Coffee With: Carnegie Hall Programs Manager Karen Cueva

Karen Cueva
Location: New York, NY
Job: Learning & Engagement Programs Manager, Carnegie Hall; Cofounder, The Du Bois Orchestra at Harvard University
Education: B.M. and M.M. in Violin Performance, The Juilliard School; Ed.M. in Arts in Education, Harvard University

When did you realize you wanted to pursue classical music professionally?

When I was 12 years old, I played in a youth orchestra that performed Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5. I will never forget how I felt onstage that night making music with almost 100 other musicians. Every performance is an extension of that moment, and I enjoy creating opportunities for other artists, particularly children, to understand that their artistic voice is so essential to the tapestry of classical music.

What was your very first job?

In my first year studying violin at Juilliard, I did a work-study program in the admissions office. I answered prospective applicants’ questions, filed documents, and prepared application materials for the intense audition week held every March. The transparency and administrative efficiency of the admissions process definitely influenced how I approach my work.

Tell us about your work today and how you got there.

While studying music in New York, I taught violin in underserved schools and through arts nonprofits, which piqued my interest in learning about music in the education world. I moved to Cambridge to get my masters in arts in education, merging my passions for music and arts education access. Today, I work in Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute as the manger of learning & engagement programs. I oversee an initiative called PlayUSA, which supports organizations across the country that offer high-quality instrumental training to underserved youth in grades K-12.

How do you stay involved in the music world outside of your role at Carnegie Hall?

After the workday, I’m often focused on the Du Bois Orchestra, a chamber orchestra I cofounded at Harvard with fellow grad students in 2015 that’s devoted to social inclusion and educational outreach. Issues of representation and inclusion are at the forefront of my passions as a violinist and arts administrator. Much of my role in Du Bois centers around collaborating with the music director on a concert season that fosters a community of diverse musicians. We create socially-conscious programming to elevate the voices of classical composers who have been traditionally marginalized. We also offer musical outreach experiences for those who may not have access to live performance in the concert hall.

What career advice would you give your younger self?

Embrace the vulnerability of the process. As an artist, I think one of my greatest assets is modeling vulnerability onstage and connecting with an audience in a transcendent way. We have been taught to believe that effective leadership is based on impersonal decision-making, focusing more on a successful outcome than on having the invaluable humanity found in the creative process. But a large part of learning lies in this process. The same goes for orchestral playing, where the joy of music-making is not found in the audience applause but in the collaborative process of seeking authentic truth. I continually strive to consider my vulnerability as an asset, whether onstage or in a meeting.

Let’s talk auditioning. What makes a candidate stand out to you during the hiring process?

Hiring in the orchestral context is, first and foremost, based on artistic excellence. Can the applicant take the notes on the page and create a meaningful moment that moves an audience (or an audition panel)? Can he or she stay faithful to the composer's intention? It's a delicate balance that requires both technical skill and awareness of musical history. These are the building blocks of a successful candidate. Personality or "organizational fit" don’t surpass the capacity for true musicianship. This standard in the hiring process ensures our orchestral community is united by the shared purpose of making great music together.

What’s a book you recommend?

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Professor Csikszentmihalyi gave a lecture in a course I took, and his research on "the flow experience" (finding personal fulfillment in life experiences) is fascinating to me. This book is making me think of new ways to offer orchestra members and audiences alike entry points into flow experiences.

Do you have any words that keep you motivated?

I’ve continued to return to a poem by Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore this year. It reads:

I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.