In mid-May, Blair School of Music viola professor David Samuel will lead three students to Medellín, Colombia, for ten days of performance, teaching, and cultural exchange. It’s an experience designed to extend far beyond the concert stage.
Samuel will arrive on May 18, a day before his students — Eva Taurina, Katie Hwang, and Dougie Howard — who will join him on May 19 after traveling from across the United States. Though coming from different places, they will converge in Medellín to rehearse, perform, and engage directly with local musicians and communities.
The trip traces back to a chance meeting as Samuel, an internationally acclaimed musician and educator, was introduced to violinist Mimi Jung at a chamber music concert in California. Jung shared her hope to build an educational music initiative in Colombia with her husband, conductor Valentin Bravo, and Samuel was later invited to join a benefit concert for an orphanage, La Casita de Nicolás. The upcoming concert, part of an annual gala, will feature the orchestra Camerata Jaibana with Jung as soloist in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola.
For Samuel, the invitation presented a unique opportunity.
“I’ve been wanting to create meaningful work that extends beyond simply performing concerts,” he said. “This trip is a reflection of my own desire to push further and engage more intentionally with local communities, instead of letting the performance itself be the endpoint.”
Rehearsals begin May 21, followed by performances on May 25 and May 27. Between them, the group will visit the La Casita de Nicolá orphanage, performing viola quartets for the children.
“It’s easy to play a benefit concert and never actually meet the people it’s helping,” Samuel said. “I wanted the students to see the full picture.”
The students will also rehearse alongside members of Camerata Jaibana and participate in teaching exchanges with local musicians. Even language differences, Samuel believes, will become part of the learning process. “Music does a lot of that work for you,” he said.
Samuel is careful to frame the experience as mutual exchange rather than charity; the focus is on learning in both directions.
For the students, the trip includes several firsts, most notably for Howard, who will be traveling internationally for the first time. A Provost immersion Grant covers all student expenses, making the experience accessible.
Despite the logistical complexity, Samuel believes the impact will last.
“This is the kind of thing that can give them energy for years,” he said.
As the students travel from across the country to meet in Medellín, they will come together not only to perform, but to listen, learn, and connect, an experience that may reshape how they understand their role as musicians.