a certified Music Practitioner, promoting indigenous music and Nigerian Echoes.
Nigeria
Longy School of Music
Choral Fellow
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
Brazilian conductor Paolozzi is currently chief conductor of Nova Orquestra and Funk Orquestra. He has founded Cesgranrio Symphony Orchestra, a social youth orchestra, and has worked with major orchestras and soloists in Brazil.
Brazil
Nova Orquestra
Music Director
Jessica Phillips is an American clarinetist at the Metropolitan Opera. Jessica is a graduate studies faculty member at Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music, and a Local 802 AFM Executive Board member, where she brings her passion and knowledge in support of the arts.
United States
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Acting Principal Clarinet
Veronica Pollicino is an American-Canadian mezzo-soprano & educator based in New York. She was recently featured in the documentary “Defying Gravity,”, which explores art-making in the pandemic and its impact on the creative process.
United States
Freelance
Performer & Teaching Artist
Social entrepreneur, teaching artist, and professional musician Ismar Porif developed social and cultural projects in the Western Balkans for more than a decade. He is dedicated to community development and empowering individuals to lead change.
Bosnia
House of Good Tones Srebrenica
General Manager & Artistic Director
Scottish violinist & composer Catriona Price creates cross-genre music with an emphasis on cultural exchange and innovation. She is half of duo Twelfth Day, a member of folk band Fara, and co-Artistic Director of Glasgow-based Thirteen North.
United Kingdom
Catriona Price
Musician & Composer
Turkish violinist Burcu Ramazanoglu is a Diversity and Inclusion Manager of Ciconia Ensemble. An avid performer with an extensive concert career, Burcu is in charge of bringing music to the underserved area of the Netherlands.
Netherlands & Turkey
Azerbaijan Embassy Duo
Violinist
Safira Antzus-Ramos is a conductor, pianist, and educator from, Greece and former Artistic Director & Principal Conductor of El Sistema Greece Youth Orchestra. She is co-founder of MakeMusiCoviT, an innovative global youth music program during the pandemic.
Greece
Co-Founder
MakeMusiCoviT
Salomé Rateau is a graduate Université de Paris-Sorbonnes and Université de Poitiers with degrees in Musicology, Modern Violin Interpretation, and Pedagogy. She holds a Master’s degree from the Royal Academy of Music.
France, United Kingdom & Belgium
Royal Conservatoire Antwerp
Visiting Professor
Colombian violist Elisa is an educator & performer. She has worked in a range of social impact organizations including Iberacademy, Red de Escuellas (Medellin), and CODA Music program (Houston), and performed in the Americas & Europe.
Colombia
Iberacademy
Teaching Artist
Carlota Rodríguez Ruiz-Healy is a musician, researcher and educator from San Antonio,TX. She has a background in string pedagogy and musicology with a special interest in music education advocacy.
United States
Our Lady of the Lake University
Professor
Claudia Rojas has 10+ years of experience in musical education, production, press, and marketing. As Press, Communications & Partnerships Manager she secures cable TV channel AllegroHD’s brand presence throughout Latin America.
Argentina
AllegroHD
Comms & Partnerships Manager
Filipino social development advocate Lianne Sala serves as Executive Director of Sistemang Pilipino in Cebu, Philippines, which provides musical training and values formation to underserved children to broaden opportunities.
Philippines
Sistemang Pilipino Inc
Executive Director
Ecuadorian Communications & PR expert Raquel Serrano has worked in a range of management roles within the Creative Industries. Passionate about the arts for social development, Raquel’s activities focus on the intersection of creativity and innovation.
Ecuador
Sonidas EC
Communications Consultant
Megan Sesma is Principal Harpist of the United States Coast Guard Band and harp instructor at Connecticut College, Wesleyan University & University of Connecticut. Sesma is Chair of the USCG Academy’s Leadership Diversity Advisory Council.
United States
US Coast Guard Band
Principal Harp
Juilliard-educated Jamaican pianist Paul Shaw was the first classical artist from the Caribbean to perform at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in China. He is Associate Professor of Music at the University of Minnesota in the USA.
Jamaica
University of Minnesota
Associate Professor
Amanda Suckow is a Chicago based musician and sound artist. As Arts Education Professional Learning Specialist with Chicago Public Schools, they develop and facilitate creative and collaborative multidisciplinary learning that impacts 1600+ district arts educators.
United States
Chicago Public Schools
Arts Education Learning Specialist
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.
United States
Jerusalem Music & Dance Acad.
Freelance Teaching Artist
Costa Rican-born classical guitarist & researcher Marco Ernesto Teruel Castellon has worked in Brazil and the United States. His interdisciplinary approach focuses on Brazilian music and experiments to create provocative aesthetic experiences.
Costa Rica & Brazil
Coletivo Músicas em Trânsito
Performer & Researcher
Alaska-native Tylor Thomas is a freelance bassoonist in NYC specializing in chamber music and orchestral playing. He currently directs Orchestra of St. Luke’s sistema-inspired youth program, YOSL, providing much needed music education in Hell’s Kitchen.
United States
Manager of Youth Programs
Orchestra of St. Luke’s
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
Ana Uribe Law is a Colombian musicologist and violinist. She holds a Master’s in musicology from the Peabody Institute and is a research and digitalization assistant at RIPM where she works on 20th-century Latin American and jazz journals.
Colombia
RIPM Consortium Ltd
Research & Digitalization Assistant
Carroll Wallace is an informal educator, interdisciplinary artist, and musician with 10+ years of experience in public service and non-profits. She teaches string orchestras, mixed media art, self-development, museum exhibitions, and yoga.
United States
Freelance
Interdisciplinary Artist and Educator
Bolivian orchestra conductor Gabriel Wayar has performed with the ISM Chamber Orchestra several times. As part of the Somos Música Program, he conducts youth orchestras in vulnerable neighborhoods of Santa Fe, Argentina.
Argentina
Somos Música Program
Conductor
Julia Weldon is working towards her MM in cello performance at McGill University. She holds a BA in East Asian studies and a BM from Oberlin College and Conservatory and has worked in public relations at the Oklahoma Arts Institute.
Canada
Oklahoma Arts Institute
Outreach & Communications Intern
Researcher, composer, and saxophonist Dave Wilson works in a range of musical worlds as an artist-scholar. He teaches at the New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī where he recently served as the Jazz Performance Program Director.
New Zealand
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria Uni.
Senior Lecturer in Music
Hanna Wiskari is a Swedish saxophonist and tutor based in Aotearoa, NZ. Hanna is one of Ethno New Zealand’s co-founders and Musical Director, rooted in Scandinavian traditional music and passionate about human connections through the arts.
New Zealand & Sweden
Ethno New Zealand
Artist Mentor
Puerto Rican violinist and music educator, Gisela Yan holds degrees from the University of Houston and Temple University. She serves as a Lead Teacher for the HYS Coda Music Program, Houston’s first El-Sistema inspired program.
Puerto Rico & United States
Development Associate
Houston Youth Symphony
A musician and third culture kid who grew up across the globe, Laura’s goal is to celebrate multiculturalism by diversifying performance spaces and music education curricula. She holds a degree in Ethnomusicology and works at Harmony Project LA.
Malaysia, Singapore & United States
Harmony Project LA
National Workshops Manager