Each year, a select Cohort of 60 global arts professionals is invited to take part in the GLI’s Executive Graduate Certificate in social entrepreneurship, cultural agency, impact innovation, community development, organization management, design thinking, and education leadership.
Cohorts from the Schulich School of Music
2025 Cohort
Scholarship Winners
Nicole Chan 
Nicole, a Hong Kong-Canadian soprano and harpist, has received several international vocal awards and explores innovative management approaches to attract modern audiences to opera.
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Luke Riedlinger 
Luke is a PhD candidate in Musicology at Â鶹AV, researching the historical role of cultural diplomacy in shaping the globalization of the popular music industry.
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2024 Cohort
Scholarship Winners
Taianara Goedert 
Taianara Goedert is cofounder of Les Brasileirinhos, Artistic director of Choeur Scénique Brésilien, and an instructor at Â鶹AV. She is a PhD candidate in Music Education at Â鶹AV, holding a SSHRC award.
2023 Cohort
Scholarship Winners
Rebekah Dennis 
Canadian-American clarinetist and pianist Rebekah Dennis is currently pursuing her Master’s in Music Education at Â鶹AV. She has taught with Harmony Project Long Beach and Bach to Rock Music School, and is passionate about community music pedagogy.
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Theodora Nestorova 
Bulgarian-British-American soprano, researcher, & educator Theodora creates cross-cultural arts connections. A Fulbright scholar (Austria), she is winner of the American Prize in Vocal Performance and Pan-American Vocology Association’s Best Student Presentation.
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2021-2022
Scholarship Winners
Alberto Acquilino
Canada & Italy
Â鶹AV
Doctoral Scholar
Alberto Acquilino is a PhD student at the Computational Acoustic Modeling Laboratory of Â鶹AV Univ, working on assistive technologies for music pedagogy. He holds Masters in Music & Mechanical Engineering from universities in Italy and France
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McKinley James
Canada & United States
Schulich School of Music
Graduate StudeClassical and traditional cellist McKinley James has toured and taught internationally. She is currently a graduate student at Â鶹AV’s Schulich School of Music.
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2020- 2021 and previous years
2020- 2021
Erivan Gonçalves Duarte
Scholarship Winner
Brazil & Canada | double bass
Â鶹AV
Doctoral Scholar
Erivan Gonçalves Duarte is current PhD student in Music Education at the Schulich School of Muisc of Â鶹AV. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance as well as a Bachelor in Physics from Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp), Brazil. Erivan also received a master’s degree in Computer Engineering (Music Technology) from Unicamp. He is particularly interested in new ways of thinking about inclusion in music, promoting social impact, exploring new perspectives for teaching and learning processes. In 2020, he was accepted into the Global Leader Program with a scholarship from the Schulich School of Music.Ìý
Since 2011, Erivan has been teaching music as an independent educator. He has also taught general music and instrumental music classes in music schools. During his master’s program, Erivan designed lessons and technology tools to teach music to children and adolescents with disabilities which he used during the classes he gave to deaf students. He has also performed as a professional musician in Brazil, Canada, and Mexico.Ìý
Jennifer Tobin
Â鶹AV
M.Mus. Flute
Jennifer Tobin graduated from Â鶹AV in 2020 with a Master’s degree in flute performance. While at the Schulich School of Music, she performed with the Â鶹AV Symphony Orchestra, advised undergraduate music education students as a teaching assistant, and initiated the school’s first Flute Day, bringing together international artists for master classes and workshops. Concurrent to her studies, Jennifer also earned an executive graduate certificate in social entrepreneurship from the Global Leaders Program (GLP). In January of 2020, Jennifer co-organized and taught at a flute festival in Santiago, Chile, completing GLP fieldwork as one of 45 international cohort members. She has previously honed her performance studies in programs at the Eastman School of Music, Carnegie Mellon University, the Orford Academy, and at the Conservatoire Paul Dukas in Paris. Jennifer has performed professionally with the Eastern Wind Symphony and Harrisburg Symphony.
A New Jersey native, Jennifer also holds a Bachelor’s degree in music education from The College of New Jersey, where she graduated valedictorian in 2014. She enjoyed a career in public school education as a middle school band director. Jennifer is currently the Assistant Director of Education at the Richmond Symphony in Virginia, where she manages five youth orchestras and curates classes for the Richmond Symphony School of Music. She is also an active freelancer and maintains a successful private flute studio.
2019- 2020
Emily Brown
Scholarship Winner
USA & Canada, flute
Luzerne Music Center
Camp Manager
Emily Brown is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Musicology from the Schulich School of Music of Â鶹AV. Having lived and researched in Spain, Emily studies Iberian dance music of the 19th and 20th centuries. She holds a Bachelor’s of Music from State University of New York at Fredonia, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and was the awarded the Pi Kappa Lambda award. In addition to her studies, Emily serves as the assistant director at Luzerne Music Center where she oversees the daily operations. Fundamental to both her academic and managerial experiences, Emily is committed to equity and social justice, with interest areas in accessible music programs, sexual violence advocacy, and criminal justice reform.Ìý
2018-19
Bailey Wantuc
Scholarship Winner
Chicago native Bailey Wantuch is pursuing a Master of Music in Violin Performance at Â鶹AV, studying with Violaine Melançon. Actively involved in chamber music, her ensembles have received great recognition, including first prize in the 2017 Â鶹AV Chamber Music Competition. She has also appeared as a soloist with several orchestras in the Chicagoland area. In addition to performing, Wantuch is a devoted pedagogue and has served on the faculty of Valparaiso Summer School for Strings (USA) and Curso Música de Cámara Osorno (Chile). In 2019, she will lead a chamber music course at the Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango (Mexico). Wantuch received her Bachelor of Music at Northwestern University and her former teacher is Blair Milton of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Angela OtcuoÄŸlu
Scholarship Winner
The Montreal-based pianist, Angela OtcuoÄŸlu holds a Bachelor’s degree from Â鶹AV where she is pursuing her Master’s in piano performance program with Sara Laimon. She made her solo debut at the University State Conservatory of Istanbul where she had the chance to meet renowned musicians. Angela participated in the masterclasses of Andrei Diev, Diane Andersen, Pablo Galdo, Bruno Canino, and Robert Silverman. She is the co-founder of Duo Columbus, a piano duo creating a musical and educational experience relevant for today’s generation while helping to promote peace and hope in a world full of conflict. A strong believer in social change through music, Angela presented lectures, taught masterclasses, performed in Panama and Chile to support music education.
Alumni who have participated:
2017-18
Carmen Bruno, MMus 17, current DMus
Hannah Darroch, current DMus
Émilie Fortin, MMus 17
Gabrielle Smith, BMus / BEd 10, MA 18
David T. Brongo, current DMus
Margaret Lauer, MMus ’09, BEd ‘16
2016-17
Jake Klinkenborg, MMus 17
Bradley Powell, BMus 13, Art Dip 15
Theresa Rice, MMus 17
