Curaçao meets Jostiband: music that opens hearts

Sometimes music says more than words ever could.
In early October 2025, cheerful melodies and warm sounds filled the sunny island of Curaçao. Not just a series of concerts, but a meaningful encounter: the island was introduced to the Jostiband, the world’s largest orchestra of people with intellectual disabilities.

Thanks to the collaboration between local partners, Rotary Club Curaçao, and the support of the Corendon Foundation, the special project “Curaçao meets Jostiband” became a reality.

Music as a bridge between worlds
The Jostiband showed that music knows no boundaries, neither of language, culture, nor disability.

During workshops and concerts, people with and without disabilities came together to learn, laugh, and, above all, make music together.

Local music teachers also received training, ensuring the project would have a lasting impact on the island. One hundred music kits filled with instruments and educational materials were left behind, ready to inspire a new generation of children on Curaçao.

Stronger together
“With this project, we wanted to show that joy, talent, and opportunity are universal,” says conductor Lyan Verburg. “Music opens doors, on Curaçao just as much as it does in the Netherlands.”

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