Cayo

CAYO is a national non-profit 501(c)3 organization headquartered in Minneapolis, MN that connects the people of the US and Cuba through music. From one-on-one lessons and chamber music collaborations, to online videos, to a full-scale orchestra of students from across the US and Cuba, music is the medium through which we build the US-Cuba relationship for students, teachers and audiences. CAYO uses music to build a stronger world. Our mission is to support, educate and empower students, teachers and audiences in the US and Cuba. Our meeting ground can be as simple as one tuning A shared between strangers. Our priority is to provide equal input and impact for each side. CAYO Student Ambassador Program is a cultural exchange program for a small cohort of student musicians from the US and Cuba. Student Ambassadors and teaching artists travel between the US and Cuba 3-4 times a year and impact between 150-200 US and Cuban student musicians annually. CAYO’s roster of teaching artists, largely drawn from the Minnesota Orchestra, volunteer their time in Cuba-based workshops in schools such as Havana’s Escuela Nacional de Arte (ENA), Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) and Conservatorio Amadeo Roldán. During the course of the exchange, they present to elementary, middle and senior high schools with an emphasis on reaching Spanish-speaking learners in our urban centers. Cuban teaching artists make up an important part of our “equal exchange” philosophy, and US students benefit from the different perspectives and playing style of musicians on the island. Our Cuban and US teaching artists teach side-by-side, overcoming language and cultural barriers via the universal language of music. Connections formed through these experiences endure long after the conclusion of the activities, lay the foundation for trust and friendship, and yield new ideas about creative expression.