The 2025-26 performance season of CayMusicA opened on 18 Sept. with a sold-out concert at the George Town Public Library.
Accomplished international pianist and CayMusicA’s artistic director and co-founder, Glen Inanga, was joined by the organisation’s star alumnus, cellist Dequan Smith McConvey, in performing long pieces by Chopin and Beethoven at the Music at the Library event.
Earlier last week, the organisation announced a change of name from Cayman Arts Festival to CayMusicA to better reflect how it has evolved over its 21-year history.
Inanga said he was thrilled to once again perform with Smith McConvey, who learned to play the cello in CayMusicA’s music education programme and is now entering his final year of study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
“It is a very special treat when Dequan visits from his studies,” Inanga said. “I always learn something new and I’m delighted to perform with him. I’m also very pleased that we are starting off our season this year with such a marvellous programme.”
Upcoming events
This week, CayMusicA will present another Music at the Library event on Thursday, 25 Sept. starting at 6pm. The evening will focus on solo and choral performances featuring songs from K-pop, musicals, jazz, popular music and a cappella worship selections from several local performers and the John Gray High School Youth Chamber Choir.
The following week, the fourth annual Cayman Piano Festival will get under way on 2 Oct. and run until 11 Oct. This year’s lineup of performers will include one of CayMusicA’s rising stars, Marlon Cortes, who is a student at the University College of the Cayman Islands and studies piano with Inanga.
Music at the Library concerts are planned for each month up to June 2026. Christmas concerts are also planned and CayMusicA’s Cayman Arts Festival, the annual series of events, will run from 4 to 14 Feb.
CayMusicA’s Executive Director Marius Gaina noted that although the name of the organisation has changed, it will retain the name Cayman Arts Festival for its annual series of concerts in February.
“The Cayman Arts Festival has been running for more than 20 years, and we’ve seen so many talented musicians and artists participate over that time,” he said. “For 2026, we’re pleased to be able to focus on the amazing talent available from our alumni and artists from the Cayman Islands. It promises to be a very special festival.”
On the education front, CayMusicA’s Starlight programme kicked off as well this month. The afterschool programme has grown significantly over the years. Frances McConvey, previous head of music for John Gray High School and the leader of the programme, said: “We have grown from a handful of students when we first started to several hundred at the start of this term, with teachers coming from many schools to instruct students.
“A key goal for our programme is to find students with talent and support them through classes, providing instruments and instruction throughout their musical journey.”
For tickets to events or more information on CayMusicA, visit the organisation’s website, email [email protected] or call 922-5550.
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