Young Trumpet Player from Cuba Wins Warner Music Latina Scholarship

Arlen Borrego Miranda, a promising young trumpet player from Mantua, Pinar del Río, Cuba, has been awarded the Warner Music Latina Scholarship 2025. This prestigious opportunity will allow her to pursue her studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, United States. This achievement signifies a pivotal moment in her career and the fulfillment of a dream that began almost by chance when she was 10 years old.

The Berklee College of Music's Spanish Facebook page announced that the scholarship was presented during the 2025 Scholarship Ceremony in collaboration with the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. The event awarded a total of 50 scholarships to students worldwide. Also honored at the ceremony was Catalan saxophonist Aina López Pla, who received the Emerging Talent 2025 scholarship. The ceremony, held at the Frost School of Music in Miami, featured a special performance by Venezuelan singer-songwriter Elena Rose, a nominee for both the Latin GRAMMY and the GRAMMY.

This year, the foundation has granted over $1.3 million in scholarships to support young musicians. In an interview with OnCuba, Arlen expressed her excitement and gratitude: "It is truly monumental for me. Coming from where I am and reaching this point is incredibly rewarding." She recalled that after initially not securing a full scholarship, she applied to the Latin GRAMMY Foundation and Warner Music, ultimately receiving the financial backing to continue her education.

Arlen's musical journey began at the School of Art in Pinar del Río, where she enrolled without any family background in music. Inspired by her teacher Janio Abreu, a Berklee alumnus, she progressed to become one of the most prominent young trumpet players on the island. Her goals are twofold: to establish herself as a Cuban performer on the international scene and to highlight the presence of female trumpet players, an area where Cuba lacks recognized figures.

With experience in the Anacaona orchestra, Arlen hopes her time at Berklee will allow her to immerse herself in the musical diversity of her peers while sharing the rich rhythms of Cuban music. This recognition comes amidst a wave of Cuban musicians receiving international scholarships. Earlier this year, David Virelles, a pianist and composer from Santiago de Cuba, was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Musical Composition, a prestigious honor noted for its rigorous selection criteria. In 2024, another Santiago native, pianist Aruán Ortiz, also received this fellowship, further establishing Cuba's presence in the global music elite.

In stark contrast to the hardships many artists face on the island, international scholarships have become a lifeline and a source of recognition for young talents like Arlen Borrego Miranda. Her success represents the resilience of a generation determined to express themselves freely. The presence of young Cuban musicians in the United States continues to grow, driven by the talent and determination of artists seeking to make their mark on the competitive international stage.

Among these emerging talents is singer, pianist, and composer Melvis Santa, who was selected as a recipient of the New Music USA Creator Fund 2025, one of the country's most prestigious music creation grants. With this support, she plans to develop a project in collaboration with Brazilian guitarist Vinicius Gomes from their base in Brooklyn, blending their cultural roots.