Collaborations

During the 2022-23 academic year, Buffalo String Works began asking the question: “How can we be more intentional about the music we’re asking our students to learn and perform?” Over the course of attempting to answer this question, the BSW Music Library Development Project was born—resulting in the commissioning and composition of a brand-new work for student string orchestra: “Aka” by Wai Hin Ko Ko.

When Lotus Centre for Special Music Education opened its doors in Ottawa, Canada in 2012, we thought our mission was clear: provide access to high-quality music instruction for students with exceptionalities and disabilities who were being left out of traditional lessons. What we didn’t yet realize was that our students were about to become our greatest teachers, shifting our organization from a provider of services to a learning community shaped directly by their needs and strengths.

The summer of 2025 brought a harsh financial reality. Like so many nonprofits in the United States this year, we lost more than 50% in foundation funding—money we’d counted on to hire adult teachers for our summer programming. We couldn’t bring in the experienced instructors who had anchored our summer camps in previous years.

This loss created an unexpected void that my teaching team and I didn’t know how to fill. To our surprise, our Urban Fellows and Junior Fellows—a group of our older and emerging student leaders—stepped up to fill the void.

In the city where LiberaMusica operates—Pesaro, Italy, right on the Mediterranean coast—the connection with nature is strong and part of everyday life. From the Apennine Mountains to the coastline, children grow up surrounded by an environment that is rich, fragile, and, today more than ever, in need of protection. In recent years, our region has been marked by extreme events: floods, droughts, and changing seasons are reshaping our landscape. Schools and associations have been working hard to raise ecological awareness, and LiberaMusica wanted to contribute by doing what we know best: making music.

The Goethe Institut, in partnership with Expertise France and Institut Français, invites proposals for two different grants supporting artistic and cultural exchange projects between African and European artists.

The Brazilian Institute of Music and Education (IBME – Instituto Brasileiro de Música e Educação) was launched in 2011 with just 15 students. Today, it serves more than 4,000 young people and continues to grow. Among its many talented ensembles, one stands out: the Orquestra Sinfônica Juvenil Chiquinha Gonzaga, an all-female youth orchestra that celebrates the intersection of Brazilian classical and popular music.

We’ve seen throughout history how the arts can speak louder than words, particularly in places where civil rights are under attack.

Applications are now open through November 19 for the Asian Cultural Council’s 2026 Fellowships and Grants, supporting cultural exchange activities for arts professionals and organizations in Asia and the United States.

What does it take to turn a young musician’s passion into a meaningful career? For Sistema Cyprus and Orquestra Geração, the answer lies in real, structured opportunity, tailored to young people who are too often overlooked by traditional systems.

Our two organizations have long collaborated on other successful European projects. Building on that experience, and seeing the similar challenges our students face, we teamed up once more to create the Erasmus+ project “InMus: From Youth to Professionalism.”