Beyond Borders: El Salvador Cultural Exchange 2026
June 21 - June 28, 2026
Beyond Borders: El Salvador Cultural Exchange Project places high school students in an immersive international exchange environment that encourages curiosity, resilience, and independence. Through musical collaboration with students from another culture, participants see firsthand how music connects people and builds community. The experience fosters empathy, confidence, and a global perspective that extends beyond the program.
Program Description
Building on the success of its inaugural year, Beyond Borders: El Salvador Cultural Exchange Project continues to unite young musicians from California and El Salvador through music and collaboration. This unique residency brings C’est Bon Music Academy to Central America to work alongside students and faculty of the Escuela Nacional de Música de El Salvador, formerly known as El Sistema de El Salvador. Guided by C’est Bon faculty, participants engage in immersive, hands-on learning experiences, including masterclasses, side-by-side rehearsals, chamber music sessions, and performances culminating at San Salvador’s iconic Teatro Nacional, with selected students performing solo with orchestra.
Beyond musical study, students explore the country’s rich heritage and landscapes through cultural excursions, deepening their understanding of its history and traditions. As El Salvador undergoes significant transformation, the program offers a rare opportunity to build cross-cultural connections while fostering artistic growth, global perspective, and personal discovery through music.
A Word from our Partner Organization:
At the National School of Music in El Salvador, we’re excited to expand our connections with talented musicians from around the world. We believe that by forming relationships with experienced instrumentalists, we can inspire and enrich our students’ journeys in the art of music-making.
Our mission is to open doors for our students, not only to connect them with experienced mentors but also to introduce them to international students who share their passion and discipline for orchestral performance. We’re convinced that, despite our differences in culture and geography, music is a universal language that will bring us together. Through these collaborations, we hope to inspire our students to dream bigger—pursuing careers in music and maybe even studies abroad.
Join us as we work to shape the future of music education in El Salvador. Let’s make music together and create an inspiring community that transcends borders.
Daniel Domínguez
Academic Coordinator
National School of Music in El Salvador
Sample Schedule
Day 1
Fly to El Salvador
Day 2 - 3
Breakfast at the hotel
Masterclasses, chamber rehearsals and lessons in the morning
Lunch at a local restaurant
Side-by-side orchestra rehearsals in the afternoon
Dinner and relaxing with friends
Day 4
A cultural excursion to discover El Salvador!
Possible sites we may visit include:
Parque Nacional el Boquerón: hike to explore an enormous volcano crater
Ataco or Suchitoto: a colonial town with cobbled streets, old churches and artisan shops
La Libertad: a sunny beach town with great seafood and beautiful views of the ocean
Day 5
Breakfast at the hotel
Masterclasses, chamber rehearsals and lessons in the morning
Lunch at a local restaurant
Side-by-side orchestra rehearsals in the afternoon
Dinner and a stroll along Paseo el Carmen, a bustling night market street
Day 6
Dress rehearsal and our final concert at the spectacular Teatro Nacional in historic downtown San Salvador followed by a celebratory meal with new friends.
Day 7
Fly home to California
Eligibility
15-18 years old
Strings, wind or brass instrumentalist
Priority will be given to enrolled students or student volunteers who participate in C’est Bon Summer Music Academy.
Tuition
$1,300
Tuition includes room (double occupancy) and board, all local transportation and activities. Airfare is not included and must be purchased separately. An average round-trip flight to San Salvador is $600-$700.
Application Process
Application will open December 1st.
2025 Testimonials
My experiences in the capital city of San Salvador have left deep impressions on my artistic and personal outlooks. For one, I was very inspired by the enthusiasm of local communities and audiences for our performances and the appreciation with which they received our music.
Dustin Breshears
Playing chamber music with people from a different background was something I already knew I wanted to do beforehand, and through the program, I really got to know and form friendships with students who shared a love for music.
Josephine Tu
I was able to create so many new friendships and connections. Every person I met was friendly and talkative, and I learned an immense amount about El Salvador’s culture and even picked up a bit of Spanish!
Michelle Xie
What impacted me the most about this trip was getting to know the students at the music school. Everyone was so friendly, funny, supportive of each other, and open to learn more about how they could improve. Most of all, they found a lot of genuine joy in making music and wanted to keep getting better and better.
Sophie Ho
I believe I have a further understanding of how I can use my artistry to serve others and I know what I can improve as a performer and communicator. Also, I am very grateful that I got to meet so many new friends and experience an interesting place and culture.
Ryan Beiter
I think I grew a lot during this trip. El Salvador, as a country, is full of kind, compassionate, and generous people. I saw how communities deeply value art and education, even with all the challenges. The friendships I made reminded me how quickly bonds can form when there’s mutual love or interest, in this case, music.
Thais Chernyavsky
