Earlier this year our Outreach Coordinator, Julio Beltrán, joined Professors David Hedgecoth, Susan Powell, and Michael Torres from the School of Music at The Ohio State University for an artistic and collaborative residency in the cities of Curitiba and Recife, in Brazil.

The delegation met with Professor Rafael Ferronato from the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) in Curitiba. Professors Torres and Powell presented Saxophone and Percussion master classes for university students and offered a concert at the university, open to the public.

While in Curitiba, they also met with the Brazil Gateway Director, Jane Aparecido, with whom they discussed the next steps to continue this collaboration in ongoing years. Additionally, they visited the social project "Gato na Tuba" (Cat in the Tuba), which is part of the charity organization Sao Roque. This social project allows kids from families with low income to study music and become part of a choral group and a strings orchestra.

CLAS Outreach Coordinator commented that for him "this exchange with institutions in Brazil is a unique opportunity for CLAS to explore and maintain collaborative opportunities with various partners in Latin America, and a unique way to learn more about community projects in Latin American countries."

In Recife, Professor Helder Ribeiro from the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), received the delegation, where Dr. Hedgecoth offered a master class in Music Education in the US. Additionally, Dr. Powell shared her knowledge with percussion students, and Dr. Michael Torres visited Professor Leonardo Pellegrim's Saxophone class at UFPE.

Finally, they had the unique opportunity to visit the social project "Orquestra Criança Cidadã" (Citizen Children Orchestra), where students also performed for the visiting professors from The Ohio State University.