We are excited to announce that eight CMPI fellows have been chosen as National Pathways Festival Orchestra (NPFO) fellows for 2024. NPFO is a program of Equity Arc, whose mission is to create a level playing field for BIPOC musicians in the United States. Fellows are nominated by Pathways programs around the United States, including CMPI, and then chosen through a rigorous audition process.
This year’s fellows include:
- Aki Santibanez, violin
- Andrei Nague, violin
- Fabrizio Milcent, bassoon
- Javier Irizarry, violin
- Na’ilah Shahid, viola
- Natalia Noriega, trumpet
- Neena Agrawal, viola
- Paloma Furst Chavira, violin
To start the program off, fellows will meet virtually in January with Maestro Giancarlo Guerrero to study the scores of the works they will perform together. This year’s repertoire includes Shostakovich Symphony No. 5, An American Port of Call by Adolphus Hailstork, and “The Young Warrior” by Harry Burleigh.
On April 5, fellows will fly to Nashville to take part in a packed weekend full of music-making and learning. They will have sectionals with the Nashville Symphony, several rehearsals, and a culminating performance side-by-side with members of the Nashville Symphony under Maestro Guerrero. Additional activities include a college fair, a trip to the National Museum of African American Music, a Nashville Symphony Orchestra concert, and a tour of Vanderbilt University.
While the orchestra rehearses, CMPI staff will participate in Equity Arc’s Annual Convening and Summit. Discussions and sessions include a Keynote Address from Monica Ellis, bassoonist of Imani Winds, strategic conversations on building representative classes in a post-Affirmative Action environment, and a progress report and continued discussion on the pre-college and collegiate action items identified in previous meetings.
Congratulations to all accepted fellows!
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2024 NPFO fellows