From March 29 to April 5, 2027, the Cornell Orchestras will tour the Dominican Republic, combining concerts, educational outreach, and cultural exchange. Our student musicians will perform for Dominican audiences, work alongside local music students, and experience the country’s rich musical culture firsthand. We need your help to get there.

The Tour

Wednesday, March 31, 2027 · 8:00 p.m.
Gran Teatro del Cibao, Santiago

Sunday, April 4, 2027 · 6:00 p.m.
Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito, Santo Domingo

Program

• Darwin Aquino: Folklofonía (Cornell Orchestras commission, world premiere)

• Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63, with Ariana Kim, violin

• Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet

Continuing the Work of Sounding Kiskeya

This tour builds on the Sounding Kiskeya Symposium, held at Cornell in March 2026, which brought together musicians, scholars, and artists to explore the musical cultures of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Through the symposium, our members discovered composers and traditions rarely heard in the concert hall.

At the heart of this tour is Dominican composer Darwin Aquino’s Folklofonía, a new work commissioned by the Cornell Orchestras. Premiering it in the Dominican Republic reflects our ongoing commitment to bringing Dominican and Caribbean voices into our programming, and gives our members the chance to engage with this music where it was born.

Connecting with Young Musicians

Beyond the concert stage, our musicians will lead and take part in workshops, masterclasses, and other activities with music students across the Dominican Republic. These exchanges let our members share their experiences while learning from local musicians, building connections that celebrate music’s power to bring communities together.

Why Touring Matters

Alumni consistently name our tours to Taiwan, Argentina, Ireland, Puerto Rico, Germany, and Boston among the most meaningful experiences of their time at Cornell. Our most recent tour, to Boston in January 2025, was made possible entirely by donors like you. Our musicians performed at the New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, led workshops with students at Phillips Academy Andover, and took part in masterclasses with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Where Your Gift Goes

Your donation directly supports our student musicians by covering:

• Transportation and lodging

• Meals

• Performance expenses

• Outreach activities with local music students

Every contribution, large or small, brings us closer to sharing the talent and dedication of Cornell’s musicians with audiences and students in the Dominican Republic.

Support the Cornell Orchestras’ Dominican Republic Tour today. Thank you for helping us promote artistic excellence, collegiality, and a lifelong engagement with music!