Calida Jones

As an alumna of The Hartt School, Calida completed her Master of Music in Violin Performance and Suzuki Pedagogy in 2007 and remained on the teaching faculty for Hartt Community Division, later taking on the leadership of the Blue Hills Suzuki Program. In 2012, Calida was hired by the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra to design and implement the El Sistema-inspired program, “Bravo Waterbury!” She continued her work in Waterbury until August of 2018. Currently Calida is the Program Director for Music Matters and the Conductor of the Hartford All-City Youth Orchestra in conjunction with the Charter Oak Cultural Center. Additionally, she serves as the Program Coordinator for MentorU with Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters. In addition to this work, Calida serves on The Julius Hartt Musical Foundation Board of Trustees, El Sistema USA (Board Clerk), chairs the Racial Diversity and Cultural Understanding Committee, and serves on the board of the Connecticut Arts Alliance. In 2018, Calidawas a proud recipient of a Connecticut Arts Hero Award.

Calida’s work has taken her around the globe. She is passionate about intentional, purposeful teaching and community engagement. Her personal mission is to ensure that children who have limited resources also have access to musical opportunities and activities, catapulting them to success, regardless of the path. Calida is deeply committed to correlating the art of teaching to the development of life skills and community building.

As a consultant and guest speaker, Calida has worked with notable programs and institutions including the Yale University School of Music, Duke University, the Ravinia School, The Hartt School, and TEDx in San Jose, CA. Most recently, Calida has consulted with the Sphinx Organization, The Cleveland Orchestra, and The Utah Cultural Alliance. Click here to watch a YouTube video of Calida’s TEDx talk in 2017.