Musicians without Borders was established during the Kosovo war by a multicultural community of musicians based in The Netherlands. Touring several Balkan countries, they gathered musicians from all ethnic groups to make music together.

MwB also found partners in local music, peace and human rights organizations in Macedonia, Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Together they organized multi-ethnic music festivals, children’s workshops, musicians’ exchanges and programs to replace lost instruments.

These activities led to many cooperative projects and several long-term programs, such as The Music Bus (traveling music classrooms for children from Srebrenica); the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble ("Dutch Wind Ensemble") exchange in Sarajevo, and the Pop/Rock school for youth in the divided city of Mitrovica, Kosovo.

 

Since the end of the Balkan war, teams of MwB performers, teachers, and ambassadors have traveled regularly to Macedonia, Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina – as well as to Israel, Palestine, the United States and throughout The Netherlands – participating in peace and reconciliation festivals; performing concerts; giving classes; delighting children in schools and refugee camps with singing, dancing and percussion workshops; and introducing colleague musicians to the use of music in traumatized settings to help heal wounds and create a culture of peace.

Looking forward to expanding our reacht, network alliances have been established in Uganda and in Cyprus.

 

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