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to reaching out and giving back to the community. Our orchestra takes pride in making an impact on the space around us, and in order to do so, we organize means of outreach that let us make meaningful connections in the greater Boston area. Whether we're playing pieces with younger musicians, inspiring curiosity, or just answering questions about how to take care of instruments, we strive to make a difference in the world.
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Dacha Thurber (violin) and Catherine Deskur (bass) played jazz, classical, and oldies music for seniors, returning to Neville Place.
"We have had many members of Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra (HRO) perform for the residents at Neville Place Assisted Living in Cambridge! Each and every visit has been a thrilling experience, leaving residents, associates and families impressed and entertained. Neville seniors love how HRO musicians not only perform, but how they enhance their entertainment by thoughtfully introducing every piece. This welcomes an intellectual engagement component. We look forward to continuing our partnership with HRO!"
- Brooke Maler
EnrichedLIFE Director
Neville Place
Nick Lee (horn), Veronica Li (clarinet), and Caroline Hsu (piano) returned to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School to play Disney songs and other well-known tunes for over 100 elementary school kids.
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On 2/27, HRO violinists Cal Alexander and Sava Thurber played fun tunes for preschool kids at the Cambridge-Ellis School.
"Our visit from Cal and Sava ranks high on our list of favorite children's concerts. They played children's music on their violins and reached the children with their excellent song choices. They designed a program with clever interactive components, even a child sized violin for children to try. Their 30 minute gig was spot on for our group of children ages 2-6 and the children and teachers all left smiling. We are already planning to invite them back."
- Katie Clark
Arts Educator & Summer Program Director
Cambridge-Ellis School
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Dacha Thurber (violin) and Catherine Deskur (bass) returned on behalf of HRO to Neville Place and played jazz, classical, and oldies music for seniors.
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HRO members Puyuan Ye (oboe), Liz Li (flute), Louis Auxenfans (clarinet), Rahul Prasad (bassoon), and Chris Li (horn) played a wind quintet arrangement of Peter and the Wolf for around 100 elementary school kids at the Baldwin School.
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On 12/9, HRO members Dacha Thurber ‘25 (violin), Ella Kim ‘27 (violin), Esther Clayton ‘27 (viola), and Isaac Newman ‘25 (cello) performed at the Brighton Church of Pentecost for their Live Christmas Carols Orchestra Concert. Some of the carols were performed in conjunction with their local church choir, and it was a joy getting to collaborate with them! The lovely evening was full of community bonding and lots of holiday cheer.
"Working with Veronica Li in planning the concert was great and seamless. Despite the busy schedule the response was swiftly and on time. We can’t thank you enough for the professionalism and the wonderful music experience you provided during the Allston, Brighton, and Watertown communities Christmas Carol concert.
All our guests and congregants had a great time; many still talk about how great the music was and highlighted your music as the best part of the evening. The music and energy that the group provided really made it a great concert!"
- Lawrence B. Mensah, Ph.D.
The Church of Pentecost USA Inc.
Boston District, Brighton, MA
Anjeli Macaranas (violin) and Isaiah Kim (cello) performed for the elderly at Neville Place.
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In collaboration with Back to Bach, Christine Lee (violin), Brendon Lau (viola), Veronica Li (clarinet), Noah Lee (cello), Dylan Wu (cello), and Harvey Lin (piano) performed at Rindge Avenue Upper School.
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"I would like to extend my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra (HRO) for their assembly performance on March 31, 2023. This assembly was held before our entire school (grades PK-5) and was both educational and inspirational.
Dacha Thurber [violin], Caroline Hsu [piano], and Catherine Deskur [bass] wonderfully captured the dedication and thrill of learning how to play instruments and make music during their hour-long assembly. They weaved student questions and interests to spotlight the joy of playing music. This was a dynamic performance - engaging, interactive, and educational. It was of no surprise that students and teachers approached me afterwards to ask when they could come back.
Thank you so much to the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra for providing our students with this wonderful opportunity. I would also like to advocate for continuing to have this resource available to the MLK community and to other elementary schools in the Boston and GreaterBoston metro area."
- Gerald Yung, Principal of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School
“The HRO outreach group came to Nashua, NH to perform for an after-school program at Dr. Norman Crisp Elementary School. It was the latest in their series of visits to Nashua since 2015. The school they visited has a population of mostly minorities who don’t get a lot of opportunities to see, hear, or touch an orchestral instrument. The young elementary school kids were enthralled with theHRO group’s performance and ecstatic about trying out instruments. The impact a visit like this has on these kids is immeasurable. “
- Nancy Goodwin, Director Upbeat New Hampshire
