Music, masterclasses and more – the School of Music continued its music residency program for the third year with universities in Brazil. School of Music faculty members Susan Powell, percussion, Michael Torres, saxophone, and David Hedgecoth, music education, gave masterclasses at universities, engaged with local schools and nonprofits and performed recitals in Curitiba and Recife, Brazil. The group was joined by Julio Beltrán, outreach coordinator at the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS). CLAS has been supporting the music residency program since it began in 2022.
“There have been several individual research and artistic projects between Ohio State and various cultural partners in Brazil. We hope to formalize these exchanges for a more permanent partnership,” Hedgecoth said.
While in Curitiba, the delegation went to the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) where Torres and Powell gave master classes and offered a free concert at the university for the local community. They also met with Jane Aparecido, senior director of the Brazil Gateway, to visit the social project, "Gato na Tuba" (Cat in the Tuba). This social project allows children from low-income families to study music and join its choral group and string orchestra.
The delegation also traveled to Recife where Hedgecoth presented a master class on music education in the United States at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE). Powell and Torres also shared their expertise with students.
“This collaboration with the School of Music is a wonderful opportunity for CLAS to work directly with organizations and partner institutions abroad, as well as supporting the exchange of experiences through music and art in general,” Beltrán said.