When clarinet player Su Min Pyo performed “Danzón No. 2” by Arturo Márquez Navarro in Mexico with the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, she was surprised when the Mexican audience members started dancing, and some even became teary-eyed.
“I think at first, the people in the audience were kind of in shock that an American orchestra really took the time to learn these [Mexican] pieces and performed them for them,” she said.
Pyo was one of eight Belmont musicians who were selected to join the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, which spent 15 days engaging in cultural exchange workshops and performing in six venues across Mexico. The Boston orchestra was led by world-renowned conductor Benjamin Zander. The other musicians from Belmont include violinists Daphne Lee, Hailey Peck, Priscilla Lee, and Ian Lee, as well as cellists Jaiden Lee, Fiona Rodriguez-Clark, and Henry Munroe.
Exploring Possibility
Zander founded the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra in 1979 and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in 2012.
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He views the youth orchestra—with players ranging in age from 12 to 23—as an opportunity to encourage young people to grow as musicians and future leaders.
“Who they are going to be for the rest of their life will depend on who they are for this period, and so I feel an enormous privilege, responsibility and excitement to be involved with them in their development, their training … [and] the broadening of their worldview,” he said.
Zander encourages the young musicians to embrace what he refers to as “the art of possibility.”
“We go in that spirit: open, curious, [and] unencumbered by assumptions,” Zander said. “We are ready for whatever happens with joy and open-heartedness. And if you go into life that way, the most amazing things happen.”
Pyo recalled one such moment: The orchestra visited the city of Puebla, where 15 years prior, Zander connected with the creators of Esperanza Azteca. His visit contributed to the establishment of the now national organization, which empowers Mexican youth through music education.
In Puebla, members of the youth orchestra played alongside young musicians from Esperanza Azteca. The joint orchestra, comprising more than 200 players from the United States and Mexico, blended together in surprising musical harmony, according to Pyo.
Members of the joint orchestra also discussed their musical backgrounds and learned from one another’s musical styles.
“A lot of the people in our orchestra couldn’t speak Spanish, but just through music, we were connecting,” said Pyo.
Zander said it’s the children who carry the message of friendship, care and mutual respect.
“We did a lot of building of deep love, affection, and understanding between the two countries,” he added.
Following one of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra’s concerts, the American ambassador stationed in Veracruz approached Zander and whispered in his ear, “You did more good tonight with your concert than all the politicians.”
Growing Together
The concert tour was funded through donations to the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, allowing the young musicians to travel at no cost.
Every year, the orchestra selects a different tour destination, with some past locales including the Czech Republic, South Africa, Brazil, and Greece.
“We put an enormous amount of fundraising efforts into creating these tours … to bring together young people from different areas so that they understand each other and that they open up pathways to relationship and to joy,” Zander said.
The wide age range of the orchestra also enables the youth musicians to learn from one another, with the mix of conservatory, college, and international students enhancing the experience, said cellist Fiona Rodriguez-Clark.
“My first impression was just how nice everybody was,” she said. “It’s just such a supportive and motivating learning environment.”
Zander said he encourages his students to develop their skills, sensitivity, and ultimately, love, through the program. “It’s really all love in the end,” he said.
As for the tour, Rodriguez-Clark said it awakened in her an awareness of the impact each person can make on the world.
“My two main takeaways are that it’s important to have really big dreams, even when they seem impossible … and that we can all contribute, even in little ways,” she said.