Traveling Notes originated in 2007 from the desire to use the universal language of music as a bridge to connect cultures and cross social barriers. 

Vision

Our ultimate goal is to form fine young musicians with a social conscience and an appreciation for cultural differences.

Mission

Traveling Notes organizes socially responsible music camps for talented young musicians by integrating high-quality training and performance opportunities with cultural appreciation and social awareness.

Program Characteristics

The Traveling Notes’ three main goals are clearly present in its program:

Musical excellence:

Achieved through:

• careful selection of faculty and students;
• intensive program of master classes, specialized workshops, private coaching sessions, sectionals, and full orchestra rehearsals over the course of the festival;
• several concerts for very diverse audiences;
• a fun and challenging repertoire, carefully chosen to perfect existing skills and challenge students to the next level.

Cultural appreciation:

Achieved through:

• guided city tours and excursions to museums, historic sites and national monuments;
• joint activities with young musicians from host country;
• introduction to local traditional and folklore music, rhythms and instruments;
• inclusion in the festival’s program of music by composers of the participating countries;
• housing with local families to experience typical family life and learning first-hand about the customs of the host country;
• ample opportunity to practice a foreign language.

Social awareness:

Achieved through:

• inclusion of participants from low-income families through scholarships;
• concerts in shantytowns and in hospitals, orphanages and shelters for disadvantaged or sick children;
• benefit concerts to support local charitable institutions;
• donation of clothing, toys and school supplies.
  

Faculty Profile

To ensure a standard of music excellence Traveling Notes works with highly qualified teachers and top-notch professional musicians who are also charismatic and dedicated, and have a proven track record of motivating students. When selecting the faculty we specifically look for the following qualities:

• Established and well-known classical music professionals;
• Demonstrated expertise at working with young musicians and nurturing their development;
• Committed to helping each student reach their maximum potential;
• Energetic and inspiring;
• Responsible and reliable;
• Bilingual.
  

Students Profile

Due to its unique nature the Traveling Notes program is not for everyone. We take care in selecting participants that are a good fit based on the following profile:

• Between 11 and 15 years old at the start of the Festival for the intermediate level;
• Between 11 and 25 years old at the start of the Festival for the advanced level;
• Dedicated and talented musicians, selected by audition ;
• Passionate about playing and sharing music;
• Adventurous and curious about other cultures;
• Eager to explore new interests and ideas;
• Excellent ambassadors for their country;
• Good team players;
• Mature.
  

Organizational Structure

Traveling Notes is a program of the Hampton Roads Chamber Players, a non-profit based in Norfolk, Virginia.

 Artistic Director 

Jorge Aguirre initiated his studies as a violinist at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música of Peru, his native country. Later he received a scholarship to study in Mexico with legendary violinists Henryk Szeryng and Szymsia Bajour. Another scholarship took him to study with Dorothy Delay in the Aspen Music Festival and School. His musical curiosity led him to Europe where he performed as a soloist and a chamber player. He also occupied different title chairs in various orchestras, such as the Roma Sinfonietta in Italy, the Mannheim Opera in Germany, and the Madrid Symphony in Spain where he performed as principal and soloist. He currently lives in the U.S. where he works with the Virginia Symphony and the Virginia Opera. He is the Artistic Director of the Hampton Roads Chamber Players as well as the international project Traveling Notes, of which he is a founding member. He also works as conductor and as professor at various universities in Virginia. In his long career he has had the privilege to play professionally with Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Metha, Lorin Maazel, Itzhak Perlman, Midori, Joshua Bell, Pinchas Zukerman, and YoYo Ma, among others.

 Executive Director

Ellen Brager supports the Traveling Notes program with her solid experience in sales and marketing and event organization. She has worked for a variety of companies around the world, most recently for a large telecommunications company where she developed and executed successful sales and marketing strategies, and enhanced the company’s presence in the market through the organization of large customer events and international trade shows. In Traveling Notes she found her true passion and she is delighted to put her previous experience in service of the young musicians she supports and admires. As the Executive Director she is in charge of fundraising, accounting, festival logistics and overall management of the program.  She holds a degree of Science in Management from the National-Louis University in Washington, D.C. Ms. Brager, who was born in Antwerp, has lived and worked in Belgium, Spain, Germany, the U.S., and Peru. She currently lives with her family in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. She speaks Flemish/Dutch, English, Spanish, French and German fluently.

Contact Us

Hampton Roads Chamber Players

1420 W. Princess Anne Rd.

Norfolk, VA 23507

Phone: +1 757 625-0238

Fax: +1 757 625-0238

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