Project STEP announces that Dr. Ian Saunders will step away from his role as Artistic Director on October 10, 2026, marking the close of an extraordinary chapter of artistic leadership and growth for our community.
Dr. Saunders has served as Artistic Director from 2022–2026 and as Interim Executive Director in 2025. During these years, he helped lead STEP through a period of remarkable artistic expansion and renewed community connection. Under his leadership, our students performed and collaborated with distinguished artists and ensembles, took their music to new stages and audiences, explored composition and self-expression, and participated in partnerships that connected them to the broader musical community in Boston and beyond.
Noted highlights include STEP students learning from and making music with an extraordinary group of artists: Augustin Hadelich, Midori, Rachel Barton Pine, Gustavo Dudamel, Zakiyyah, Daniel Bernard Roumain, Black Violin, artists from Silkroad Ensemble, members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, among many others. Dr. Saunders also built meaningful collaborations with Emmanuel Music, Longwood Symphony Orchestra, Castle of our Skins, A Far Cry, and top music organizations throughout Boston’s musical community.
He established composition as a meaningful part of the STEP experience, giving students opportunities to work with remarkable composers including Carlos Simon, Jessie Montgomery, Eric Nathan, and others. And he created the Lab Orchestra so that students could hear their own music brought to life by STEP faculty.
Last season, that work reached another milestone through Horacio Fernández Vázquez’s Cumbia de la luna, a work written intentionally across our developmental levels so that students at different stages could participate in one shared artistic idea. Rather than asking our students to fit themselves into a commission, the music itself was built around their growth. In doing so, STEP helped set a national precedent for what a Pathways program can imagine and commission for an entire community of young musicians.
Perhaps most importantly, Dr. Saunders believed deeply in what our students could accomplish. He helped create opportunities for them not simply to prepare for a future in music, but to see themselves as artists right now.
As he reflected on his time at STEP, Dr. Saunders shared:
“I got to watch students who once arrived carrying instruments nearly as large as they were grow into confident young musicians and people. I got to watch students discover that their ideas and their voices belonged in the room. I got to watch families celebrate accomplishments that once seemed far away. And I got to watch STEP stretch itself, not because it needed to become something other than itself, but because we kept discovering what was possible when we believed fully in our students and refused to place small expectations around their potential.”
The Barros Family, who have several children in the Project STEP program, beautifully captured the impact of his leadership:
“Thank you (Dr. Ian Saunders) for everything you have done for the students and families at Project STEP. What a joy to watch our children blossom under your wise guidance. You have a steady loving presence that defined the current STEP culture of excellence and hard work. It has been a pleasure to witness the growth and success of the program under your leadership.”
Everyone at Project STEP is deeply grateful to Dr. Saunders for the artistry and care he brought to Project STEP. His contributions have helped strengthen a culture of excellence that will continue to shape the experiences of our students for years to come.
As Dr. Saunders begins his next professional chapter, we look forward to celebrating all that he has contributed to STEP and to building upon the strong artistic foundation he leaves behind. Even after his departure, we will see his great work reflected in the upcoming season.
“Dr. Saunders gave our students the belief that they are artists now, not someday. That belief is part of who STEP is, and it stays with us. His work here is a legacy we are proud to carry forward. This season continues with the faculty and staff our families know and trust, and we look forward to sharing our plans for artistic leadership soon. As we approach our 45th anniversary, we are building on his foundation to reach more young musicians and deepen the education we offer. To our friends and donors, thank you. Because of you, that belief will meet a new generation of young musicians.” – Élider DiPaula, Executive Director
