Kaitlyn Choi '28 (oboe), Louis Auxenfans '27 (clarinet), and Tommy Gustafson '26 (trombone) played French, Spanish, and Mandarin songs for students in the language immersion class at the Cambridge-Ellis School.

"Every visit we've had, I am always blown away by how beautifully the HRO students work with the children. They are all so warm and kind and seem to have an excellent sense of how to work with this young age group. The songs were perfect for us and they went over the top to learn our requests! The variety of instruments has been an extra bonus because these children had never seen or heard a clarinet, oboe or trombone. Our relationship with HRO perfectly meets our goal of building relationships with our local community."

- Katie Clark, Arts Coordinator at the Cambridge-Ellis School

Bianca Ciubancan '28 (violin), Dacha Thurber '25 (violin), Veronica Li '26 (clarinet), Zach Piesner '28 (bassoon), and Nick Lee '25 (horn) played Disney songs for patients and their families at Good Shepherd Community Care.

"The Pedi Pal program at Good Shepherd Community Care was delighted to work with the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra on a fall event. They showed up with great professionalism and adaptability throughout the entire process, from discussing the plans and schedule, to workshopping different music selections and conversing about the various needs of our patients and families. The families who attended were raving about how much they and their children enjoyed spending time with excellent musicians who were not only extremely talented, but personable, friendly, and went the extra mile to make sure everyone felt included. We look forward to continuing to work together in the future!"

- Bryanna Tobin, Expressive Arts Therapies Supervisor at Good Shepherd Community Care

HRO members return to Neville Place Assisted Living Place at Fresh Pond, with Bianca Ciubancan '28 (violin), Ben Fortuin '27 (viola), Brendon Lau '26 (viola), and Veronica Li '26 (clarinet) playing oldies and jazz tunes for residents.

Ben Fortuin '27 (viola), Kobby Owusu '27 (cello), Veronica Li '26 (clarinet), and Nick Lee '25 (horn) performed Disney songs and other fun tunes for elementary students at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School.

"We are grateful to the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra for an outstanding performance today! With over 350 of our students in attendance, the orchestra’s talent and energy brought music to life in a way that was both captivating and educational. This experience was especially meaningful for our 5th-grade students as they prepare to start learning an instrument, while also giving our younger students an invaluable first exposure to live orchestral music. The students loved learning about the pieces and the instruments, and the engagement across all ages was truly inspiring. Thank you for creating such a memorable and impactful experience for our school community!"

- Gerald Yung, principal of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School

Eddy Kang '28 (violin), John Kim '28 (violin), Dacha Thurber '25 (violin), Ben Fortuin '27 (viola), Veronica Li '26 (clarinet), and Zach Piesner '28 (bassoon) play oldies, jazz, and classical music for residents at the Neville Place Assisted Living at Fresh Pond.

Bianca Ciubancan '28 (violin), Eddy Kang '28 (violin), Ella Kim '27 (violin), Veronica Li '26 (clarinet), and Zach Piesner '28 (bassoon) visited the Miriam Boyd Parlin Hospice Residence, playing oldies, jazz, and classical music.

"Your visit was amazing! The patients really enjoyed your music. Their families and staff enjoyed it too! Before your next performance I can go around and collect some song requests and email them to you. I was so impressed by your group. You are such talented musicians and kind and professional people. We’re fortunate to have you!"

- Nancy McEwan, Hospice Residence Director at the Miriam Boyd Parlin Hospice Residence

Dacha Thurber '25 (violin) and Catherine Deskur '24 (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 at Neville Place

Nick Lee '25 (horn), Veronica Li '26 (clarinet), and Caroline Hsu '26 (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.

HRO violinists Cal Alexander '27 and Sava Thurber '27 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 at the Cambridge-Ellis School

Dacha Thurber '25 (violin) and Catherine Deskur '24 (bass) returned on behalf of HRO to Neville Place and played jazz, classical, and oldies music for seniors.

HRO members Puyuan Ye '27 (oboe), Liz Li '24 (flute), Louis Auxenfans '27 (clarinet), Rahul Prasad '26 (bassoon), and Chris Li '26 (horn) played a wind quintet arrangement of Peter and the Wolf  for around 100 elementary school kids at the Baldwin School.

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 the 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.

Anjeli Macaranas '24 (violin) and Isaiah Kim '23 (cello) performed for the elderly at Neville Place.

In collaboration with Back to Bach, Christine Lee '24 (violin), Brendon Lau '26 (viola), Veronica Li '26 (clarinet), Noah Lee '23 (cello), Dylan Wu '26 (cello), and Harvey Lin '26 (piano) performed at Rindge Avenue Upper School.

"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 Greater Boston 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 the HRO 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