Kids to Concerts Merges Into Musical Sprouts!

Kids to Concerts Merges Into Musical Sprouts!

Over the course of Summer 2022, Musical Bridges Around the World has made some positive shifts in the Musical Sprouts educational program, which has provided live concerts (or virtual concert films) plus cultural curriculum and learning to students in need. We have finished the five-year Sprouts research study proving its efficacy and are now in the process of expanding the program exponentially with the needs we see in the community. Our first educational program, Kids to Concerts, started in 2001 by providing impactful live concerts in schools. Now as Sprouts continues to grow and provide these same exact live concerts as part of its...

The History of Musical Sprouts

The History of Musical Sprouts

A History by Anya Grokhovski, DMA, MBAW CEO, Founder & Artistic Director The beginning of Musical Bridges Around the World’s educational programs started at the oldest official venue for Mexican culture in the U.S., Instituto Cultural de Mexico. We’ve always had an excellent relationship with this gem of a space in San Antonio. It’s the largest cultural arm of Mexico in the country, outside of Washington, DC. The performance hall seats about 180 people, and our first audiences were children from surrounding schools who walked to the concerts with their teachers. As the series grew, we learned that many schools faced logistical...

25th Anniversary Season of San Fernando Cathedral Announced!

25th Anniversary Season of San Fernando Cathedral Announced!

Musical Bridges Around the World founder Anya Grokhovski says when she moved to the US from the USSR in the ‘90s, she never imagined she would reach 25 years of leading a performing arts organization in South Texas. Her energy and enthusiasm have built a model program “celebrating our share humanity by providing access to global arts for all” through an acclaimed, free concert series, an international music festival, visual art exhibitions, senior concerts, and award-winning educational programing. In this Silver Jubilee year, Musical Bridges is happy to announce its 2022-2023 season of Russell Hill Rogers Musical Evenings at San Fernando...

Musical Sprouts in UTSA’s Education News

Musical Sprouts in UTSA’s Education News

UTSA’s College of Education & Human Development’s Chris Reichert just published a new online article covering the latest in MBAW’s Musical Sprouts, a FREE educational engagement program providing students the opportunity to travel the world by bringing performing artists and cultural connections to their classrooms. During the past three years, the curriculum portion of the program was also subject to a simultaneous research study put together in partnership with the University of Texas System to determine and prove the impact and efficacy of the program. In this article, Sprouts research assistant and UTSA Department...

Fall 2021 Educational Impact Report

Fall 2021 Educational Impact Report

Report by Jennifer Reed-Martinez, MBAW Director of Community Engagement This fall, over 3,300 students traveled virtually to Ukraine with our Kids to Concerts program, with a concert video (seen below) by renowned Ukrainian musician Jurij Fedynskyj. During the pandemic, this program had to shift from live in-person concerts to virtual concert videos. And now, as schools move back to a mix of virtual and/or in-classroom learning, the program adapts to meet that change again as our January concerts covering the music of African American culture & history will be live in the schools.  In addition, 650 students received five hands-on,...

24th Season of San Fernando Cathedral Announced!

24th Season of San Fernando Cathedral Announced!

Musical Bridges Around the World is happy to announce its return to the historic San Fernando Cathedral for the 2021-2022 season, its 24th! All performances are FREE and open to the public! Seating is first come first served. Safety at the CathedralMBAW will follow all safety and distancing guidelines for fine arts performance halls per the State of Texas, as well any other measures it feels necessary per event from its own discretion for the ensured safety of its attendees. More details about safety guideline details/protocols being enacted will be provided with each concert’s communication and as each date approaches, as per the...

Musical Sprouts Research in UTSA Today

Musical Sprouts Research in UTSA Today

Our growing Musical Sprouts curriculum-based program has made its way into the University of Texas at San Antonio’s news site UTSA Today! The article discusses the partnership with UTSA researchers to analyze how our program is affecting and helping local students in the San Antonio area. Check it out here: https://www.utsa.edu/today/2020/02/story/musical-sprouts.html and here:...

Jiale Li Wins The Gurwitz 2020 Gold!

Jiale Li Wins The Gurwitz 2020 Gold!

Back to Gurwitz News Jiale Li of China has won the The Gurwitz 2020 Gold Medal and $25,000 after his Round IV Tobin Center performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the San Antonio Symphony, under the baton of Gurwitz Jury Chairman Maestro Sebastian Lang-Lessing. Excluding Lang-Lessing’s vote (which was overwritten due to his inclusion in the performance), the rest of The Gurwitz Jury came to a vote with the following ruling: Gold – Jiale Li | ChinaSilver – Yedam Kim | KoreaBronze – Leonardo Colafelice | Italy Featured articles on the announcement are below:Classical Voice North AmericaThe Rivard...

TV Spot – Anya Grokhovski & Judge Olga Kern

TV Spot – Anya Grokhovski & Judge Olga Kern

Musical Bridges CEO Anya Grokhovski and Gurwitz Judge and acclaimed concert pianist Olga Kern visit FOX29 News Midday to speak about the competition, the contestants, and more! Check out the interview here:...

KSAT12 TV Feature on The Gurwitz 2020

KSAT12 TV Feature on The Gurwitz 2020

KSAT 12 Reporter Sarah Acosta speaks with Musical Bridges Around the World CEO and Gurwitz 2020 Russian Contestant Anna Gershtein to learn more about the competition going on this week. Check it out here:...

The Gurwitz 2020 Announces Three Finalists!

The Gurwitz 2020 Announces Three Finalists!

After Round II, The Gurwitz Jury has announced the three finalists moving on to Round III and IV of The Gurwitz 2020!1. Jiale Li | China2. Yedam Kim | Korea3. Leonardo Colafelice | ItalyRandy Anderson of Texas Public Radio also gave an in-depth interview of semifinalist Joon Yoon of Korea in the featured article here:Texas Public RadioCheck it out other featured articles as well:San Antonio...

TPR Covers The Gurwitz 2020 Round I

TPR Covers The Gurwitz 2020 Round I

Nathan Cone of Texas Public Radio goes in-depth with Round I contestants, Junior Jury, and audience members for their take on the start of the competition! Check it out here:...

The Gurwitz 2020 Contestant Order Announced!

The Gurwitz 2020 Contestant Order Announced!

On Saturday, the 12 Gurwitz 2020 contestants chose their number randomly and here are the results: Alexander Malikov | Canada Alexey Sychev | Russia Joon Yoon | Korea Jiale Li | China Nikita Lukinov | Russia Anna Grot | Russia Anna Gershtein | Russia Yedam Kim | Korea Artem Kuznetsov | Russia Jongyun Kim | Korea Maria Narodytska | Ukraine Leonardo Colafelice | Italy We wish the best of luck to the contestants as they move through Round I over the course of Monday and Tuesday.