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The Ensemble seeks to connect and inform all people who are committed to ensemble music education for youth empowerment and social change.
 
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New Documentary Film Tells Story of Deaf Musicians

09-03-2025

The new documentary El Canto de las Manos goes behind the scenes of a 2022 production of Beethoven’s Fidelio, performed in sign language for the first time in honor of the deaf composer.

In Oregon, a More Neighborly Approach Brings Joy

Neal Spinler, Executive Director, BRAVO Youth Orchestras

09-03-2025

The majority of the population is in Portland, at the northern border, with most everybody else residing along the “I5 Corridor”—Interstate 5, a major north-south highway that runs from Portland to California. BRAVO serves a region at the very northern tip of Portland; JOY serves students in Yamhill County. North Portland is a diverse blue-collar area with shipyards, warehouses, and port terminals; Yamhill County is the heart of Oregon’s famed Willamette Valley, a region known best for its fabulous wineries. But while the county boasts fancy vineyards and tasting rooms, it is also filled with farms and the hardworking farmhands and families.

Just 46 miles apart, our landscapes could not be more different. And yet the work we do could not be more aligned.

Sistema Toronto Brings Music to Toronto’s Libraries

09-03-2025

One of Sistema Toronto’s newer programs brings musical opportunities to young people across the city through a partnership with Toronto Public Library.

Presser Foundation Grants for US Music Initiatives

07-09-2025

The Presser Foundation offers $5,000–$25,000 special project grants to US-based music programs in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions (NY, PA, DE, MD).

Goalkeepers Event Showcases the Power of Music across Africa

07-09-2025

In early June, the Gates Foundation hosted its first Goalkeepers event in Lagos, Nigeria, bringing together global leaders, policymakers, and artists to address Africa’s progress in meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and showcase the power of music to unite people.

Arts in Action: Case Studies by Global Leaders Institute Fellows

Meagan Hughes, Journal Coordinator, University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine; Music Therapist; Content Coordinator, The Ensemble

07-09-2025

A shining example of the program’s wide-reaching impact is Arts in Action, an online journal of in-depth case studies crafted by GLI Fellows as a result of their fieldwork collaborations with arts organizations around the world. With over 25 studies addressing both common and unexpected issues facing arts organizations, this collection is a treasure chest of actionable advice for arts practitioners to maximize their social impact. GLI Fellows take care to embed a relationship-oriented approach within their systematic analysis, ensuring that these studies speak with an authentic voice while holding timeless value for readers. Read on to experience the depth and breadth of Arts in Action’s library through three case study examples, which we believe will resonate with our equally diverse Ensemble readership.

Last Call! Apply for the Fire Up – The Field Teaching Artist Residency

07-09-2025

Fire Up – The Field is a free five-month program from the Academy for Impact through Music (AIM) in collaboration with LA Phil’s Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA) and its National Accelerator program.

New Research on Music’s Impact on Health and Wellbeing

07-09-2025

Music’s wide-ranging health benefits received a new wave of recognition through the recent publication of two studies, each showing long-lasting benefits from music engagement.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Music Moves Us Forward

Rene Byamungu, Workshop Leader in Musicians Without Borders’ partner program Kivu Youth Music, as told to The Ensemble

07-09-2025

In the North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the capital city of Goma sits between several mining towns and valuable minerals. Part of an active volcanic region rich in resources, the city serves as an essential transport hub for the nation—and, more importantly, as home to nearly 2 million people, many of whom have been displaced.

This past year, those 2 million have lived through extraordinarily difficult circumstances as the rebel group known as M23—the March 23 Movement—took control of the city. But perhaps none are more affected than the children. Over 2,000 schools in the region have been closed, with many thousands of students displaced and forced to witness the horrors of war, including the deaths of loved ones. As the fighting continues, these young people have been increasingly isolated and ignored, left without opportunities to connect with one another, explore their feelings, and celebrate joy.

And yet, as Workshop Leader Rene Byamungu writes, joy has persisted in North Kivu through music:

Patagonia’s Huilo Huilo Festival Blends Musical Excellence with Social Impact

Barbara Domingos, Artistic Producer, São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra (OSESP); Artistic Operations Manager, Huilo Huilo Music Festival; 2022 cohort member, Global Leaders Institute

07-09-2025

In the heart of Chilean Patagonia, the strings of a violin resonate deep within the temperate forest. Birds sing in harmony with the refined sounds of bows gliding over the strings; leaves whisper centuries-old stories. The Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve, where endangered species are protected, also embraces a group of young musicians—along with their mentors, who are string principals in the Brussels Philharmonic—during daily rehearsals and performances. It’s an inspiring fusion of human artistry and Patagonian majesty.

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