Youth Empowerment

 
The Ensemble seeks to connect and inform all people who are committed to ensemble music education for youth empowerment and social change.
 
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Dispatches from an Inspiring Trip to Superar Budapest

Danielle Williams, Director of Education, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra OrchKids, Maryland, USA

05-06-2026

If I could offer a travel tip to anyone lucky enough to visit another city or country, it would be this: reach out to a local El Sistema-inspired program, or a similar music for social change program, and visit it! Over the past two decades, I’ve had the privilege of visiting such programs across five continents, learning from colleagues who share a common mission while working in vastly different contexts.

During my spring break this year, a trip to the beautiful country of Hungary led me to connect with the wonderful team at Superar Budapest. What began as a simple visit quickly turned into something much more.

After Years of Outreach, Brass for Africa Puts Down Roots

Ronald Kabuye, Country Director, Brass for Africa – Uganda

05-06-2026

For years, Brass for Africa has worked toward one powerful goal: using music to empower all young people and their communities to fulfill their potential and thrive. Since 2009, that mission has come to life through an outreach model, wherein music and life-skills teachers make long, often demanding journeys across communities.

It worked. It reached thousands. But in 2026, we’re trying something new: the Hub Model.

Summer Rock in the Balkans

05-06-2026

Each summer for the past 18 years, Music Connects has brought 60 young people from divided and marginalized communities across the Western Balkans together in Skopje.

Suggested Reading: Music Reshapes Young Lives in Africa

05-06-2026

The Art of Positive Fatalism – Lessons from Kinshasa is a new book by Lukas Pairon, the founder of the international research organization SIMM (Social Impact of Making Music).

An International Exchange Program Shifts Power Through Music

Siri Syverud Thorsen, Project Manager for Musicians and Organizers Volunteer Exchange (MOVE) at Jeunesses Musicales Norway

02-04-2026

While our daily lives are rattled by increasing global instability, polarization, and apathy, culture workers working toward youth empowerment and social change share many of the same questions. How do we empower young people without transferring unreasonable responsibility? How do we equip and motivate while acknowledging legitimate, sometimes harsh realities? How do we facilitate interconnectedness, in times of global dehumanization?

Arts Communities Drive Manchester Forward

Sam Davies, Founder, The Untold Orchestra; Alumnus, Global Leaders Institute

12-03-2025

“We do things differently.” That’s the motto of Manchester, England—and if you’re walking through the city, it doesn’t take long to see that it prides itself on its innovation and creativity. I’ve been fortunate to spend my 20s here, learning from the legacies of changemakers both past and present. So many of the city’s most impactful figures have been—and still are—artists working directly with communities.

Inspired by the people, creatives, and communities around me, I spent the second half of my 13 years in Manchester founding The Untold Orchestra, a “non-classical” collaborative orchestra that centers community engagement. But this piece isn’t about Untold. It’s about an Art City—that is, a place where arts interventions are prioritized and supported by the people who live there, and then rewarded with community, creativity, and positive social change.

Students Across Continents Sing Their Way to Climate Action

Natalie Osby, Student, Loyola Marymount University; Volunteer and Be Cool! Connections Coordinator, The ClimateMusic Project

12-03-2025

Climate change is a complex, often overwhelming issue, causing many to turn away or disengage from conversations about it. That’s where music comes in. Just as we share this planet, we share the language of music. And when we speak it, we have the power to restore our planet’s health and build a thriving network of changemakers.

Along Italian Coast, a Climate-Conscious Program Turns “Rubbish Into Music”

Chiara Galli, Managing Director, and Stefano Murciano, Communications Manager, LiberaMusica

11-05-2025

In the city where LiberaMusica operates—Pesaro, Italy, right on the Mediterranean coast—the connection with nature is strong and part of everyday life. From the Apennine Mountains to the coastline, children grow up surrounded by an environment that is rich, fragile, and, today more than ever, in need of protection. In recent years, our region has been marked by extreme events: floods, droughts, and changing seasons are reshaping our landscape. Schools and associations have been working hard to raise ecological awareness, and LiberaMusica wanted to contribute by doing what we know best: making music.

Chiquinha Gonzaga Orchestra: Building a Culture of Peace Through Music

Diogo Pereira, Executive Director, Harmony Project Phoenix; Consultant, Instituto Brasileiro de Música e Educação (IBME)

11-05-2025

The Brazilian Institute of Music and Education (IBME – Instituto Brasileiro de Música e Educação) was launched in 2011 with just 15 students. Today, it serves more than 4,000 young people and continues to grow. Among its many talented ensembles, one stands out: the Orquestra Sinfônica Juvenil Chiquinha Gonzaga, an all-female youth orchestra that celebrates the intersection of Brazilian classical and popular music.

Sistema Cyprus Awarded Pompidou Group Prevention Prize

11-05-2025

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