The Bach Project – Medellin Day of Action
Project Overview
Project Title: Day of Action – Public Space, Memory, and Healing
Summary: On May 8, 2019, Medellín proudly hosted Yo-Yo Ma and his Bach Project in partnership with La Red, the city’s network of music schools, and the Medellín Metro system. The Bach Project’s Day of Action featured a meaningful discussion on cultural citizenship and captivating pop-up performances in several metro stations, showcasing the transformative power of music to promote unity, healing, and social change. A memorable moment was Yo-Yo Ma’s ride on public transportation, where he joined student ensembles at various stations and engaged directly with the community. This highlighted the vital connection between music, public spaces, and social impact.
✦ Role: Project Coordinator, Pedagogical Advisor.
✦ Year: 2019
✦ Industries: Music Performance, Event Production, Social Impact through the Arts, Community Engagement, Public Performance.
Deliverables:
✦ Cultural Citizenship Event: Facilitated discussions with Yo-Yo Ma and students about cultural citizenship, the role of the artist in society, and how music intersects with identity, community, and social responsibility.
✦ Public Performances in Metro Stations: Coordinated six student ensemble performances in Metro stations, surprising and engaging thousands of commuters.
✦ Preparatory Workshops: Designed and led thought-provoking workshops with La Red students to align their performances with the mission of the Bach Project, empowering students to approach their art with purpose.
“We survive because we are creative and resilient.”
Yo-Yo Ma
Context
Background: Medellín was one of the 36 global locations chosen for The Bach Project, where Yo-Yo Ma performed Bach’s Six Cello Suites without intermission. However, The Bach Project was much more than a typical concert tour; it included a “Day of Action,” featuring reflective and interactive activities in collaboration with local partners.
For the Medellín event, I acted as the Project Coordinator for La Red’s Day of Action activities in partnership with the Metro of Medellín. Both projects have been integral to the city for more than two decades, serving as networks of connectivity between the communes of Medellín. They are intertwined, like a system of arteries that pump culture and life to and from the different neighborhoods.
On the Day of Action, we organized a discussion panel and a series of pop-up performances that took place almost simultaneously in different metro stations, surprising commuters and passersby with spontaneous musical experiences.
Client/Organization: La Red – The Bach Project
Stakeholders: The Bach Project, La Red, Medellín Metro, Parque Explora.
Venues: Parque Explora and Medellín Metro Stations.
Objective: The project aimed to create an experience in line with the mission of the Bach Project’s Day of Action, celebrating two key networks that have driven Medellín’s social and cultural transformation over the past 20 years: La Red and the metro system. Through reflective and interactive activities—including a panel discussion, workshops, and surprise performances in metro stations—the events demonstrated how culture connects communities and contributes to Medellín’s ongoing social transformation.
Challenges: The project included the coordination and synchronization of events at various locations, involving around 500 students from diverse disciplines and backgrounds. Managing the logistics for pop-up public performances in busy metro stations and facilitating collaboration between the Medellín Metro system, Parque Explora, and La Red added more layers. Additionally, we needed to ensure the safety and well-being of Yo-Yo Ma while he used public transportation. This required careful planning to create a smooth and enjoyable experience for everyone involved, including the artist, the students, the community, and our team.
Approach
Part I – Cultural Citizenship Kickoff at Parque Explora: Yo-Yo Ma joined students and teaching artists in discussions about cultural citizenship. During these discussions, he addressed topics such as dealing with frustration, the importance of resilience, and using success responsibly. He encouraged participants to be “agents of change” with a “Secret Mission” to serve society through their art. The discussion concluded with a short performance by Yo-Yo Ma.
Part II – Connecting Medellín: After the kickoff event, we began the public performances by student ensembles in six metro stations. Yo-Yo Ma rode the Medellín Metro and visited three of the stations where student ensembles were performing.
He arrived at the first stop, San Antonio Station, where he found the Tango Orchestra Ensemble. Then he took the trolley car to the next station, Miraflores Station, where the Colombian Music Ensemble was waiting for him. His next ride was in a Metro Cable gondola, which took him over the rooftops to one of the mountains surrounding Medellín.
As the gondola ascended, he shared a very special musical moment with three students of La Red, featuring an unusual instrumentation reminiscent of the Silkroad Ensemble (bandoneon, Colombian bandola, Colombian gaita, and Yo-Yo Ma on cello). When they arrived at the top, at Trece de Noviembre Station, the Villatina Music School’s string ensemble was ready to share a final musical moment.
At each stop, he joined the ensembles with his cello, surprising the students who couldn’t believe they were performing with Yo-Yo Ma.
Before Yo-Yo Ma’s visit, I organized preparatory activities for the ensembles to reflect on their repertoire and The Bach Project. The Tango Orchestra reflected on how “progress” can lead to deforestation and the destruction of cultural landmarks. The Colombian Music Ensemble reflected on the importance of new generations embracing traditional music and reconnecting with cultural roots. The Villatina String Orchestra discussed how their vulnerable neighborhood has fostered community creativity and resilience through music, coffee plantations, and community gardens.
“Always be brave, and when you become successful, do not abuse your power.”
Yo-Yo Ma
Results and Impact
✦ Community Engagement: The project facilitated meaningful connections across Medellín by bringing music to public spaces, directly reaching thousands of commuters and residents. These surprise performances and interactions transformed routine commutes into powerful experiences of shared culture, instilling a sense of pride and belonging among participants.
✦ Empowering Youth through Purpose-Driven Art: By aligning student performances with The Bach Project’s mission, the workshops helped students reflect on the role of culture in society. Feedback from students and participants showed a shift in perspective on how their art can contribute to community resilience and social change.
✦ Highlighting the Transformative Role of Culture in Public Spaces: This project highlighted the role of the Metro and La Red networks in Medellín’s ongoing social transformation, being an example of how cultural projects can collaborate with other key institutions to activate public spaces and improve community well-being.
✦ Critical Reflective Practice as a Core Element of Impact: Integrating reflective activities alongside the artistic experiences was transformative, anchoring social and cultural interests at the center of both the project and its performances. Through reflective workshops, participants were invited to pause and consider the deeper purpose of their art, focusing on its potential to enrich Medellín’s social fabric.
Photo credit: The Bach Project
Reflections
Learnings:
✦ This project reaffirmed the importance of reflective practices in deepening the social impact of artistic work. By integrating structured reflection into the workshops, I witnessed students become more intentional about using their music to promote cultural connection and social resilience.
✦ Working in an interdisciplinary environment with institutions from different sectors—La Red (music), Metro (public transport), and Parque Explora (science)—demonstrated the value of bridging community-centered initiatives. This partnership allowed music to reach into public spaces, breaking down barriers between artists and audiences, and bringing creative expression directly into everyday life.
Future Applications: For future public performance opportunities, I would prioritize incorporating reflective practices as a core component of artistic initiatives, not only for artists but also for audiences. This would ensure that every creative experience encourages thoughtful engagement and aligns with broader social and cultural goals.
In addition, I envision collaborating with disciplines beyond music, including those seemingly unrelated, to explore innovative ways of integrating artistic practices with technology, science, and research. By developing flexible frameworks, I aim to create initiatives that adapt to community needs while fostering cultural engagement and resilience.
Photo credit: El Colombiano
“Being part of the Bach Project, and being able to share with Yo-Yo Ma, generated an incredible transformation among my students. Many of them didn’t know beforehand who Yo-Yo Ma was. However, from that day on, he became their idol, and not only for musical reasons. He arrived with a complete listening readiness. We all wanted to listen to him, his message, his sound, his music, but instead he listened. He listened to our students, he listened to the victims, he listened to the city. He rode the Metro just as we do; he felt and lived in the city. I had the privilege of playing with him; I talked to him, and he borrowed my cello and performed Pablo Casals’ ‘Song of the Birds,’ right there in the Metro Station. I felt like the happiest person in the world, because of what he represents in my life and my career–and that is my mission as an artist in the world.”
Eliana Palacio – Cello Teaching Artist at La Red
Conclusion
The Bach Project’s Day of Action in Medellín is an example of how public spaces can be reimagined as places of cultural exchange and community healing. The successful collaboration between The Bach Project, Medellín Metro, Parque Explora, and La Red highlights the importance of strategic partnerships in strengthening cultural initiatives.
By integrating reflective practices, we ensured that artistic efforts were not only impactful in the moment, but also contributed to long-term social and cultural change. Moving forward, I am excited to continue exploring interdisciplinary collaborations that push the boundaries of artistic practice and contribute to more resilient, engaged communities.
