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Session Lecturers

Session Lecturers are industry practitioners and expert panelists who share unique perspectives rooted in unparalleled experiential knowledge.
Journalist and Communicator, Ana Cristina worked as head of the Communications and Culture department at EAFIT University for 11 years and participated in the conception of the university’s Symphony Orchestra. Since 2016, she has served as Executive Director of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Medellín.
CEO
Filarmónica de Medellín
Dee-Ann is a former Peace Corps Fellow who is leading incubator programs at NYU. Dee-Ann is passionate about human rights & empowering underserved communities and has a proven track record in coaching founders and fostering inclusive programs.
NYU Entrepreneurial Institute
Senior Programs Manager
José Francisco Aguirre has been CEO of Compartamos-Colombia, Co-founder and promoter of Festival Detonante, member of the Board of Profamilia, Carnaval de Barranquilla S.A.S. and Probarranquilla. He has been a lecturer on sustainability, entrepreneurship, and impact investment.
CEO
Fundación Mario Santodomingo
Patricio Aizaga is the founder and president of the National Youth Orchestra of Ecuador. He is also professor at the National Conservatory of Music Quito. Dr. Aizaga created the first socially-oriented music education project in the history of Ecuador.

Founding President
Fundación Sinfónica de Ecuador

Liz Alsina is founder of Canarii Solutions and a Senior Program Officer with the Walton Personal Philanthropy Group. At WPPG, she supports the philanthropic vision of a portfolio of the Walton family.
Senior Program Officer
Walton Personal Philanthropy Group
An inspiring and powerful voice, Marin Alsop is Chief Conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony and Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony. She attended the Juilliard School and Yale University, where she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate.
Chief Conductor
Vienna Radio Symphony
Paul Anwandter is a widely read author of books on Coaching, NLP, Hypnosis, and Team Building. His vast knowledge of coaching led him to create the ICI Integral Coaching model. Prof. Anwandter is a founding member of the Human Coaching Network (HCN).
Principal
Worldwide Assoc. of Business Coaches
Dr. Yoon-il Auh holds advanced degrees from Juilliard and Columbia. He has been faculty at Columbia Teachers College, Ass-Dir. of Distance Education at NYU, Director at Central Michigan University, and President of the National Labor College. Dr. Auh teaches at Seoul National University.
Faculty
Seoul National University
Before becoming CEO of the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA), David enjoyed a 20-year career in the arts in Toronto in executive roles. He is a Chief Executive Global Fellow of National Arts Strategies and on the MA Management Program Advisory Board at Carnegie Mellon.
CEO
Int. Society for the Perform. Arts
Among the most respected trumpet players of his generation, Franco Carranza is a leading social entrepreneur in Peru, where is the Founding Director of a number of educational initiatives including Semana de la Trompeta Peruana.
Co-Founder
El Sistema Greece
Ruben Carughi bio coming soon.
Director
Cine Colombia
Salomón manages Banco Santander’s main corporate social responsibility initiatives, Santander Universities and Universia, which focus on supporting higher education through collaborative value-added projects and programs.
Senior Policy Advisor
Organization of American States
Jenny Bilfield, President & CEO of Washington Performing Arts in Washington DC, is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania in music. Her work has been recognized through awards from ASCAP, The League of American Orchestras, and Musical America.
President & CEO
Washington Performing ArtsDirector of Cultural Leadership
J J & M Mandel Foundation
Mackenzie is a creative strategist at Google’s in-house creative agency Brand Studio. Prior to Google she led brand strategy for BMW and Pepsi. She studied comparative literature at Middlebury College and worked at literary magazines like The Paris Review and McSweeney’s.
Creative Brand Strategist
Google
Matthew Bishop is a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former Managing Director of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center on Lake Como, Italy. Matthew was an award-winning writer and editor at The Economist for over 25 years, including a decade as the magazine’s New York Bureau Chief.
Senior Fellow
The Brookings Institution
Hervé Boissière is the Founder and Managing Director of medici.tv. Launched in 2008, medici.tv quickly became the leading digital platform for classical music audiovisual programs in the world. Hervé has produced over 500 audio and visual recordings, including winners of many international awards.
Founder
medici.tv
As co-founder of Red Letter Philanthropy, for a decade, Jen provided counsel to charitable organizations throughout Canada, but primarily in the Atlantic provinces. This work led to her current position with The McCain Foundation where Jen acts as the Charitable Giving Director.
Charitable Giving Director
McCain Foundation
Canadian violinist Mary-Elizabeth Brown enjoys parallel careers as a performer and pedagogue. She is concertmaster of the Ottawa Symphony and holds degrees from University of Toronto and l’Université de Montreal.
Bielak-Hartmann Concertmaster
Ottawa Symphony Orchestra
Arthur C. Brooks is a widely known American social scientist and musician. Prof. Brooks is the president of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. Brooks is best known for his work on the junctions between culture, economics, and politics.
Faculty
Harvard Business School
Felipe Buitrago is Economic Advisor to The President of Colombia. He is author of The Orange Economy, a study on the cultural industries in economic development. Buitrago holds a MIPP in Conflict Management from Johns Hopkins SAIS.
Economic Advisor to Colombia
Author, The Orange Economy
Thomas Cabaniss teaches at The Juilliard School and leads arts education projects through the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall. Cabaniss was Director of Education for the New York Philharmonic and served as Music Animateur for the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Faculty
The Juilliard School
Vandeen Campbell leads research projects, staff development, and quantitative methods trainings at CUNY. Prof. Campbell received a B.A. in sociology & education from York College and a M.A. in Sociology from Queens College, specializing in applied social research.
Assoc. Research Director
City University of New York
Alfonso Cárdenas Veloth heads the Lucho Bermúdez Music School in El Carmen de Bolívar. He has worked as a music producer for Fuentes, Colmúsica, Codiscos and Miami Records, among many other labels. Alfonso was chosen as one of the 40 faces of culture by Colombia’s Ministry of Culture.
Director
Escuela de Música Lucho Bermudez
Nominated as Best Director for the next Opera Awards 2020, Carrasco has worked on projects including Enescu’s Oedipe at London’s Royal Opera House Covent Garden, The Rise & Fall of the City of Mahagonny at Madrid’s Teatro Real, and Die Zauberflöte at the Ruhrtriennale.
Co-Director
La Fura dels Baus
Peter Carrington (MBA, MA) is a clinical social worker in New York City with extensive background working with at-risk youth and their families in a variety of urban settings.
Clinical Social Worker
New York City
Dr. Isaac Casal—founder of Panama’s Alfredo San Malo Festival—holds advanced degrees from Florida International University, Baylor University, and Southern Methodist University, where he earned his Artist Certificate as a student of Andres Diaz.
Founding President
Fundación Concertante Panama
Winner of the Leeds Piano Competition, Brazilian Ricardo Castro is founding president of NEOJIBA, a state-wide network of El Sistema-inspired youth orchestras in Bahia, Brazil. Prof. Castro is also Faculty at Haute Ecole de Musique Lausanne in Switzerland.
Founder
NEOJIBA Brazil
José Valentín Centenero is Founder of the Association of Professional Musicians of Symphony Orchestras in Spain. He served as a violinist for 27 years with the Symphony Orchestra of Barcelona and National of Catalonia.
Founder
Asociación de Músicos POS
Lydia is a Board Director and Head of Artist Management at HarrisonParrott, with degrees from New College, Oxford, and the Royal Academy of Music. She is also a Board member of the International Artist Managers’ Association and a trustee of the HarrisonParrott Foundation.
Head of Artist Management
HarrisonParrott
Nicolás Corrales Morato manages Acumen Latin America’s Fellows Program, overseeing strategy, curriculum, recruitment, and facilitation. He co-founded Quántica, a social entrepreneurship school, and has extensive experience in strategy, product development, and finance.
Program Manager
Acumen Academy
Janet Cowperthwaite is manager of San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet, has served on the Boards of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters and International Society for the Performing Arts, and is passionate about leadership roles for women in the arts.
Manager
Kronos Quartet
Violinist Francis Cummings is Founding Director of Music at Sistema Scotland and a founding member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Prof. Cummings is on Faculty at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Founding Director
Sistema Scotland
Jennifer Dautermann, graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and the University of Michigan School of Music, has held numerous positions in arts administration & management. In 2009, she initiated the first C3 Festival (Club Contemporary Classical), and In 2011, became the founding Director of Classical:NEXT.
Director
Classical:NEXT
Artistic Director of El Sistema Sweden, Ron Davis Alvarez specializes in teacher training for children’s and youth orchestras. In 2016, he created the Dream Orchestra in Gothenburg, (Sweden) made up of young refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Kurdistan, Albania, Eritrea, Angola & Somalia.
Artistic Director
El Sistema Sweden
Anita Debaere is Director of PEARLE – The Performing Arts Employers Association League Europe, the European Federation of Music, and Live Performance Organizations.
Director
Performing Arts League Europe
Master in Music from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and a Master in Cultural Management from the International University of Catalonia in Barcelona, Claudia del Valle is the Executive Director of Teatro Colón in Bogota, Colombia.
Managing Director
Teatro Colón Bogotá
Kate Amanna Demcsak holds a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) at the NYU Wagner School of Public Service. Prior to joining The Foundation Center as New York Lead, she was Program Director at Project Sunshine.
New York Lead
The Foundation Center
Marie-Josée Desrochers is CEO of Place des Arts Montréal. Previously COO of The Montreal Symphony Orchestra, she has two+ decades of management experience in the cultural field, holds a Masters in Music from Université de Montréal and is a graduate of the McGill-HEC EMBA.
CEO
Place des Arts Montréal
Among many other roles, Kathrin Deventer, Secretary General of the European Festivals Association (EFA), is also Co-founder and Board member of the European House for Culture, co-initiator and board member of The Festival Academy (TFA), as well as Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe including its FestivalFinder.eu.
Director
European Festivals Association
Emeritus Professor at Universidad Santo Tomas, Antonio José Diaz is Director of Teatro Santander de Bucaramanga. He has served as Advisor to the Governor of Santander, President of the Colombian Society of Architects, and Chairman of the Santander Trade Union.
CEO
Teatro Santander Colombia
Colombian composer and sound maker James Diaz, currently based in New York and Philadelphia, composes music that strives to create unique sonic textures, sound masses, and interactive environments. His music includes interdisciplinary projects that explore the potential of electroacoustic and mixed media settings.
Composer-in-Residence
Filarmónica de Medellín
German-Greek pianist Danae Dörken has performed to great critical acclaim at the world’s most significant venues and festivals. She is founder of Molyvos International Music Festival, which strengthens connections with classical music in Greece.
Founder
Molyvos International Music Festival
Management and Audience Development Consultant, facilitator, mentor, and trainer. Specializes in change management and branding for European cultural and corporate sectors. Worked with notable organizations like Paribas, Culture.pl, and Zachęta National Gallery of Art.
Senior Associate
ADESTE+
Music Director of the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra, Hobart Earle has elevated the orchestra to a position of international prominence, performing in such halls as the Musikverein (Vienna), the Philharmonie (Cologne), and Barbican Hall (London).
Music Director
Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra
Jason van Eyk serves as the Azrieli Foundation’s Manager of Music Initiatives, where he divides his time between grant-making and managing the biennial Azrieli Music Prizes (AMP), one of the world’s most significant international competitions for music composition.
Music Initiatives Manager
The Azrieli Foundation
Canadian violinist James Ehnes has established himself as one of the most sought-after musicians on the international stage. He has won many awards for his recordings including two GRAMMY awards, a Gramophone award, and 11 Juno awards.
Artist-In-Residence
National Arts Centre Canada
Director of the French Association of Orchestras, Philippe Fanjas has served as the General Director of Orchestre National de Lyon & Orchestre National d’Ile-de-France. He is President of Centre de Musique de Chambre de Paris and President of dance company Kelemenis.
Director
Assoc. Française des Orchestres
As CEO of the Aspen Music Festival, Fletcher lectures nationally and internationally on music & music administration. He serves on numerous boards and juries including The Gilmore Prize, The Pittsburgh Symphony, and the Pittsburgh Opera.
CEO
Aspen Music Festival & School
Benedikt Fohr (MBA) has held CEO positions at Ensemble Recherche Freiburg, Camerata Salzburg, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken, and since April 2019 with Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
Chief Executive
Hong Kong Philharmonic
Sophie Galaise joined MSO in 2016 as its first female Managing Dir., having previously held CEO positions at Queensland Symphony, Quebec Symphony, & Orford Arts Centre. She holds a PhD from Université de Montréal and an MBA from McGill/HEC Montreal.
Managing Director
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Educated in Hong Kong, the US, and the Netherlands, Vanda Gaidamovic is a Warsaw-based project leader and executive event producer with a track record of managing complex international programs. She is Co-Founder of global music conservatory OAcademy.
Head of Education
Idagio
Lina Gaviria is Secretary of Citizen Culture of the Mayor of Medellín. Previously, she served as Deputy Director of Cultural Equipment at the IDARTES District Institute of Arts in Bogotá. She is the director of the artistic and cultural production company Pájara Producciones.
Secretary of Culture
Medellín Colombia
Tatiana de German Ribon holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. She serves as Cultural Attaché of the Embassy of Colombia in Washington DC.
Cultural Attaché
Embassy of Colombia in Washington
Martha Gilmer became CEO of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra after a 35-year career at Chicago Symphony. There she developed partnerships with leading artists from Yo-Yo Ma to Pinchas Zukerman, and executive produced Beyond the Score®.
CEO
San Diego Symphony Orchestra
Principal Guest Conductor of NY’s Perspectives Ensemble & Music Dir. of Georgetown Univ. Orchestra, Gil-Ordóñez is a recipient of the Royal Order of Queen Isabella, Spain’s highest civilian decoration. He has recorded eight albums for Naxos.
Music Director
Post-Classical Ensemble
Gary joined the National Symphony Orchestra as Chief Executive in August 2017. Previously, Ginstling served as CEO of the Indianapolis Symphony, and in leadership roles at The Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, and Berkeley Symphony.
Executive Director
New York Philharmonic
Samuel Goldscheider is founder and director of Harmonic Progression, sustainability initiative for the classical music community. With over a decade working in classical music, he is also Orchestras Manager at the Verbier Festival.
Founder & Director
Harmonic Progression
Chief of Policy
United States Department of Arts
With a degree in Musicology from Universidade Nova de Lisboa, António also studied at the National Conservatory of Lisbon. His professional career is closely linked to the Gulbenkian Orchestra with whom he has worked for over 30 years. He is currently manager of the Choir and the Gulbenkian Orchestra.
Manager
Orquestra Gulbenkian
Conductor Lina Gonzalez-Granados has distinguished herself as a skilled interpreter of opera and orchestral music spanning the 17th century to today. Winner of the 2019 CSO Sir Georg Solti Conducting Competition and Apprenticeship, she currently serves as Conducting Fellow at the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Founder
Unitas Ensemble
Ji Young Goo is a member of the Global Social Enterprise Initiative at Georgetown Univerity’s McDonough School of Business.
McDonough School of Business
Georgetown University
Over 30+ years, Michael Gordon has produced work ranging from large-scale pieces for high-energy ensembles and major orchestral commissions to works conceived specifically for the recording studio. Gordon is co-founder and co-artistic director of New York’s legendary music collective Bang on a Can.
Co-Founder
Bang on a Can
Aaron Green is co-founder of the Social Rocket Factory. Green holds an MS in Fundraising and Grantmaking from New York University and certificates in Fundraising and Nonprofit Management from the University of Washington.
Co-Founder, Social Rocket Factory
Civic Hall Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Professor Griswold’s clinical practice focuses on the comprehensive care of seriously mentally ill adults, and individuals with co-occurring disorders in an integrated primary care/behavioral health clinic.
Professor
Jacobs School of Medicine
Maria Grundtman is Head of Negotiations at the Swedish Performing Arts Association, an employers’ and industry association representing over 100 cultural organizations within the fields of theatre, music, dance, and circus in both private and public sector.
Head of Negotiations
Swedish Perform. Arts Assoc.
Dr. Nancy Guerra is Dean of the School of Social Ecology and Professor of Psychology and Social Behavior at UCI, having received her BA from UCLA, her MA from UCSB, and her doctorate from Harvard.
Faculty Dean | Social Ecology
University of California Irvine
Prof. Gutierrez directs the Social Enterprise Initiative at the Universidad de los Andes, Bello School of Business. He earned a PhD & MA from Johns Hopkins University, and chairs the Social Enterprise Knowledge Network (SEKN), an alliance of 10 Ibero-American universities.
Faculty, Universidad de los Andes
Faculty, Bello School of Business
Richard Hallam is Chair of the UK Music Education Council, having served as Chair of the Association of Music Educators and the ISM’s Music Education Division. Prof. Hallam has vast experience in all aspects of music education, including as a leading advisor to the UK government.
President & Chair
The Music Education Council
Aliena Haig is the Communications Director at Impact One, with a background in media, music, and cultural diplomacy. She has led communications for global art music conferences and worked as an interview producer for Al Jazeera English.
Communications Director
Impact One
For the past 13 years, Wendy has worked for Musicians Without Borders, a global organization based in Amsterdam that uses music to heal the wounds of war. In 2008, Wendy co-founded the Mitrovica Rock School in Kosovo, connecting Serb and Albanian youth from the divided city of Mitrovica.
Strategic Development Manager
Musicians Without Borders
A founding board member of BLUME Haiti, Scott Harrison previously served as Executive Director of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and held positions with the Indianapolis, New Jersey, Boston, Dallas, and Detroit Symphony Orchestras.
Provost
Cleveland Institute of Music
Senior Faculty at the Opex Institute, Tim Healey teaches Operational Excellence in the business process sector. He is co-author of Operational Excellence in Your Office, working globally with Parker Hannifin, United Technologies Corporation, Bayer Healthcare, and Curtiss Wright.
Senior Faculty, Opex Institute
Author | Operational Excellence
Lucian is an experienced community moderator and the Head of Community at Everdome, a Mars exploration-themed metaverse project. He oversees a global digital community, leading a team of moderators across multiple channels with thousands of active fans.
Head of Community
Everdome
Since founding Classical Movements in 1992, Neeta Helms has pioneered a model of concert touring for orchestras and choirs that emphasizes cultural exchange with local communities in 145 countries.
Founder & President
Classical Movements
Brian C. McK. Henderson of Rockefeller Capital Management has devoted more than forty-three years to the international and domestic financial services industry. He spent the major part of his career at Merrill Lynch & Co. serving in various capacities including Chairman of Global Public Sector.
Senior Advisor
Rockefeller Capital Management
Marta Hernández earned a Doctorate in Music Education from Universidad de Granada, and a Master’s in String Pedagogy from Temple University. Prof. Hernández also holds a Master’s in Music Therapy from Illinois State University.
Faculty
National Music Conservatory of Puerto Rico
Mexican philanthropist and arts leader Barbara Herrera de Garza is Board Chairman of Escuela Superior de Música y Danza de Monterrey and the Rosa de los Vientos Cultural Center. She has been the recipient of numerous prizes for her work in supporting music and dance in Mexico.
Board Chair
ESMDM Monterrey
Borned in Chocó, Colombia, Constantino has served as a music producer, cultural manager and teaching artist at Fundación Batuta since 2005. Currently he is the Artistic Director of the Orquesta Sinfónica Libre de Quibdó.
Artistic Director
Orquesta Sinfónica Libre de Quibdó
Senior Brand Manager of the Moscow Philharmonic Society & creator of the Muzium.org website Maria Holkina has more than 10+ years of experience organizing and promoting concerts with all Russian stars and many foreign legends, including Riccardo Muti, Chicago Symphony, Zubin Mehta, and others.
CEO
Moscow Philharmonic Society
Sue Hoyle is an Independent Arts and Culture consultant. Formerly she was Director of the Clore Leadership Programme (2008-2017), having previously been Deputy Director since the program’s creation in 2003.
Former Director
Clore LeadershipFounder
Eposak
Stephanie Hsu, a graduate of Swarthmore and New England Conservatory’s Sistema Fellows Program, is Executive Director of Yakima Music In Action an a member of the Yakima Symphony.
Executive Director
Yakima Music en Accion
Christine F. Hunter served as Board Chairman of New York’s Metropolitan Opera from 2005-2012, where she remains part of the Board. Hunter also served as Chairman of The Washington National Opera, leading the process of recruiting Plácido Domingo to become Artistic Director.
Former Board Chair
The Metropolitan Opera
Brain Seth Hurst, Chief Storyteller at Founder StoryTech Immersive, is regarded internationally as an expert on the strategy, construction, business modeling. Brian has been key strategist for some of the world’s best-known brands including TVGuide, Showtime, TiVo, Virgin America, and NBCUniversal.
Chief Storyteller and President
StoryTech Immersive
David Hutchens helps leaders around the world find and tell their stories. Explorer of the intersection of narrative, leadership, and complex systems for more than 20 years. Author, business writer and learning designer, he creates solutions for business such as PayPal, Wal-Mart, and many others.
The Storytelling Leader
Founder & CEO
Priya is a public health scientist focused on maternal and child health. She’s the founder of Our Roots, an organization that provides peer support for and by under-resourced mothers and birthing people of color.
Our Roots
Founder and CEO
Jo Johnson oversees strategy and content production and dissemination for The London Symphony Orchestra’s award-winning website and microsites, e-marketing, social media, and mobile platforms, producing its live streamed concerts.
Senior Marketing Manager
London Symphony Orchestra
Marcus Johnson is a Billboard-ranked recording artist and NAACP Image Award Nominee. Johnson was a founding partner with BET’s Robert L. Johnson in creating the Marimelj Entertainment Group. He is owner of FLO brands and on faculty at Howard University.
Owner, FLO Brands
Faculty, Howard University
General Manager
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Alejandra Kantor served as Artistic Coordinator of Chile’s Teatro Municipal and is the Founding Director of the Puerto de Ideas Foundation, prior to becoming Executive Director of FOJI Chile. She was a Recipient of the 2019 Women Leaders Award for her outstanding contribution to culture.
CEO
FOJI Chile
Alexandra Kertz-Welzel, PhD, is professor and chair of the Department of Music Education at Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich (Germany). Dr. Kertz-Welzel completed her studies at Saarland University and the University of Music in Saarbrücken.
Faculty Chair of Music
Ludwig Maximilian University
Ernest Khoo is Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Symphony Group.
CEO
Singapore Symphony Group
John Kieser is the new President and CEO of Canada’s Honens International Piano Competition, starting July 1, 2023. With extensive experience in music administration, including roles at IDAGIO GmbH and the New World Symphony, he has led notable projects and initiatives.
President & CEO
Honens Int. Piano Competition
Chloë Kline, a graduate of Harvard University, is Education Director at Community MusicWorks, where she is responsible for the design, coordination, and implementation of the organization’s educational initiatives for students and staff.
Education Director
Community MusicWorks
Olga is an experienced Community Builder specializing in tech communities. She has created communities for Codility and mogenius, and has advised startups globally. As a certified facilitator and passionate blogger, she shares insights on community-related topics.
Community Advisor
Connectis_
Anna Krivelyova is a public health-focused economist. She leads international and domestic economic evaluation projects, including cost studies of HIV treatment and prevention activities in Africa and services and cost studies related to children’s mental health in the US.
Health Principal
ICF London
Julia Lagahuzère works as General Director for Opera for Peace. She is also an artistic consultant to the Queen Sonja International Music Competition in Oslo, Norway, and due to her multiple initiatives supporting arts and culture at a global scale, she was awarded as Femme De Culture 2020.
Founder & Executive Director
Opera for Peace
Katie Kresek serves as teaching artist faculty of the New York Philharmonic. She has led residencies in NYC Public Schools, performed interactive concerts, and represented the faculty abroad in tours. She is also a teaching artist for the Lincoln Center.
Teaching Artist Faculty
New York Philharmonic
Andrew Lane is Vice President, Touring and Artist Management at the Curtis Institute of Music. Prior to joining Curtis in November 2013, Andrew served as a Classical booking agent at Opus 3 Artists where he focused on booking for many of the world’s most distinguished artists.
Vice President, Artist Manag.
Curtis Institute Of Music
General Director of the Municipal Theater of Santiago, the first woman to hold this position, Carmen Gloria Larenaas has also served as General Manager of the Cultural Corporation of Lo Barnechea COBA, and Artistic Director at Chile’s Teatro del Lago. In 2017 she was distinguished as a Leader Woman in Chile.
CEO
Teatro Municipal de Santiago
Najean Lee is Director of Government Affairs for the League of American Symphony Orchestras.
Director of Government Affairs
The League of American Orchestras
For more than 20 years, Alberto León held various roles and responsibilities worldwide at Telefónica. As an expert in innovation, he has built and managed strategic alliances with global leaders such as Google & Microsoft, as well as pioneering entrepreneurs and startups.
Former Global Executive
Telefónica
Following a career in finance, Karina serves on the boards of the Italian Oil & Gas major ENI, where she chairs the Sustainability & Scenarios Committee; Viridor Waste Management, where she chairs the Board Sustainability Committee; the CFA Institute; and Business for Social Responsibility.
Board of Directors
Eni S.p.a.
Steven Liu is the Director of Career Services at Tianjin Juilliard School. He is an educator, administrator, and musician who has worked at the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pasadena Symphony’s Science of Sound, and was an inaugural faculty member of the National Take A Stand Festival.
Director of Career Services
Juilliard School at Tianjin
Baritone Marcelo Lombardero has held top managerial positions of Teatro Colón, Argentine Theater, or Chamber Opera of the Colón Theater. During his tenure, the Chamber Opera toured Argentina, Latin America and Europe. He is a member of the Board of OLA (Latin American Opera), which he co-founded in 2007.
Former CEO
Teatro Colón Argentina
Marcelo Lopes has been Executive Director of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra since 2015, which includes overseeing the Orchestra, Concert Hall, and Campos do Jordão Music Festival through the OSESP Foundation. He holds advanced degrees in Economics, Business Law, and Development.
Executive Director
São Paulo Symphony Orchestra
Journalist, music promoter, librettist, translator, photographer and filmmaker Juan Lucas is best-known for his achievements in the film industry. Co-director of countless movies, including the award-winning “Hafner’s Paradaise.”
Director
Revista Scherzo
Named one of the world’s “Top 100 Composers Under Forty” by NPR Music David Serkin Ludwig holds positions and residencies with nearly two dozen orchestras and music festivals. He is chair of composition at The Curtis Institute of Music where he also serves as Artistic Advisor, and director of Curtis SummerFest.
Chair of Composition
Curtis Institute of Music
Jessica Lustig entered the music business at Columbia Artists Management, and in 1990 joined the Bertelsmann Music Group where she rose from copywriter to director of the classical division, responsible for business unit revenues of nearly $50 million and strategic planning.
Co-Founder
21c Media
Founder of Minerva Financial Arts, Elaine Grogan Luttrull CPA works to build financial literacy in creative individuals and organizations through education and coaching. Her work focuses on empowerment above all else, connecting financial decisions with creative goals.
Chief Executive Officer
Minerva Financial Arts
Over the past 25 years, Leslie has occupied senior leadership roles in both private and public sectors. He has served as a Managing Director and President of Bank of America Merrill Lynch for Southern Africa, and was the first African to be appointed as International Advisor to Goldman Sachs International.
Vice President
New Development Bank
CEO of the Houston Symphony John Mangum has previously served as the President and Artistic Director of the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, as well as held senior artistic planning roles at the San Francisco Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.
CEO
Houston Symphony
Anna Rosa Mari is the Academic Director of OAcademy, a leading digital conservatory. She is an acclaimed recording artist, orchestral musician, and educator with global projects in education, non-profit organizations and music.
Academic Director
OAcademy Music Conservatory
Alejandra Marti holds degrees from Pompeu Fabra University of Barcelona and ESE Business School. She began her career at the Gran Teatro del Liceo de Barcelona and spent 11 years at the Municipal de Santiago. Currently CEO of Ópera Latinoamérica, Alejandra is National Advisor for the Ministry of Culture and the Arts in Chile.
CEO
Ópera Latinoamérica
Margaret Martin earned a doctorate in Public Health from UCLA and a master of public health degree from UCLA in Behavior Science/ Health Education.. She is the founder of Harmony Project, which provides instruments & tuition-free music lessons to thousands of youth in Los Angeles.
Founder & Managing Director
Harmony Project
Simona Martini is a skilled project manager with a focus on cultural organizations. She holds a Master’s degree in “Management and Innovation of Creative and Artistic Organizations” and has experience in event organization and international training programs.
Head of Capacity Building
Fondazione Fitzcarraldo
Ana Mateo is Managing CEO of the Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Austurias.
CEO
Sinfón. del Principado de Austurias
President of the Spanish Association of Symphony Orchestras and Manager of the Symphony Orchestra of the Principality of Asturias, OSPA, has worked as external relations manager of the musical magazine Scherzo, as tour-manager and chargée of the Orchestra of the Champs Elysees in Paris, among other positions.
CEO
Orquesta Sinfónica de Asturias
Henry May, one of the world’s top 100 Meaningful Business Leaders in 2020, is a Social Entrepreneur from the UK living in Colombia. Founder of The Huracan Foundation and Coschool — Colombian Edtech recognized as one of the Top Education Innovations in the World two years running by HundrED.
Founder & CEO
Coschool
Albrecht Mayer is one of the most acclaimed oboists of our time having appeared as soloist with conductors Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, and Nikolaus Harnoncourt. He founded the Albrecht Mayer Foundation, a project that raises funds to save eyesight.
Principal Oboe, Berlin Philharmonic
Founder, Albrecht Mayer Foundation
Michael McRay is an award-winning writer, storytelling and conflict consultant, facilitator, and leadership coach. He works with individuals, groups, and organizations around the world to find, craft, and tell their most meaningful stories.
Co-Founder
The Storytelling Leader
Yoelvis Medero grew up in Cuba before relocating to Belize, where he became the Founder and Director of Allegro Music School. In 2020 he was chosen by The World Economic Forum to be part of the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative.
Founder & CEO
Allegro Music School
Santiago Medina is a graduate of the National University of Colombia, the Higher School of Music in Cologne, Berlin University of Arts, and the Weimar Higher School of Music. At present he works as professor at Colombia’s National Conservatory and is the first violin of the Q-Arte Quartet.
Director
Quarteto Q-Arte
Marian van der Meer leads the programming department of the Concertgebouw, a position she has held for more than 25 years, and manages the subscription series, concerts and festivals in the Main Hall, including the world-renowned Mahler Festival.
Concertgebouw
Artistic Coordinator
Sandra Meluk has been director of Musical Studies at the Javeriana University, Executive Director of the Salvi Foundation, Cartagena Classical Music Festival, Julio Mario Santo Domingo Theater, Co-Director of the Bogotá Music Festival, and Director General of the Bogotá Philharmonic.
Former CEO
Bogotá Philharmonic
Born in Colombia, Juan Alonso received the oboe soloist diploma at Mozarteum Salzburg (and studied cultural management. Since 2000 he has served as Artistic Director of Fundación Albéniz, Madrid’s Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía and International Institute of Chamber Music.
Artistic Director
Escuela Reina Sofía
Having served for 11 years as chief classical music critic of The Washington Post, Anne Midgette has written extensively for The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal, Opera News, The Los Angeles Times, Town & Country, and many other publications.
Author & Journalist
The Washington Post (formerly)
A graduate of Vienna Conservatory, Juan Felipe Molano is Conductor of YOLA at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Molano is also Resident Conductor of the American Youth Symphony, and previously was Artistic Director of the Yucatan Symphony Orchestra.
Music Director
Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles
Véronique Mondini served until 2020 as Head of Artistic Projects at Teatro del Lago. She has two decades of management experience with institutions including The National Cultural & Arts Council of Chile, street art company Générik Vapeur, and Teatro Oriente.
Former Head of Artistic Projects
Teatro del Lago (Chile)
Julian Montaña is Dean of the School of Arts and Music at the Sergio Arboleda University in Bogotá, Colombia. A creative problem solver, cultural agent, and dedicated pedagogue, he is the author of a number of publications which raise awareness of Colombia’s creative contributions to music.
Arts Faculty Dean
University Sergio Arboleda
Nicolas is Secretary of Culture, Recreation and Sports of Bogotá. His dedication to art as a producer and cultural manager has earned him multiple awards, including Best National Film Actor at the Cartagena International Film Festival. As manager, he led the artistic direction of the National Theater of Colombia.
Minister of Culture
Bogotá Colombia
Antonio Moral has received numerous awards and honors, including being named an Officer of the Arts by France’s Ministry of Culture, the Gold Medal of Cuenca, and the Excelencia Foundation’s Prize for his career achievements in service to music in Spain.
Chief Executive
Granada Music & Dance Festival
Fabienne Morris has 15 years of experience in classical music marketing & communications, having worked for the BBC Proms, Philharmonia, Royal Phil. Orch., and London Symphony. She is a Director and Head of Communications & Marketing at Intermusica.
Director / Head of Communications
Intermusica
Dr. Collin Mueller is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Social Science Research Institute at Duke University. He earned his BA at Rice University, MDiv at Duke Divinity School, and MA & PhD at Duke. He has taught courses at Duke and North Carolina Central University.
Post-Doctoral Associate
Duke University School of Sociology
Julia Müller has taken on various leadership roles at a number of major cultural institutions in Europe. For nearly a decade she has been Head of Development & Sponsoring of the Salzburg Festival, one of the world’s most prominent cultural festivals. Prior to that Julia was Head Development at Elbphilharmonie.
Director of Development
Salzburg Festival
Elena Muslar is a Career & Mindset Coach for future innovators, changemakers, and trailblazers. She is Associate Dir. for Creative Professions & Strategic Initiatives at Loyola Marymount University and holds degrees from CalArts and LMU.
Ass. Director for Strategic Initiatives
Loyola Marymount University
Eli Newberger, M.D. is a leading figure in the movement to improve the protection and care of children.. A pediatrician and author of many influential works on child abuse, he teaches at Harvard Medical School and founded the Child Protection Team at Children’s Hospital in Boston.
Faculty
Harvard Medical School
Carolina Noguera Palau is a Colombian composer living in Birmingham, U.K. She is a Composition lecturer at Birmingham Conservatoire and she has also lectured at the Music Department at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and Universidad de Cundinamarca in Colombia.
Head of Composition
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Based in Washington DC and active on Capital Hill, Heather Noonan is Vice-President for Advocacy at The League of American Orchestras.
Vice-President for Advocacy
The League of American Orchestras
Edoardo is a professional dancer, graduated from a prestigious dance academy. He transitioned to the business world and became a Coach and Conflict Resolution. Edoardo help individuals, teams, and organizations navigate challenges and foster better relationships.
Culture & Org. Consultant
TORQ
Juan Guillermo Ocampo is a Musician, Social Entrepreneur and Founder of the Amadeus Organization, creator of the Medellín Music School Network program and the first Program of Children’s and Youth Symphony Orchestras of Medellín, among other social impact programs of in Medellín, Colombia.
Director
Red de Música de Medellín
A celebrated authority in brand and innovation, Rafe Offer has held senior positions with some of the world’s top companies. As Global Marketing Director for Disney, he pioneered the “having fun never goes out of style” campaign. Rafe is CEO and co-founder of Sofar Sounds.
Founder & CEO
Sofar Sounds
Julii Oh is Chief Marketing Officer at Miami City Ballet, and formerly served as Vice President of Marketing and Customer Experience at the New York Philharmonic. She also runs the firm Oh! Marketing.
Chief Marketing Officer
Miami City Ballet
César is an accomplished sociologist with a PhD and vast experience in Europe and Latin-America. He excels in designing and managing social development projects for international organizations like the IADB and local governments.
Executive Board Member
Sinfonía Por El Perú
Gabriela Ortiz is one of the foremost composers in Mexico and one of the most vibrant musicians on the international scene. Her music has been commissioned by prestigious ensembles and artists inc. the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Gustavo Dudamel and Esa Pekka Salonen.
Composer-in-Residence
Indiana University Bloomington
Founder and Director of the Ibero-American Theater Festival of Bogotá and the International Theater Festival of San José por la Paz, Costa Rica, Ramiro has been Director of the Seville Between Cultures Festival, the Great Mexico City Festival and the Guanajuato International Cervantino Festival.
Former Minister of Culture
Republic of Colombia
Santiago Ossa Alzate is a Colombian conductor, graduate of Universidad EAFIT, is currently Artistic Director of Sistema Cyprus. Previous professional roles include leadership appointments at Acción por La Música in Madrid, Spain, among other international organizations.
Artistic Director & Conductor
Sistema Cyprus
New York City-based composer & journalist Frank J. Oteri is Editor of NewMusicBox, Vice President of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM), and a board member of the International Association of Music Information Centres (IAMIC).
Founder
NewMusicBox
Peruvian tenor Ernesto Palacio retired from the stage as one of the most celebrated South American opera stars of his time. As Managing Director of Italy’s Rossini Opera Festival, Palacio has discovered and launched several notable artists of the new bel canto generation.
Managing Director
Rossini Opera Festival (Italy)
Director of the Spanish National Orchestra & Choir, Félix Palomero has been manager of Fundación Baluarte, Navarra Symphony Orchestra, Galicia Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra of the Community of Madrid. He was general director of the National Institute of Performing Arts and Music (INAEM).
Driector
Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España
Cyprus-born entrepreneur and educator Panos Panay is Founding Managing Director of Berklee Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship, founder of online platform Sonicbids, as well as founder of a number of other entrepreneurial & innovation initiatives.
President
The Recording Academy
Aniket Pandya is an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, educator, and artist, known for his expertise in digital marketing, theater, and film production. Founder Director at Aniradichita Theatre and Films, Aniket merges strategic acumen with creative flair, delivering impactful results in both business and the arts.
Aniradichita Theatre and Films
Founder & CEO
Siu Yuin is Deputy Director of the Singapore Symphony Group, where she heads the Singapore National Youth Orchestra. She is a graduate of Oberlin College and holds an MBA from Cincinnati University. She has worked at UBS Wealth Management, SwissLife, and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre.
Deputy Director
Singapore Youth Symphony
Journalist & cultural manager Maria Clauda Parias Duran is President of Colombia’s Fundación Nacional Batuta. Formerly she has served as Director of Regional Promotion at Colombia’s Ministry of Culture, General Director of the Bogota Philharmoni, and Director of Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
President
Fundación Nacional Batuta
Sandra Parra is founder and CEO of the Fundacion Encuentro de Chelistas, an education-themed music festival in Colombia. She is also a Latin Grammy Nominee as well as educator for more than 15 years in universities and music programs.
Founder & CEO
Gran Encuentro de Chelists
Music Director of San Diego Symphony, Rafael Payare is one of the most sought-after conductors of our times. He is Principal Conductor & Music Director of the Ulster Orchestra and Principal Conductor of Virginia’s Castleton Festival.
Music Director
San Diego Symphony
Omari Pearson serves as Program Manager of Banking on Our Future (BOOF): College Edition. As Program Manager, Omari is responsible for day-to-day development, implementation, and growth of BOOF College Edition.
Senior Manager
Operation Hope
Kurt Peloquin has led storytelling campaigns for brands like Microsoft, Human Rights Watch, UPS, and more. After experiencing his own mental health crisis, he found meditation, which led him back to his love of poetry, music, and storytelling, and RESET was born.
Poet & CEO
RESET Meditation
Mauricio Peña leads the Luis Ángel Arango Library’s recital hall in Bogotá, Colombia.. He holds an MBA from Universidad de los Andes, an MA in arts administration from Columbia University, and a BA in music from New Hampshire University.
Director of Music
Banco de la Republica
Before joining the ABO, Mark was CEO of the National Operatic and Dramatic Association, the UK’s representative body for amateur and community theatre, during which time he served as chair of Voluntary Arts England. He is currently chair of the UK National Music Council.
Director
Association of British Orchestras
Luis Perandones Lozano is founder and managing director of Muv.ac GmbH. Luis has a background as a flutist, having worked for more than eight years in orchestras in Germany, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg and Austria. Between 2012 and 2016 he was Orchestra Planning Manager at the Philharmonia Zürich.
Founder & CEO
Muvac & Klassikal.com
In a career spanning over twenty years, Perelman has advised prominent artists and institutions including Martha Argerich, Herbert Blomstedt, Valery Gergiev, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Columbia Artists, and Mariinsky Theatre, among many others.
Founder
Semantix Consulting Group
Simone Perszyk: Social impact leader with extensive experience in collaboration, operational leadership, community relationships, and grants. 7 years at Arabella Advisors, supporting global donors in philanthropy. Nonprofit and private sector expertise.
Senior Director
Arabella Advisors
Wrede Petersmeyer overseed global strategy for Airbnb’s. Prior to Airbnb, Wrede worked at Bain & Company and held an Innovation Fellowship at Harvard Business School. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and an AB from Harvard College.
Head of Home (formerly)
AirBnB
Founder & President of EMMA for Peace, Paolo is Co-Founder of Opera for Peace; Co-Founder & Honorary President of the Italian Youth Association for UNESCO; Cultural & Music Diplomacy Officer of the Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates; Cultural Advisor to Coldplay.
CEO
Dubai Opera
Bradley Powell is a resilience consultant who helps orchestras find a new normal. He is co-author of the Toronto Symphony’s Community Strategy, which has raised CAD$14M in private donations, and prior to the TSO, helped negotiate a 27% increase in minimums for 1,500 McGill University employees.
Toronto Symphony (formerly)
Resiliency Consultant
Andrés Posada, born in Medellin, Colombia, is Co-founder of the Music Department in Universidad EAFIT in 1987, where he was director from 2009 to 2014 and now, full time professor in Composition.
Music Director
Universidad EAFIT
Jeff M. Poulin is an educator, non-profit administrator, and social entrepreneur whose work is grounded in social justice and seeks transformative solutions to society’s most challenging problems.
Founder & Managing Director
Creative Generation
A London-based composer, producer, DJ, and founder of the NONCLASSICAL record label, Gabriel Prokofiev has emerged at the forefront of a new approach to classical music in the UK, recognized by Financial Times as being “in the vanguard of redefining classical music conventions.
Founder
NONCLASSICAL Records
Steve Pycroft is a composer and film-maker based in the UK. He is the founder and Musical Director of the Kaleidoscope Orchestra – an orchestra whose mission is to bridge the gap between Classical music and other genres.
Co-Founder & Musical Director
Kaleidoscope Orchestra
Karen is the President of the Urban Community Arts Network, a classically-trained cellist, and a passionate advocate for talented musicians in Madison. She leads the Madison Music Equity Task Force and serves on the board of Greater Madison Music City.
President
Urban Community Arts Network

Armando Regil is founding president of IPEA, a think tank devoted supporting a new generation of leaders in Mexico in private sector, public sector, and civil society. He has a BSc in International Business from Tec de Monterrey, and is a columnist for Expansion, The Economist, and Politician DNA.

President
Instituto de Pensamiento
A professional violinist and Artistic Director of Buffalo String Works, Yuki works to foster vibrant and inclusive communities through music.
Founder & Artistic Director
Buffalo String Works
Isabel Cristina has served as Secretary of Culture of Valle del Cauca in Colombia. She currently serves as Executive Director of Proartes, an entity that is in charge of managing and coordinating the Cali Philharmonic Orchestra, the Desepaz Music School, and the Cali International Dance Biennial.
CEO
Filarmónica de Cali
Christine Rhomberg has worked at Hilti Foundation for more than a decade, where she initiated their engagement in the field of “Music for Social Change.” She most recently initiated the creation of AIM, the Academy for Impact through Music.
Managing Director
Hilti Foundation
Grammy-nominated cellist Aristides Rivas is on Faculty at Longy School of Music of Bard College, and principal cellist of the Rhode Island Phil and Springfield Symphony Orchestra. He is a founding member of the fusion world music group Voci Angelica Trio.
Faculty
Longy School of Music
Writer, magazine editor, and journalist, Maria Roberts holds degrees from Manchester Metropolitan Univ. and Univ. of Manchester. She travels the world interviewing top talent in classical music, venue builds, development, festivals, and opera.
Former Editor-in-Chief
Arts Management Magazine
Kristine Roca is Executive Director of The Orchestra Now (TŌN) and Conservatory Managing Director of Graduate Studies at Bard College.
Executive Director
The Orchestra Now
Founding Director of the Corona Youth Orchestra, Álvaro Rodas earned a Master’s in Arts Administration from Columbia University. Prof. Rodas has served as principal percussionist at the Guatemala National Symphony and on Faculty at the Guatemala National Conservatory.
Founder & Director
Corona Youth Music Project
Juan Andrés Rojas, Deputy Director of Filarmónica Joven de Colombia, is a journalist and cultural manager. After completing Cultural Journalism studies, he became a coach in Systematic Inventive Thinking. Juan is a board member of WFAO and the Colombian National Symphony Orchestra.
CEO
Filarmónica Joven de Colombia
John Roloff is Director of Operations & Facilities for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra & Chorus where he is responsible for the production of all MSO presentations and executive producer for all MSO media activities including the Orchestra’s nationally syndicated radio series.
Director of Operations & Facilities
Milwaukee Symphony
Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal is a world-renowned psychiatrist, public speaker, and best-selling author who is known for his innovative research and inspirational writings. He is Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University School of Medicine and is listed as one of the Best Doctors in America.
Faculty, Georgetown University
School of Medicine
Laura, a multi-disciplinary professional with a bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering, completed her master’s thesis on leadership in social innovation. With 7+ years of project experience, including revenue optimization for Avianca, she’s passionate about making a social impact.
Associate Director
Agora Partnerships
Nisha Sajnani, PhD, is currently Associate Prof. & Co-Director of Jameel Arts & Health Lab, leading global research on arts’ health benefits. Founder of Arts & Health at NYU, she also directs the Drama Therapy Grad Program.
Jameel Arts & Health Lab
Founding Co-Director
Cristina Salvador is Founder of Both People & Comms.
Founder
Both People & Comms
Specialist in Cultural Policies and director of the Sao Paulo Social Service of Commerce, Danilo Santos de Miranda is a member of the Council of Art for the World (Switzerland), former vice president of Pan American Sports Federation, and regional president of the International Council for Social Welfare.
Minister of Culture
São Paulo Brazil
Araba Sapara-Grant completed her undergraduate degree at Syracuse University where she majored in International Relations, with a focus on global development.
McDonough School of Business
Georgetown University
Dr. Sarmast is an Afghan-Australian ethnomusicologist who founded the Afghanistan National Music Institute of Music in 2010.
Founder & Director
Afghan. National Music Institute
Kenny Savelson has managed the creation, production, and touring of all of Bang on a Can’s programs since 1997, during which time it has grown from an annual NY music festival into a multi-faceted international organization.
Executive Director
Bang on a Can
Dr. Gero Schliess is a Special Correspondent for Culture and Cultural Policy for Germany’s leading newspaper, Deutsche Welle, as well as Neu Berliner. Dr. Schliess was previously the newspaper’s Washington correspondent.
Senior Culture Correspondent
Deutsch Welle
Liz Schurgin, former Abreu Fellow of the New England Conservatory, is Executive Director of the DC Youth Orchestra Project.
Executive Director
DC Youth Orchestra Program
May Shogan has been supporting the migrant population of Buffalo for more than 30 years. She has served as Domestic Violence Advocate, Employment assistant, Medical Advocate, School Liaison and Advocate for the Refugee families. May is Director of the International Visitors and Education Department.
Director of International Exchanges
International Institute of Buffalo
Dave is the CEO and co-founder of Soapbox, a company empowering customers through socially conscious purchases. He has a passion for creating for-profit companies with a social mission. His diverse background includes working with organizations like USAID and Teach for America.
CEO & Co-Founder
SoapBox
John Simson is a leading figure at the forefront of the legal battle for Artist’s rights. A professor at Washington College, he received an Emmy nomination for his work as a supervisor on the PBS Series “American Roots,” and has taught at Georgetown Law School.
Faculty
American University
President & CEO of the San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory, Dalouge Smith has served as a national leader in the U.S. El Sistema movement since co-founding the National El Sistema Network. Dalouge was founding President of Californians for the Arts.
Chief Executive Officer
SDYO & San Diego Conservatory
Faculty
George Mason University
As a graduate of the Academy of Music in Krakow, Sebastian Sojka is accomplished musician and serial entrepreneur. He is a founding member of Beethoven Academy Orchestra, Symphonic Backline, the “Edukacja” High School, Szymborska High School, and the “Edukacja” Centre for Postgraduate Studies.
Founder
Beethoven Academy Orchestra
Alejandra Solís works as a Digital Workplace Consultant for Tech Consultancy BridgeFlow in Berlin, Germany, where she coaches corporations and mid-size businesses internationally to design, implement, and optimise their collaborative workflows using work management leading software Asana.
Senior Digital Workplace Consultant
Bridgeflow
Elisa has over a decade of experience representing Hilti Foundation to develop partnerships with social impact music education organizations, including El Sistema (Venezuela), Umculo (South Africa), and Academia Iberoamericana (Colombia).
Co-Founder, El Sistema Greece
Cultural Consultant, Hilti Foundation
In addition to leading research initiatives at University of Florida, Dr. Sonke is the director of national research and impact for the One Nation/One Project initiative, and co-director of the EpiArts Lab, a National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab.
Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida
Director of Research Initiatives
Member of the Caracas Municipal Symphony Orchestra for more than a decade, Antonio has led programs for Wayúu communities of La Guajira, and coordinated musical training programs in Urabá for the Medellín Philharmonic. He is currently Symphonic Director of the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra.
Music Director
Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá
Thomas C. Sudhof is a German-American biochemist known for his study of synaptic transmission. Currently, professor in the School of Medicine at Stanford University, Sudhof, together with two colleagues, was awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Neuroscience Faculty
Stanford University
Janis Susskind OBE is Managing Director of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd. She has served as Chairman of the Society for the Promotion of New Music, as a trustee of the Royal College of Music and on the board of English National Opera.
Managing Director
Boosey & Hawkes
Secretary-General of the UN Association Switzerland, Lea Suter has previously worked as Vice Director of the think tank of the Swiss Forum on Foreign Policy. She launched PeacePrints – She is Founding President of the Forum for a Culture of Peace.
Founder
Peace Prints
Dr. Nickolai Talanin is a board-certified dermatologist with a background in medical research. Having pursued clinical research in a fellowship position at the National Cancer Institute, more than 40 of his articles have been published in leading professional journals.
Former Medical Researcher
National Cancer Institute
David Taylor is creator of Yorkshire Young Sinfonia, which has been featured extensively by BBC, Sky News, The Telegraph, The Times, Classic FM and other outlets. A consultant, David has worked with the New World Symphony, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and the Philharmonia.
Founder
Yorkshire Symphony
Caen Thomason-Redus became the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Senior Director of Community & Learning in 2015, after playing flute in the DSO for two years as a Minority Fellow and coaching the orchestra’s Civic Youth Ensembles.
Senior Learning Director
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Violinist and director Hugo Ticciati imbibes all possible forms of creativity, whether it be performing premieres in Carnegie Hall, improvising with monks in India, or devising innovative programs for O/Modernt.
Artistic Director
O/Modernt
Cobus du Toit serves as the Director of Artistic Planning at the Longy School of Music of Bard College and is also the Assistant Professor of Flute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He represents the Wm. S. Haynes flute company as an Ambassador Clinician.
Director of Artistic Planning
Longy School of Music, Bard College
Anne is the founder of The Audience Agency, a growing organization that champions an audience-centered approach in the cultural sector. With decades of experience, she specializes in audience research, strategy, and trends, advocating for the use of data and evidence.
Chief Executive Officer
The Audience Agency UK
Graduate of Peabody (BM) & Yale University (MM), Dan has taught at Yale University, The Baltimore School for the Arts, & Baltimore Public Schools. He is Founder of Baltimore-based Orchids, Faculty at the Peabody Conservatory, & Board Member of El Sistema USA.
Faculty
Johns Hopkins Peabody Instit.
Clemens Trautmann, President of Deutsche Grammophon, holds a doctorate in law, and studied clarinet at Musikhochschule Lübeck and at New York’s Juilliard School. Since 2015 he has been President of Deutsche Grammophon, successfully combining the digital world with classical music in launching the platform “DG Stage.”
President
Deutsche Grammophon
Seth Truby, Founding Director of BRAVO Youth Orchestras, is a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts and Oberlin College & Conservatory.. Truby was a founder and fundraising chair of the Portland Village School, and Director of Development at Chamber Music Northwest.
Founding Executive Director
BRAVO Youth Orchestras
Dr. Maria Varvarigou is Faculty of Policy and Society in the Institute of Education at University of London, and Senior Lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University. A scholar of the A.S Onassis Foundation, Dr. Varvarigou is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts.
Faculty
University of London
Sergio Vela is general director of Arte & Cultura Grupo Salinas and a member of the Seminario de la Cultura Mexicana. A musicologist and artistic promoter, he has held important cultural institutions in Mexico. He has received numerous awards for his achievements from Germany, Denmark, Spain, France and Italy.
Artistic Director
Grupo Salinas
A leading expert on education in developing countries, Emiliana leads a team of 30+ professionals at the IDB working in the Bank’s lending operations, technical assistance, and research to support education systems throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Faculty
Harvard Kennedy School
Luis Vicaria is Director of Orchestral Studies at Universidad Javeriana (Colombia) and Music Director of the University Orchestra. Dr. Vicaria is a graduate of the Royal College of Music in London, and earned a Master’s and Ph.D. at Texas Tech University.
Director of Orchestral Studies
Universidad Javeriana
Lina
Lina is Co-Founder at Reflejarse, an impact consulting firm that works with clients of different sectors and sizes to integrate sustainability and innovation to strategy in order to earn the right to exist, grow and endure.
Co-Founder
Reflejarse
Esther Viñuela works at the Reina Sofía School of Music where she coordinates the Entrepreneurship Program. She is also project instructor for the Daniel & Nina Carasso Foundation and a Board Member of the Clásicas y Modernas Association for gender equality in the cultural sector.
Entrepreneurship Coordinator
Escuela SdM Reina Sofía
Veronica Wadley CBE is Co-founder, Trustee, and former Chair of the London Music Fund, and serves in a Chair Position for the Model Music Curriculum. Wadley has served as Deputy Editor of both the Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph.
Co-founder, Trustee, & Former Chair
London Music Fund
Jayne Watson has more than 25 years experience as a senior executive, political advisor, and consultant. Prior to joining the NAC Foundation as CEO, Ms Watson served as the Director of Communications at Export Development Canada. She currently serves on the Governor General Performing Arts Awards Board.
Former CEO
NAC Foundation Canada
Distinguished music educator William Westney, innovator of the ‘Un-Master Class,’ holds the B.A. from Queens College and a Doctorate from the Yale School of Music. A Fulbright Awardee, Dr. Westney teaches at Texas Tech University.
Faculty
Texas Tech University
Helen Wheelock has developed and led pioneering anti-bullying curricula and powerful professional development programs on interactive storytelling for early childhood educators. Adjunct faculty at CUNY’s School of Professional Studies, she has taught several graduate courses.
Director of Early Learning
CUNY School of Professional Studies
During David Whelton’s tenure at the Philharmonia, the orchestra became an indispensable part of British and international musical life. It established new relationships that shaped its musical history and initiated and developed the concept of orchestral residencies.
Former Managing Director
The Philharmonia Orchestra
Reid Wick, based in New Orleans, is the Membership & Industry Relations representative for the Recording Academy. He supports music communities, manages membership, and received the 2018 Cutting Edge Music Conference Lifetime Achievement Award.
Senior Manager
The Recording Academy
Andreas E. Widmer is Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship at Catholic University’s Busch School of Business. Widnmer co-founded The SEVEN Fund, a philanthropic organization promoting enterprise solutions to poverty.
Faculty
Busch School of Business
Mette is an experienced director and dramaturge. With a Master’s Degree in dramaturgy, she has been directing Nørrebro Theater since 2015. She has a diverse background as an editor, theater reviewer, teacher, and consultant.
Director
Nørrebro Teater
Hyung Jooon Won is founder of the Lindenbaum Festival Orchestra. A South Korean violinist, he is a graduate of the Juilliard School. With the hope of creating a joint North and South Korea orchestra, he has organized peace concerts at symbolic places including the DMZ, Independence Gate, and Hashima Island.
CEO
Lindenbaum Festival
Katie leads The Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities’ as the current Executive Director. Before working at the Weymouth Center, she was the first President and CEO for El Sistema USA and is the co-founder of Kidznotes in Raleigh-Durham.
Executive Director
Weymouth Center for the Arts
Câline Yamakawa is COO of the Verbier Festival in Switzerland. Holding a Masters in Cultural Management from Columbia University, Câline is also a graduate of Tufts University and The New England Conservatory.
COO
Verbier Festival (Switzerland)
Benjamin Zimmerman is a member of the Global Social Enterprise Initiative at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
McDonough School of Business Georgetown University
Prior to her work at Play on Philly!, Jessica Zweig was a member of the Chelsea Symphony and Program Manager for the Harmony Program. She received her BA & MA from the University of Maryland, and taught music at the Sheridan School in Washington, DC.
Site Director
Play on Philly!
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Maggie Gould (USA | 2014 Cohort)
National Youth Orchestra of Belize