Curatorial and Collections Department
Born in Santiago, Chile, Rodrigo Correa-Salas comes from a family of artists. His older brother is a painter and sculptor; another brother is a pianist and orchestra conductor; his mother was a ballerina and Spanish dancer; and his grandfather was a renowned violinist and orchestra conductor. Prior to MIM, Correa worked as a luthier and instrument conservator for nearly two decades in the United States, Panama, and Chile. He was the official luthier of the annual Casals Festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and custodian of Maestro Casals’s violoncello in the Pablo Casals Museum.
Correa graduated cum laude from Puerto Rico’s Conservatory of Music, with a bachelor’s degree in music education and a minor in violoncello. He later obtained an associate of science degree in string instrument technology (magna cum laude) from Indiana University, while doing parallel studies in cello. He has played in various baroque, classical, and popular music groups in the United States and the Caribbean.
Correa’s role as conservator is to examine, document, repair, and maintain musical instruments and other objects in MIM’s collection, while coordinating closely with the curatorial team. He also collaborates in installing gallery exhibitions and advises team members about conservation practices.