Education
The Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado's Education programs nurture the next generation of musicians and music-lovers, promote equity and access in music education in our communities, and provide lifelong learning opportunities to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Education programs advance the orchestra’s goals for diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.
Music Without Barriers: Partnership with El Sistema Colorado
BCOC supports El Sistema Colorado’s mission to harness the joy of music and ignite the potential in our future leaders through an immersive youth music education program that transcends socioeconomic barriers.
Through this partnership, BCOC musicians and guest artists engage with K-8 students in El Sistema’s after-school music programs and summer camps. Activities focus on meaningful interactions that introduce young students to early music (including Baroque music from Latin America), our instruments, and the spirit of improvisation.
Apprentice Program and Mentoring
BCOC’s Apprentice Program provides the opportunity for recent college graduates, graduate students, and pre-professional musicians to play with a professional Baroque orchestra for one or two seasons. Since beginning the program, we have had 11 apprentices, many of whom have gone on to careers in performance and teaching in Colorado and around the world. Since 2020, a primary goal of the program is to help diversify the early music field and increase equity and access.
The orchestra also provides mentoring to high school and college students interested in learning about Baroque performance style.
Lifelong Learning: Discover Baroque
Discover Baroque offers lifelong learning with 1-hour Zoom sessions on wide-ranging topics that connect Baroque music with today's world. Featured speakers and artists provide opportunities for participants to learn more about the music we play, and expand their horizons with new ideas and connections. We offer six Discover Baroque sessions a year, all free and open to all. Examples of past sessions: The Birth of Opera; Joyce Chen on harpsichord acoustics; Bach's favorite coffee house; Noels of France and Villancicos of Latin America, and an interview with Black composer Jonathan Woody.
Education Programs Advisor
We welcome Baroque violinist and teacher Maria Romero Ramos as Educational Program Advisor for the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado. Maria will consult with us on BCOC's educational activities in three key areas: partnership with El Sistema Colorado to expand access to music education, apprenticeship and mentoring to nurture emerging musicians and increase diversity in our field, and lifelong learning for people of all ages and backgrounds. As concertmaster of Music City Baroque orchestra, and assistant professor at Vanderbilt University, Maria is based in Nashville, Tennessee.
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