Paloma Udovic Ramos, a violinist since age three, began performing and teaching in the Los Angeles area in 2004. Prior to Harmony Project, she was an Education Associate and Teaching Artist at Southwest Chamber Music where she led a curriculum of chamber and new music outreach. Paloma joined Harmony Project in 2009 to oversee and manage the YOLA EXPO site. She had the intricate job of coordinating between three very different partners; the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Harmony Project, and the EXPO Center through the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. Inspired by Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, YOLA EXPO has provided free instruments, intensive music training, wrap-around social services, and academic support to students from South LA for the past six years. With her direction, the program tripled in size and depth, and now includes 3 full orchestras and 300 students. In 2010, Paloma helped to create and pilot Harmony Project’s Peer Mentoring Program at YOLA EXPO to engage older students and help them develop important life skills.

Paloma is now Program Director for all Harmony Project programs, serving over 2000 students in LA County. She leads the programs refinement and expansion, and is responsible for the strategic vision as well as its day-to-day planning, implementation, and evaluation.

Paloma has contributed several articles to publications focusing on the El Sistema movement, including the Teaching Artist Journal and The Ensemble, A newsletter for the U.S. El Sistema Movement. She is also a contributor in the book Music For Social Change: Lessons For Adapting El Sistema, to be published in 2014. Paloma holds Bachelor of Arts Degree from Northwestern University in Anthropology, with a focus on Ethnomusicology and Latin American Studies. In May 2013, Paloma earned a Community Counselor Certification from the Southern California Counseling Center.