I searched high and low for a classical musician who looked like me. The man I found has changed my life | Olivette Otele

The 300-year-old music of Joseph Bologne opened the door to magic and connection, and took me to Guadeloupe this year

• What brought you hope and joy in 2023? Writers share their stories

This has been a tumultuous year across the globe. One of the low points for me has been watching police targeting young Black musicians, especially drill artists in Australia and the UK, for whom making music remains a way out of poverty and gang life.

Despite this bleak state of affairs, there is a kind of hope that can keep us grounded in compassion, solidarity and excellence. For me, that hope is music. This year, my passion for classical music was taken to another level while participating in the Festival International de Musique Saint-Georges in Guadeloupe.

Olivette Otele is distinguished professor of the legacies and memory of slavery at Soas University of London