Comprising violist Carlos Walker (they/he) and violinist Sarah Ying Ma (they/she), Bandung Duo is a string duo building Afro-Asian and Third World solidarity through revolutionary art and collaborative projects.
Our name comes from the 1955 Bandung Conference in Bandung, Indonesia, which united 29 nations across Africa and Asia to bring about economic and political understanding, dialogue, action, and solidarity amongst them.
Having first met each other through chamber music performances, our relationship began and continues to flourish because of a mutually shared love for collaboration and cross-disciplinary art. In reckoning with our identities as revolutionary and diasporic people of color, we developed this organization based on a conviction that art is an inherently community-based project.
CARLOS WALKER
Originally from St. Petersburg, Florida, I’m currently based in NYC studying at The Juilliard School and am deeply committed to portraying art as an authentic window through which we view, interact and reflect on the world. No matter the venue, I uphold this same goal in every performance whether it be at a nursing home, domestic violence centers or concert halls. As a musician who owes their career to the incredible work of teachers in the public education system, I am devoted to teaching as a teaching fellow at the Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music. Above all, I am learning to be proud to be a forever learner. Learning was always something I loved as a kid, but growing up through classical music I’ve had to fight the demons of perfectionism and striving for the next thing. This commitment to learning goes beyond learning the viola, but it means researching for projects, learning about how I can better support my community and so much more.
SARAH YING MA
I was born and raised between Queens and Long Island and I’m currently based in Cincinnati, Ohio! Growing up as a diasporic Chinese visual artist and violinist involved in political organizing, I’ve always been super excited about community-based art. Accessible and liberatory music education is my priority; my academic background at Oberlin College included a research focus on culturally responsive pedagogy. I’ve previously served as Teaching Artist at the El Sistema-inspired Classical Music Institute in San Antonio, and provided free lessons for low-income youth through the organization Through The Staff. I’m also a founding member of the Poiesis Quartet, where I direct a number of commission projects and education initiatives. I’m incredibly grateful to have organized and participated in so many protests and public art projects. When we allow art to be explicitly in conversation with activism and social justice, we also encourage and create routes towards accessibility, diversity, and solidarity.
Bandung Duo 