Ms Caitlyn Kamminga --:-- EiTA Winner, 2023

Academic Unit: Academy for the Performing Arts

Ms Caitlyn Kamminga, Associate Professor of Music at the Academy for the Performing Arts has dedicated herself to the UTT's vision for the socioeconomic transformation of Trinidad and Tobago by activating young people's artistry for a range of civic purposes.  The Teaching Artist Pathway at the UTT APA, designed and authored by Ms. Kamminga, trains student teaching artists to utilize their performance skills in meaningful and relevant ways within the community. 

She continues to underscore; Teaching Artists are practicing professionals who include education in their practice. As a practicing professional musician, Caitlyn Kamminga has worked and toured worldwide with major symphony orchestras, such as the BBC, London Phil-harmonic and Phil-harmonia and recorded the symphonic repertoire extensively. 

Whilst working for the BBC she regularly recorded soundtracks for television productions, such as Dr Who.  Since accepting her post at UTT, she has been the recipient of major grants from the United States Embassy to Trinidad and Tobago and the Vincent Wilkinson Foundation for the creation of new works, including Jab Molassie and River of Freedom, which received an American premiere in 2018 in New York and was also performed by the UTT Ibis Ensemble to high acclaim at the African American Museum in Philadelphia in 2019. 

Her students build skills in communication, public speaking, collaborative thinking and problem solving and they learn to match their art and abilities to community needs.  

Ms Kamminga is surrounded by a wide range of world class teaching artists at UTT Academy and is honored to be representing the Academy for the Performing Arts for the 2023 Excellence in Teaching Award.