Project STEP welcomes Javier Caballero as the organization’s new artistic director.
With a career in the performing arts spanning over 20 years, Caballero has worked as a performing artist, educator, and arts administrator. As a cellist, he studied with Scott Kluksdahl at the University of South Florida and Rhonda Rider at the Boston Conservatory. Performances have taken him to China, Turkey, and France, as well as Palestine and Israel with the Al Kamandjati Music School. Locally, he frequently performs with various groups such as Shelter Music Boston, Lexington Symphony and SpeakEasy Stage Company, and has recorded several albums with Middle Eastern, New Age, Balkan, and Indie Rock groups.
As Project STEP’s artistic director, Caballero works closely with the executive director to develop and implement the organization’s artistic vision, while leading youth development in line with Project STEP’s mission and core values. Project STEP, a nationally recognized nonprofit based in Boston, is a string training education program for talented young musicians from communities that are historically underrepresented in classical music.
Caballero has a long history with Project STEP, having previously served in a variety of positions with the organization over a period of ten years between 2007 and 2017 including four years as artistic director. During that tenure, Project STEP visited the White House twice, and, on a separate occasion, Caballero gave a presentation at the National Endowment for the Arts on Project STEP’s legacy of artistic excellence.
Project STEP (String Training Education Program) is a non-profit classical string instrument training program. Project STEP recognizes that certain racial and ethnic minorities are vastly underrepresented in classical music.