#GoingGlobal: VSU-IHK faculty member heads to British orchestra conference through British Council backing

Visayas State University-Institute of Human Kinetics (VSU-IHK) faculty member, Assoc. Prof. Joselle R. Cayetano, participated in the Association of British Orchestras (ABO) Annual Conference at the Southbank Centre in London, United Kingdom last February 4-6, 2026 with backing from the British Council, through its British Council International Delegate Development Programme 2025/26.

With an aim to establish “international partnerships and enable creative and cultural exchange,” the conference gathers practitioners in the classical music industry where they could “share innovative work within specialist areas within the sector, meet with sector professionals from the UK and make new connections, expand professional development opportunities, and develop an international profile and contacts,” among others.

The grant covered costs for participation including the delegate pass, international return flights, hotel accommodation, conference networking dinner, conference concert, visa application fees, and per diem.

This participation comes after a collaboration between Ms. Carmen Flores of the Nottingham Chamber Music Festival and VSU-IHK on the project, Bridging Communities in Music, at the Visayas State University last year also with funding from the British Council.

“The conference reinforced what I already knew and introduced me to something new such as their practices in orchestra management, repertoire selection, the use of AI in music production and education and emphasizing the importance and role of music education in not just producing musicians, but developing a holistic child, youth, and a functional member of the greater society as well as its role in alleviating mental health issues that plague today’s world,” he said in an online interview. 

The ABO represents “the collective interest of professional orchestras, youth ensembles, and the wider classical music industry throughout the UK.” The ABO conference is “the UK’s leading classical music forum.” 

Aside from serving as core faculty in the Bachelor of Culture and Arts Education (BCAED) program at the IHK, Assoc. Prof. Cayetano is also the founder and trainer of the Baybay City String Orchestra where he trains young musicians in the orchestral arts. 

He told UIMPA about his plans to improve the management of the Baybay City String Orchestra and to integrate the resources he obtained at the conference in the syllabus for music education at the IHK. 

“I was also able to gather much-needed resources such as music scores and exercises for ensemble/orchestra as well as the expertise from orchestra friends and connections that I had established while I was at the ABO conference in London,” he added, revealing plans for another project with the Nottingham Chamber Music Festival.

This article is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4: Quality Education, SGD 3: Good Health and Well-Being; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

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