Inclusive Spaces for Competitive Industries

Join Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) for a panel discussion among AAPI performing artists about building inclusive and empowering spaces within the competitive worlds of classical music, opera, and ballet.

The classical arts—deeply rooted in Eurocentric culture—continue to be shaped by long-standing traditions that marginalize voices from the global South, enforce hierarchies in training from a young age, and privilege narrow standards of expression, pedagogy, and artistry. These traditions can limit creative possibility, ignore non-Western contributions, and create environments where many artists feel pressured to assimilate rather than bring their full identities to their work.

Panelists will reflect on their own experiences navigating these systems and share how they are advocating for safer, more inclusive spaces for the current and future generations of performing artists, and explore how shifting these narratives can open the door to new forms of creativity, representation, and community.

Panelists include Sarah Ma, Georgina Pazcoguin, and Nina Yoshida Nelsen, and the discussion will be moderated by Adeline Baban, A4’s Anjeli Jana Memorial Intern.

There will be time for Q&A and refreshments following the panel.

The event is hosted at the Goddard Riverside Bernie Wohl Center, a service organization serving over 22,000 people each year through 32+ programs on the Upper West Side, throughout Manhattan, and in Queens.

This event requires RSVP with a suggested donation of $5.

Agenda:
6:30-6:40 pm (10 min) – Opening Remarks
6:40-7:30 pm (50 min) – Panel
7:30–8:00 pm (30 min) – Q&A
8:00–8:30 pm (30 min) – Mingling

Recording: The panel discussion will be recorded and published on A4’s YouTube channel after the event.

Accessibility: Please note that the eight steps to enter the auditorium are steep, but the stairwell has a railing. The auditorium is not fully wheelchair accessible, as entry requires the use of an automatic chairlift which a person must be able to transfer themselves into or come with a trusted friend/caregiver who is capable of physically lifting in/out of the chair. Please notify us in advance if you are aware of attendees who may require special accommodations.

To keep everyone safe and healthy, if you are not feeling well, please stay at home. We will provide masks and hand sanitizer.

About the Panelists

Filipina American violinist Adeline Baban is a leading advocate for community-building in the arts, spearheading initiatives that unite artists and audiences through collaboration and creative programming. As Executive Director of the Westside Chamber Players, an NYC-based artist-led chamber orchestra founded in 2022, she has platformed early-career musicians, conductors, and composers in over 60 free programs to local communities. Now in its fourth season under her leadership, WCP has launched multiple initiatives beyond its orchestral programming, recently debuting a Young Composers Lab curriculum for elementary school students. Adeline has created new programs for other organizations, such as The Next Festival of Emerging Artists, Manhattan School of Music, and Asian American Arts Alliance, where she serves as the Anjeli Jana Memorial Intern. She will graduate with her Master’s of Music from Manhattan School of Music this May and holds a Bachelor’s of Music in Violin Performance from Mannes School of Music.

Nina Yoshida Nelsen, mezzo-soprano, is a passionate advocate for equity in the arts. Renowned for her countless performances as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, she has graced opera stages across North America and Europe. Equally celebrated for her work in contemporary opera, Ms. Yoshida Nelsen has participated in the world premieres of seven operas, along with their subsequent productions. A versatile artist, Nina is also a distinguished presence on the concert stage, having performed in some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and Royal Albert Hall. Currently serving as the Artistic Director of the Boston Lyric Opera, Nina is also the founder of the Asian Opera Alliance, where she continues to contribute as an Advisor, supporting the growth and visibility of Asian voices in opera.

Georgina Pazcoguin aka the Rogue ballerina is a trailblazing quandam soloist with the New York City Ballet and a prominent advocate for equity in the arts. As the co-founder of Final Bow for Yellowface, she has been instrumental in shifting the cultural landscape by eliminating offensive stereotypes in ballet and promoting authentic representation. Her work extends beyond the stage through “Movement Architecture” and “power consulting “ where she applies her expertise to foster inclusive, high-stakes professional environments.

A multi-hyphenate artist and author of the memoir Swan Dive: The Making of a Rogue Ballerina, Georgina’s career spans Broadway, film, and television. From her selection as a featured subject in the documentary About Face: Disrupting Ballet to her service on the Tony Awards Nominating Committee, she consistently challenges the status quo. Georgina brings a visceral, “grit-heavy” perspective to discussions on inclusivity, leveraging her unique bicoastal experience as a performer, producer, and activist to champion systemic change in competitive spaces.

Celebrated as “art concealing art” (Dallas News), Chinese American violinist Sarah Ying Ma has performed as a soloist around the world and served as American Public Media’s 2024 Performance Today Young Artist. She is a founding member of the Poiesis Quartet, 1st prize winners of the Banff, Concert Artists Guild, and Fischoff competitions, and recipients of the prestigious 2026 Cleveland Quartet Award. Sarah is particularly passionate about integrating the arts in community work and social activism whilst centering non-Western genres and interdisciplinarity. Together with violist Carlos Walker, they are also one-half of the Bandung Duo, which promotes Afro-Asian solidarity through revolutionary art, community aid, and educational outreach. Sarah completed her BM between Oberlin Conservatory and The Juilliard School, where they studied with Sibbi Bernhardsson, Donald Weilerstein, and Li Lin, received two academic minors in gender studies and comparative American studies, and holds an Artist Diploma from the University of Cincinnati.