Our Team

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    Dr. Luis Mojica

    Executive Director

    Luis completed his doctoral degree in administration and supervision at Teachers College, Columbia University. He worked with the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music as Artistic Director, with the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music and the School of Education at the Ana G. Mendez University System’s Metropolitan Campus as Dean of Academic Affairs and Dean of School respectively, and the Caribbean University of Puerto Rico as External Affairs Coordinator and Chancellor of the Bayamon Campus. He currently works as Executive Director of the Multicultural Music Group, and consultant for arts and educational entities such as the Center for Arts Education Research at Teachers College, Columbia University; Applied Global Research Institute; EDP University in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico; the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; the Pearson’s edTPA National Teaching Certification; and the Mexico National Educational Reform during 2017 and 2018. Luis is a 1997 Echoing Green Fellow.

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    Sofía Mojica

    Director of Operations

    Born, raised, and residing in New York City, Sofia studied music, audio engineering, media communications, and has a Bachelors of Architecture from the City College of NY (2018). Sofia started their career as a project manager for private and commercial construction, and in 2021 they pivoted to entrepreneurship and business management. Since then, Sofia’s been involved in groundbreaking efforts to mobilize the impact investing community in Harlem and the Bronx through the launch of New York’s first Heyground™ business incubator. Sofia is an alumni of the MMG’s Symphonic Youth Program and long time supporter of the MMG’s Encounters Series performances.

    Sofia is passionate about social justice, collective wellness, and artistic expression. She hopes to create a positive impact in the lives of youth and adults around the world through her dedication and work as an instructor, a mentor, and community leader. 

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    Melanie Dyer

    Director of Fundraising

    Violist Melanie Dyer performs and composes in creative, improvised and through-composed music forms. In 2011, Melanie founded WeFreeStrings, an improvising string/rhythm collective. She has performed with Sun Ra Arkestra, William Parker, Heroes Are Gang Leaders, Dead Lecturers, Gwen Laster’s New Muse 4tet, Henry Grimes, Tomeka Reid and many other innovative creatives is the U.S. and abroad.

    Melanie has over 40 years experience as a resource development professional in the nonprofit sector working with cultural, human services and environmental justice organizations.

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    Dr. Wilfredo José Burgos Matos

    Publications and Small Presentations

    Wilfredo José Burgos-Matos is a Latinx performance artist and singer, multilingual communications and community outreach specialist with a diverse skillset that includes higher ed administration, scholarly research,and teaching. His experience spans a decade of achievements in New York City, Austin, Texas, Brazil, and Puerto Rico. He served the Multicultural Music Group previously as Communications and Marketing Specialist from 2015-2018.

  • Ange Louis

    Tech Systems Consultant

    Ange Louis is a Support Engineer at OpenAsset and an Operations & Tech Systems consultant for the Multicultural Music Group. She loves being able to use her technical skillset to improve operations for startups, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and small businesses. She has a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering from The City College of New York and background experience in software development, workflow automation, low code platforms, analytics, and quality control.

Teaching Artists

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    Timofei Rosales

    Symphonic Youth Program Manager

    Timofei Rosales is of Ecuadorian and Russian decent who studied music from a young age. Timo is fluent in 3 languages: Spanish, Russian, and English. He studied Music Performance at Crane conservatory At Suny Potsdam. Teaching has always been an inside passion that has developed from a young age due to his Mother Olga Chernyshova. Mrs. Chernyshova is a violinist and piano specialist and has being mentoring Timofei in piano and violin pedagogy. Timo Started teaching at Serranos Academy in 2015 and has enjoyed working with students of all levels. He is also the Music band director at Mott Hall Middle school in NYC and has eight years of teaching and playing experience. He is always looking to learn more because music is a never ending journey.

  • Person with short dark hair and glasses playing a trumpet on stage, wearing a floral shirt, in a dimly lit setting.

    Brandon Choi

    Brass Instructor

    Brandon Choi is a composer and improvising trumpet and EWI player. Based in New York City, he enjoys making music and sounds with the many kindred spirits he’s found there. Brandon draws on his rich experience as an in-demand and recognized freelancer throughout Upstate and Western New York to contribute as a burgeoning and undeniable voice in the NYC music community.

  • A person playing a drum set with cymbals and a conga drum, in a music studio with speakers in the background.

    Ismael Baiz

    Ismael Baiz is a touring and recording artist who resides in New York since 2009. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Ismael began his music studies at age 5. After a bitter-sweet breakup with the piano, his interest for percussion sparked while at the Prudencio Esaa music school. Soon enough he began receiving private drum lessons and different teachers imparted their knowledge. One particular teacher with whom he studied for 8 years marked his drumming, Jose Mato, who ascends a line of exceptional classical percussionists.

  • A joyful woman with short hair, wearing a green top and jewelry, playing a double bass in a dimly lit room with colorful lights.

    Jordyn Davis

    Jordyn Davis (b. 1995) is an award winning bassist, composer, songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist from Detroit, MI. In May 2019, Davis became the first African-American woman to receive a Bachelor's Degree in Music Composition from Michigan State University as well as the first Michigan State student to receive a Bachelor's Degree in Music Composition and Jazz Studies concurrently. She has also performed and worked with artists such Micheal Dease, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Wycliffe Gordon & The Black Excellence Trombone Choir, Ingrid Jensen, Etienne Charles, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Craig Harris, Maria Schneider, Jerome Jennings & William Delisfort. Additionally, she is the proud leader of her own band “Composetheway”. Since recently completing a Masters’s Degree in Jazz Studies at Michigan State University, she has moved to Brooklyn, NY is,one of two inaugural Jazz Leader Fellowship recipients from the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, has been featured on the PBS Limited Series “Music for Social Justice”, & is a teaching artist for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Commisioned Composers

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    Pedro Giraudo

    Composer in Residency 2023

    Latin GRAMMY Award winner bassist and composer Pedro Giraudo is among the most compelling tango artists today. After two decades performing with the most important interpreters of tango, Pedro Giraudo debuted his own Tango Orchestra at Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing in July 2015 and since then has become an active cultural ambassador of this beautiful and passionate music of his native Argentina.

    https://www.pedrogiraudo.com/

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    Yuri Martín Juárez Yllescas

    Composer in Residency 2023

    Yuri Martín Juárez Yllescas (Lima-Peru 1973), guitarist, arranger and composer, began his career in 1996 as guitarist for various groups of Afro-Peruvian music, folk and fusion.

    His musical training ranges from formal studies at New York University with Gil Goldstein, John Scofield and Peter Bernstein and also with the Peruvian masters of the guitar such as Pepe Torres, Alvaro Lagos, Jorge Madueño and more “street” experience in Afro-Peruvian peñas.

    He has shared the stage and recorded with musicians like Eva Ayllón, Susana Baca, Arturo O'Farrill,Ron Carter, and iconic Peruvian composers such as Kiri Escobar and Javier Lazo, and trail blazing bands including the Gabriel Alegría Afro-Peruvian Sextet, Novalima and Tangolandó among others.

  • A man in a formal vest and shirt holding a violin and bow, standing against a colorful graffiti wall.

    Alí Bello

    Conductor

    Venezuelan born Alí Bello has become one of the most dazzling and sought after violinists, distinguishing himself for his versatility among different music styles in addition to his well-found classical training and multidimensional improvisational skills. Since his surge from El Sistema, the musical education program of his country, and after building upon years of experience in New York, he has become a Latin jazz music figure to be reckoned with.

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    Luis Columna

    MMGO Artistic Director

    Luis Columna, Dominican trumpeter, composer, arranger, producer, and conductor. Luis studied music composition with Academy Award-winning and distinguished professor at Lehman College, Prof. John Corigliano, and advanced conducting with Mr. Georges Costinescu.

Multicultural Music Group Orchestra Chairs

Woodwinds: Jim Ferraioulo, Pete Miranda

Brass: Pete Nater, Dave Chamberlain

Strings: Rebeca Rengel, Timofei Rosales    

Percussion: Juan Ubiera

Board of Directors

Edwin Marrero-President, Retired Guidance Counselor

George Sanchez-Treasurer, Legal Consultant and HR Specialist at Marriott International

Sofía Mojica -Secretary, Community Relations Manager, Communitas America

William Rodríguez- Director, Marketing and Community Coordinator, NY Yankees

Juan Vargas - Director, Music and Entertainment Manager and VP of Retail Digital Lending, Ponce Bank

Esmeralda Herrera - Director, Capacity Program at Echoing Green

Erum Naqvi - Director, Strategy and Evaluation at National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum

Luis Muñiz-Director, Legal Consultant

Luis Mojica-Director, Ex-Officio, MMG Executive Director, Education Consultant