Empower Easter Island's future through Music & Art

In addition to the regular classes we hold at Toki School, this year we're bringing our music programs into the community through a traveling choir and orchestra initiative, led by professors Cynthia Lemarie and Hermes Villalobos.

We have been working closely with various institutions: the island's Penitentiary Center, the Senior Citizens Home, the Youth Protection Center, three schools, and the Tongariki Cultural Center.

These workshops complement Toki's work on campus, where we offer classes in painting, ukulele, saxophone, choir, flute, percussion, piano, violin, and cello, as well as seven other instrumental support courses.

Around 150 students, from children to elders, are benefiting monthly from our school programs.

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It finally arrived! Donated piano travels from the U.S. to our Marae

It took three years for the grand piano donated by writer and musician Loralee Cooley in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to reach Rapa Nui.

The 1961 Steinway & Sons piano, a gift from her parents in her youth, had been lovingly restored and accompanied her throughout her life, through ten moves.

After being donated to Toki, the piano reached Los Angeles, California, but remained there nearly three years until it was possible to bring it to the island.

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Juga becomes Toki’s first Global Ambassador

Chilean artist Juga was appointed as Toki's first Global Ambassador, with the mission of spreading and promoting the organization’s work internationally.

In a moving ceremony, our director Mahani Teave gifted her a basalt toki — the ancestral tool used to carve moai — as a symbol of how we now shape a better future through art, culture, collaboration, and education for sustainable development.

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Chess Club founded with Chilean Chess Foundation

As part of the 1st Chess Festival on Rapa Nui, held June 9–13 and in celebration of World Environment Day, Toki organized a contest inviting the community to create musical instruments and chess pieces from recycled materials.

On the final day, alongside national chess champion Javiera Gómez, the Mama Piru Chess Club was founded in memory of the late matriarch and environmental activist.

This initiative, led and funded by the Chilean Chess Foundation, is being developed by Toki due to the many benefits this practice brings to youth.

The club offers free classes every Monday and Wednesday for young people up to age 18.

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Luthiers give new life to instruments

In recent months, we welcomed luthiers Shane Ellis (piano) and Reynaldo Ferrera (strings) to Toki. They performed maintenance and repairs on school instruments, including those on loan to students.

Ferrera also trained our violin and cello teachers, Yarella Alvear and Elizabeth Despouse, and led a public lutherie workshop.

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Toki celebrates Indigenous People’s Day

On June 24, we commemorated Indigenous Peoples Day, coinciding with our monthly teachers' concert.

The event celebrated the richness of Indigenous cultures across Chile and highlighted music as a powerful connector amid diversity.

In times when the world needs more love and dialogue, the concert reminded us of the many things that unite us.

Held at Hotel Nayara Hangaroa, it featured performances by teachers Carlos Campusano (percussion), Adrián Hetereki Tuki (ukulele), Matías Huaquiñir (saxophone), Hermes Villalobos (multi-instrumentalist), and Cynthia Lemarie (soprano).

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Mahani Teave performs at Expo Osaka 2025

On May 12, Chile celebrated its national day at Expo Osaka in Japan. Our founder and piano teacher Mahani Teave was invited to take part in the official ceremony led by President Gabriel Boric.

Mahani opened the cultural segment alongside artists like Congreso, Bafona, Banda Conmoción, and Karcocha, bringing a message from Rapa Nui about identity, sustainability, and purposeful art.

She invited Toki violinist Tahai Icka onstage to join her for a piece and shared a video showcasing our foundation’s work, using her platform to highlight our mission.

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Students and professionals perform monthly

Month after month, we've offered a rich cultural program organized by ONG Toki.

We've hosted piano concerts by Mahani Teave and Valeria Prado, choral performances led by our soprano teacher Cynthia Lemarie, and many other concerts by our teaching staff.

In addition to these educational opportunities, our children and young students perform monthly in a Multilevel Showcase, where they can demonstrate their progress, build confidence, and involve their families in their learning process.