Laurette Goldberg Award

2025 Recipient: Renate Weiland

Renate Weiland is a Brazilian music educator based in Curitiba, in the south of Brazil. She holds a degree in Music Teaching, a Master’s degree in Education, and a Doctorate in Education. She is currently a retired professor from the Music Teaching Department at UNESPAR – Campus I Embap, State University of Paraná.

In 2010, she conceived and established the Projeto Música no Bairro/Dorcas (Music in the Neighborhood/Dorcas Project) in Almirante Tamandaré, a socioeconomically vulnerable area in the metropolitan region of Curitiba, with the objective of providing free music education to children and young people. Over the years, the project has expanded its activities and now offers recorder, brass instrument, and choral classes, as well as other educational initiatives—all free of charge.

Since 2019, she has nurtured a recorder ensemble, Ensemble Simul, bringing together students who wished to deepen their musical journey. With this group, they have explored early music with dedication and passion, discovering its richness together. Today, some of these young musicians are already pursuing university studies, and one has even advanced to a Master’s program in Early Music in Germany—a source of great pride and inspiration for all of us.

The Projeto Música no Bairro embodies Renate Weiland’s lifelong dream. She has always believed that every child, regardless of their background, deserves the joy and pleasure of creating and experiencing music. She emphasizes that music reaches dimensions where words and thoughts cannot, enabling individuals to discover themselves both intellectually and emotionally. The project has demonstrated in practice the transformative power of music in countless lives.

I am deeply honored to have been selected as a recipient of the Laurette Goldberg Award. I wish to express my sincere gratitude for this recognition, which inspires me to continue striving for excellence.
-Lenora Mendes

Past Recipients