Community-Engaged Performance Tours
The Cornell Wind Symphony leverages music toward cultural exchange, global awareness, and reciprocal community partnerships.
Pictured above: Post-concert party at Sans-Souci Palace, Milot, Haiti, January 2017
Members of the Wind Symphony and the Holy Trinity Music School Philharmonic Orchestra
January 10-18, 2024: Havana & Matanzas, Cuba
In January 2024, the Wind Symphony embarked on a community-engaged performance tour of Cuba. The tour was co-produced by Ned Sublette, noted Cuba scholar and author of Cuba and Its Music, and our primary partner was the National Concert Band of Cuba, directed by Maestro Igor Ernesto Corcuera Cáceres.
Barbara & Richard T. Silver Associate Professor of Music James Spinazzola's book, Community-Engaged Performance Tours: A Guide for Music Ensemble Directors and Educators has been released by Routledge Press.
The book presents a new approach to the performance tour that integrates touring with community engagement and service-learning. It includes student and community perspectives and case studies from 2017 and 2019 Cornell Wind Symphony tours in Haiti and the Dominican Republic and provides a practical and hands-on model for ensemble leaders and educators.
Members of the Wind Symphony at St. Etienne Episcopal Church, Haiti, 2019
Members of the Wind Symphony in Havana & Matanzas, Cuba, 2024
The Holy Trinity Music School
The Cornell Wind Symphony has continued its partnership with The Holy Trinity Music School (HTMS). Based in Port-au-Prince, HTMS is the oldest music school in Haiti. Its ensembles have toured the United States, Canada, Spain, the Dominican Republic, and their home country. The school moved into a new four-story building in November 2009, but the facility was completely demolished two months later in the earthquake that ravaged the city. For now, the school is housed in a temporary facility constructed in 2011.
RAM
Cornell also partnered with RAM. Founded and led by Richard A. Morse, RAM plays mizik rasin (roots music), which mixes the African-based rhythms of Vodou and Rara with American rock. RAM has had two residencies at Cornell’s Ithaca campus.
Thank you for your support.
The Wind Symphony wishes to thank the following individuals and entities for their support of our community-engaged performance tours.
Ronni Lacroute, ‘66
Caridad Diez
Ned Sublette
Igor Ernesto Corcuera Cáceres & The National Concert Band of Cuba
Amanda Wittman
The Rev. Stephen Davenport & The Rev. Tracy Bruce
Patrick Delatour
The Holy Trinity Music School
Cornell University Einhorn Center for Community Engagement
Cornell University Department of Music
With enduring gratitude to the Rev. David César (1965-2021)
