IN THIS SECTION

El Sistema RESIDENCY

Connecting Communities Through Music (March 28-30, 2026)

Over the course of the first weekend in April, King along with its community partner, Project Music, is excited to host its 11th annual El Sistema Residency, in which talented musicians from King’s Middle and Upper Schools collaborate in intensive music workshops with visiting students of various El Sistema USA programs.

The overarching focus of the residency is to inspire a deeper connection between communities of different socioeconomic backgrounds by using music as a vehicle to give voice to diverse cultural identities and to amplify lived experiences.  Through this residency, we hope to:

  • Understand music as a reflection of culture and expression of identity
  • Give voice to, and amplify, perspectives from diverse lived experiences
  • Use music to inspire connections across our superficial differences
  • Explore new ways to create and disseminate music  
  • Blend music from varied styles and cultures into new compositions and unique concerts

Collective Composition

Collective Composition is an opportunity for people to come together and creatively explore and express their stories, ideas and emotions through music. Collective Composition emphasizes the creation and performance of music as a process that all people can access, and offers shared experiences through which individuals, communities, and culture may strengthen and expand. Led by Dan Trahey, Director of the Archipelago Project and Collective Conservatory, students will use themes inspired by the mash-up concept to create their own original compositions.  2024-Surely, We Are Gifted


2026 Musical Theme

This year’s residency will focus on Chamber Music and Small Ensembles, highlighting the development of agency, ownership, creativity, communication, and arranging skills through this format.

Performances

There will be four performances associated with the residency. All performances will be held in the Performing Arts Center at King. 

  • On Sunday, March 29, there will be a community concert, open to the public at 4:30 pm. 
  • On Monday, March 30, the residency will conclude with morning assembly concerts for each school division at King. 

Guest Artists

CALLIOPE BRASS OptimizedImage,,,Optimized

Calliope Brass collaborates with the world’s most prominent creatives to build evocative, story-driven concert experiences for a variety of audiences. Inspired by the eponymous storytelling muse in Greek mythology, Calliope Brass (pronounced “Kuh-LIE-uh-pea”) is most known for its innovative approach to creating interactive concert experiences. Calliope Brass increases the visibility of women brass musicians as both artists and teachers through excellence in artistry and innovation in performance. Marquee performances include a celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s Centennial at New York’s Symphony Space and a grant award from New York Women Composers, which led to the premiere of a 5-movement work by Faye-Ellen Silverman. Members are active freelance musicians in New York City playing on Broadway, in major symphony orchestras, television shows, and mainstage acts. Calliope Brass keeps an active concert schedule across the tri-state area, playing recitals that incorporate new repertoire and creative arrangements of crowd favorites.

DAN TRAHEY

Director Of Archipelago Project and Collective Conservatory OptimizedImage,,,Optimized

Dan Trahey is a musician, educator, and innovator. He was instrumental in the creation of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids, where he currently serves as Artistic Liaison. Dan also founded the El Sistema-inspired program Tuned In at the Peabody Conservatory, where he teaches creative composition and community engagement. As a tuba player with the Archipelago Project, he travels the world promoting cross-genre performances and has performed for hundreds of thousands of children, specifically targeting impoverished areas with little access to live performance. He has held orchestral positions in Mexico and the United States. Trahey is part of the composition troupe Creative Connections that works to bring communities together through collective and creative composition. Dan has been featured in countless publications including 60 Minutes, PBS, NPR, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. He recently gave a TED talk at TEDx Baltimore, and was named the “Most Valuable Player in the Arts” by Baltimore Magazine.