Fellowship in Teaching Artistry Empowers Emerging Black and Latine Musicians

MILWAUKEE – The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music is delighted to announce its new Fellowship in Teaching Artistry program and the first two fellows. This groundbreaking fellowship program has three focus areas: classroom teaching, private lessons, and career development. Specifically, the program aims to uplift Black and Latine classical musicians early in their careers and increase underserved Milwaukee-area students’ exposure to classical music through one-on-one lessons and in-school instruction at schools that currently lack an on-staff music teacher.

The first two program fellows are Mauricio Franco, a clarinetist and music educator from Houston, Texas, and the visionary Jamaican composer-pianist Mikhail Johnson. A third fellow will be announced this Spring. Applications are currently open for interested candidates, with an initial review of applications beginning on March 4, 2024, and review continuing after that on a rolling basis until the position is filled. All early- and mid-career Black and Latine classical musicians are encouraged to apply.

Mauricio Franco graduated from the University of Houston in 2021, and has been featured by the International Clarinet Association, Houston Public Media, and performed in several prestigious festivals. A passionate performer, Franco has an affinity for modern composers, believing in equal opportunity and active representation for all. As an instructor, Franco has taught masterclasses for esteemed institutions, and has also worked in several public schools, a portion of which were located in underserved communities. His dedication to providing accessible and engaging musical education to these underserved communities and his drive to inspire others through artistic expression are reflected in his teaching.

In his undergraduate years, Mikhail Johnson nearly abandoned his dream of becoming a pianist and composer. Due to financial constraints, he could not get the private tutoring other music students benefited from. Though Johnson persevered and his career has grown in the past decade, he continues to observe that access to opportunities in classical music seem hidden. It wasn’t until he was a doctoral student that Johnson knew another Black composer. He is determined to make this field more welcoming to people of color, saying “I seek to create a conduit that allows classical concert music to be more inviting to a public who believes this music is not meant for them.”

Fellows will receive personalized career guidance from WCM faculty mentors, focused on facilitating their growth as educators and performers. As classroom educators, the fellows will teach and perform at schools every week throughout the school year, always paired with student populations who are more likely to look like them, as studies show that students learn better from teachers of similar racial backgrounds. The goal is to help students achieve greater musical literacy and appreciation.

The Fellowship in Teaching Artistry stands out as the only program of its kind nationally that is entirely dedicated to supporting early-career Black and Latine artists in classical music. This initiative addresses the disparities highlighted in a recent study by the League of American Orchestras that states Latine musicians make up only 2.5% of musicians in orchestras, and Black musicians make up less than 2%. Meanwhile, representation in orchestras for Asian and Pacific Islanders is 9% and 87% for white musicians.

WCM introduced this fellowship after recognizing that early to mid-career musicians of color tend to have a harder time developing and growing their careers. Several things contribute to this deficit, such as cultural biases, systemic racism, and classist structures. There is also the tendency of Black and Latine professionals to be first-generation classical musicians without developed networks. This holistic program was designed to help individual musicians expand their employment options.

The fellows will dedicate one year to WCM with the option to remain with the program for a second year. For our second class of Fellows, this full-time position comes with a $41,000 salary and a competitive array of benefits, including insurance, moving expenses, professional development funding, and more.

Know someone who would benefit from this new program? The call for applicants is currently open and can be found here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.