The San Diego Youth Symphony and Sinfónica Juvenil de Tijuana performed at the Epstein Family Amphitheater at the University of California, San Diego. Photo by Suvro Banerji/CBS News.
In Sunday’s (11/17) CBS News, Andres Gutierrez reports, “This weekend, 85 musicians from San Diego’s Youth Symphony and neighboring Sinfónica Juvenil de Tijuana packed the Epstein Family Amphitheater at the University of California, San Diego, for a historic performance. ‘No matter where you’re from, music can be something that unites,’ said Lilian Franqui one of the musicians breaking down barriers. When she was 7 years old, Franqui picked up a violin at an instrument ‘petting zoo.’ Now, more than a decade later, she’s planning to make a career in it…. The performance was part of an effort to bridge communities through creativity and innovation during this year’s ‘World Design Capital’ designation…. But it’s not always easy. Some performers from Tijuana waited at least three hours to cross the border to rehearsal…. Sameer Patel, conductor and artistic director of the San Diego Youth Symphony … hopes [the concert] hits the right notes and resonates far beyond this stage. ‘Music is about the greatest expression of our common humanity … When we have … music like this and opportunities to come together that showcase our common humanity, you can see that there’s little that actually separates us,’ Patel said.”
