Adrian Najera-Coto - Trombone - Costa Rica “When I first started college as a trombone performance major in Costa Rica in 2000, I didn’t consider teaching as a career path I would follow. Different opportunities during the years have proved me wrong and every day I enjoy teaching mores and more. Personal and professional experiences, YOA Orchestra of the Americas being one of the most influential of these, opened my mind and showed me that teaching could be more than merely striving for technical and musical perfection. Music is a very powerful tool to influence social change. By teaching music we are also teaching a lot of great things: discipline, tolerance, responsibility, ambition, hard work, and especially love for what we do, by ourselves and as a community.   I have had the chance to teach in different places throughout the Americas thanks to YOA. It has been interesting to see the different needs, different approaches, and ideas in each country while the love for music is always present. I’ve also met amazing people that are willing to make a difference in society by using their talents both as musicians and as leaders. Since 2009 I have worked with YOURS Project Chicago, an orchestra school founded by YOA Alumna Deborah Wanderley, based in a public school with a 95% poverty rate located in an at-risk community. Each day I work with the children there, I realize that more than teaching them how to play the trombone, I’m there to be a guide, a friend, and a role model. I’m there to teach them how to be better human beings, how to live better among people that sometimes think and behave differently than we do and in many cases I’m there to prevent them from being out on the streets, joining gangs, and risking their lives and the lives of their families.   I hope I can keep using music as an instrument for peace, and I hope that more people understand that teaching a child how to play an instrument can be more powerful and meaningful than just making sure he or she plays the right notes and rhythms.”

Andres F Lopera, Trombone, Colombia “I am a musician from a little town in Colombia called Donmatias. I am constantly moved by the power of imagination and creation, and I believe that a good idea can change the world.   YOA Orchestra of the Americas has been one of the most important steps in my life. I saw the orchestra perform in Medellin, Colombia in 2005, and dreamed to be part of it ever since. Finally, in 2008 I became part of this great community of musicians and wonderful people from all over the Americas who are trying to make a difference in the world through music. My experience with the orchestra made me realize how our whole continent is changing to the rhythm of music. At this realization, YOA encouraged me to affect a change with my talents.   I worked for 7 years with La Red de Escuelas de Musica of Medellin, Colombia. This program made me realize the importance of bringing orchestral music to people who don’t have the opportunities to be exposed to classical music and understand the beauty and power that this music involves. In Colombia, I formed a chamber vocal ensemble called Folia Chorale to promote and cultivate the Latin American choral repertoire internationally. This past autumn, I formed The Austin Camerata, a chamber orchestra of young musicians from the Austin area, created to enrich the lives of musicians and audiences in the city by providing quality performances of varied orchestral works. 35 enthusiastic musicians are part of this project – people who are full of love for music. Thank you YOA.”

Bruno Lourensetto, Trumpet, Brazil “I am a trumpet teacher and brass instructor in a music school called ASSATEMEC in my hometown, Itu – a small town near Sao Paulo, Brazil. Even though I moved to Sao Paulo to study music at University, each week I would continue to go back to Itu to teach music. I formed a partnership with ASSATEMEC, an NGO that supports teaching music to children in low-income communities. One of the conditions for participation is that the children must be enrolled in a traditional school to learn about subjects like Mathematics, History, and Portuguese, in order to apply to the program. The main objective of my work was to keep these children off the streets after school, and prevent them from becoming involved in destructive activities. I continued teaching with this program from 2004 until 2008, when I then moved to Mississippi to work towards my Master's Degree. Still, every time that I go back to Brazil, I visit the school bringing new materials, giving performances and lessons, and reconnecting with my young friends who are all still in the program. Through my own education and through all that I have gained in YOA Orchestra of the Americas, I will bring back more hope and strength to this program, and continue to use music in my hometown as a tool for keeping children off of the streets.”

Isaac Casal, Cello, Panamá “In the year 2003, I applied to YOA Orchestra of the Americas and experienced my first tour. My life would never be the same again. YOA helped me realize that I could live my dream. YOA was the institution that taught me that music can make miracles. Meeting lots of great musicians from all over the Americas, from Canada to Patagonia, and learning about their societies, political views, religions, and different languages was beautiful. More beautiful was that it did not matter that our backgrounds were different or if we agreed or not: music was our language and we were able to communicate through it, and together, be one, and make a difference. In 2007, I decided to start making a difference and create something new in Panamá where I could give back to my country and share this language of unity with others. I started a program were the youth of Panamá could have the same opportunities as those in well-structured and cultured societies. In May of 2007, we started the first annual national music festival: Alfredo de Saint-Malo Music Festival of Panamá. This week-long festival unites all the music institutions in Panamá and involves government and private entities. Now I can say that I am living my dream, and I am giving others the opportunity to believe in music, and believe in making a difference.”

Maria Jimena Lovon Hidalgo, Violin, Perú   “What makes YOA Orchestra of the Americas so special is its young spirit that never dies, the musicians wanting to play better every day, our collective goals and ideas, and above all: the single heart that colors each note of every concert we play. If one listens carefully to this orchestra, you will find this magic I speak of, a magic I felt in having all these countries and cultures on stage with Plácido Domingo, Yo-Yo Ma, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Gustavo Dudamel, and the other great artists who perform with YOA. During the 5 years I have been a member of the orchestra, I have learned many things and realized that all the experiences I’ve gone through while in YOA will never leave my mind, because there are so many emotions and stages in my life that were marked by the orchestra. Because of this, I doubt it will ever lose its place in my heart. I thank God for allowing me to participate in this great mission.”

Nicolás Giordano, Violin, Uruguay “I will always remember, while staying in Montevideo, when we went to play at a school in a low-income neighborhood. Realizing that the children’s orchestra was still rehearsing in Uruguay, I made the connection between YOA Orchestra of the Americas and them, and had an incredible day in which we played for each other and gave lessons to the  children. YOA invited the whole crew of children to attend our concert of the following day. Even today, I hear young  children saying, ‘I want to be like Emma Murley! The sound of her trumpet was great,’ or ‘Shelby’s sound was amazing. Maybe I will try to bow like her. I hope I can play in such an orchestra one day!’ That was the impact of only one day of interaction, and a lesson on how music can change the life of people in just a few moments. After this completely improvised gathering, I realized the power I had in my hands. I found myself in the position of a leader, and realized the responsibility I had to help the children of my country. The inspiration of the outreach programs of YOA and my experience with the children in Uruguay pushed me to create a youth music program called Sembrando Talentos. This program brings together youth from low income areas of Montevideo and distant areas of Maldonado and Durazno to rehearse and learn from distinguished Uruguayan musicians who come to the country to perform with professional orchestras and to teach the youngsters of Sembrando Talentos.”