U.S. Department of State Brings International Musicians to Cleveland, the Home of Rock and Roll, to Promote Peace and Cross-Cultural Connections

Using music as a diplomatic tool to bring people from around the world together to promote peace and cross-cultural connections, the U.S. Department of State announced today that American Music Abroad (AMA) Academy Cleveland will take place November 8-17 in Cleveland, OH.  AMA Academy Cleveland will bring international and American musicians together around the theme of cultural preservation through music and will feature collaborations with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Ukrainian Museum and Archives.  The AMA Academy will include musicians from Ukrainian refugee communities in Cleveland and Charlotte, NC, as well as musicians from Botswana, Egypt, Lebanon, and Nigeria.  Local musicians will round out the AMA Academy Cleveland cohort.   

AMA Academy Cleveland is part of American Music Abroad (AMA), the U.S.’ flagship music diplomacy exchange and an integral part of the recently announced U.S. Department of State’s Global Music Diplomacy Initiative, which supports broader U.S. foreign policy goals to expand access to education, economic equity and opportunity, and societal inclusion. 

On November 17, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at Case Western Reserve University’s Maltz Performing Arts Center, a free public concert featuring international and American musicians will cap the 10-day international exchange and will feature original collaborative pieces created by the AMA Academy Cleveland participants.  The event is free and open to the public; tickets are available here to attend in person or watch virtually.

AMA Academy Cleveland’s 18 participants include vocalists, songwriters, producers, and instrumentalists in the genres of jazz, rock, hip hop, and Afrobeat.  While in Cleveland, the musicians will participate in intensive creative and musical workshops with artist instructors from the United States who will mentor them in music business, production, and entrepreneurship.   

American Music Abroad was first known as Jazz Ambassadors.  AMA artists represent the new generation of musical ambassadors, reaching beyond concert halls in more than 30 countries annually to interact with citizens around the globe through performances and collaborations with local musicians, educational workshops, jam sessions, and media interviews.

For more information about AMA Academy Cleveland or to cover the November 17 concert at the Maltz Performing Arts Center in Cleveland, OH, contact [email protected].