JAVS Summer 2026

For three years, Young traveled regularly to NEOJIBA, spending two weeks there every month and a half. His classes emphasized scales, arpeggios, etudes, posture, left-hand organization, and bow technique. The goal was not merely technical proficiency, but the development of habits that students could later pass on to others. Young believed that technical instruction and musical expression are inseparable. He also worked to create an atmosphere that was rigorous but encouraging. Humor became one of his most effective teaching tools, helping students remember technical concepts while maintaining a sense of joy and engagement. Fellow teacher Eduardo Torres emphasized that the program’s goals extended beyond musical achievement. “The final goal,” he said, “is not just producing better musicians, but better people.” The objective is not simply individual advancement, but the cultivation of a community in which students assume responsibility for one another’s growth. This emphasis on peer mentorship reflected a recurring theme throughout Young’s teaching. Just as The Deal encouraged students to pass opportunities forward, the method he put into place encouraged them to become teachers and leaders themselves. Beauty and Service Soon thereafter, Young was asked to provide a Comprehensive String Pedagogy & Curriculum for BATUTA, Colombia’s huge network of social/music projects, modeled after Venezuela’s El Sistema. Published by Ovation Press, it is currently used by both Sistema inspired organizations and traditional youth orchestras in the U.S. and abroad. In even the most dry and predictable exercises, every note should be expressive. For this reason, vibrato is encouraged—not so much that it masks the pitch, but enough to suggest that beauty is never an afterthought. Indeed, there is enough ugliness and chaos that surrounds us in our everyday lives. And all too often we have little control of these things. But at the moment we put the bow to the strings, we have the power to dictate the beauty in our immediate environment. In its introduction, he wrote:

The passage reveals the heart behind Young’s approach to teaching: technical excellence is never an end in itself; rather technique, discipline, and musicianship are tools through which students can develop confidence, purpose, and the capacity to contribute to others. It also acknowledges the sometimes harsh realities that many Latin American students regularly face in their daily lives. This viewpoint is underscored by Dr. Anna Murakawa, one of Young’s Brazilian students who first studied with him when she was sixteen. Now thirty-four and a faculty member of the Sydney (Australia) Conservatorium of Music, she states: “Richard teaches us that our work is, ultimately, the pursuit of beauty. Along the way, he challenges us to look beyond the notes, to understand the music’s history and motivation, and to approach every performance with discipline, curiosity, and generosity. Student Mentees As Young’s reputation among young Latin American musicians began to circulate through the student music community, several made extraordinary efforts to work with him. One was Jesus Mujica, a remarkable violist who received his basic musical training through Venezuela’s El Sistema before moving to Mexico to find work. Unable to afford a plane ticket to Brazil, where Young was teaching, Mujica traveled by bus from Guadalajara, Mexico—an exhausting four-day journey. He considered it a small price to pay for what he believed could be a life-changing opportunity. Young later helped him enroll at the Reina Sofía School of Music in Spain to study with his good friend Nobuko Imai, who had previously played in the Vermeer Quartet. up-and-coming cellists is Colombia’s Santiago Cañón Valencia, who now performs with many of the world’s leading orchestras. When Cañón was competing in major international competitions, he did not own a fine instrument, placing him at a significant disadvantage against contestants who had been loaned exceptional cellos from important private collections. Young used his connections to help Cañón borrow instruments of comparable quality. Young has continued his involvement in various other programs in Latin America, where he has never stopped helping worthy players. In fact, it seems wherever he goes he is drawn to them and vice versa. For example, he He has also helped highly deserving young Latin American musicians in other ways. One of today’s most outstanding

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 42, Summer 2026 Online Issue

49