Project STEP

2025 Senior Student Recital
2025-06-07 17:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | BSO, Higginson Hall, 301 Masschusetts Ave, Boston, MA, 02115
We would like to share and invite you to our upcoming Senior Recital featuring STEP senior students Gabriel Vignon-Villani, violin and Lorenzo Ye, cello. The recital will be this Saturday, June 7 at 5:00 pm at Higginson Hall of Symphony Hall. NO RSVP is needed.

If you would like to donate to the senior student gift, please use this link and leave a note that the funds will go toward the 2025 seniors.

Senior Student Recital
2025-05-25 | MA
Sunday, May 25, 2025
Save the Date
More information coming soon!

Annual Student Spring Recital
2025-05-18 15:00 - 17:00 | MA
May 18, 2025
SAVE THE DATE
INFORMATION COMING SOON

Project STEP Spring Recital
2025-05-18 | Boston Symphony Hall, 301 Masachusetts Ave, Boston, MA, 02115
Project STEP Spring Recital
Sunday, May 18, 2025 | 3 pm
Boston Symphony Hall Main Stage!
301 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA 02115
Enter through Cohen Wing on Huntington Ave
This event is sponsored in part by The Gregory E. Bulger Foundation
Free and open to the public RSVP REQUIRED (coming soon)
Online Auction Coming Soon. All funds support Project STEP.
PROGRAM BOOK COMING SOON
This program is supported in part by grants from the following generous supporters: Mass Cultural Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. This event is also made possible by the generous support of the D’Addario Foundation and The Mary Saudek Jaffee Fund.

Spring Auction
2025-04-08 - 2025-05-18 | MA
Join our auction running online from April 8, 2025 to May 18, 2025. All proceeds support Project STEP’s mission to provide equitable access to high-quality music education. Everyone is welcome to participate and bid—don’t miss your chance to support a great cause and win amazing items! In addition to bidding on items, you also may fund-a-need to support our program directly.

Project STEP + A Far Cry
2025-03-29 19:30 - 21:30 | Jordan Hall, 30 Gainsborough Street, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Project STEP Performs with A Far Cry:
“For” Seasons
March 29th at 7:30 pm

Anna Thorvaldsdottir | Illumine
Antonio Vivaldi | Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, “Winter” (L’inverno)
Antonio Vivaldi | Concerto No. 3 in F major, Op. 8, RV 293, “Autumn” (L’autunno)
Sufjan Stevens | Suite from Run Rabbit Run arr. Atkinson; 12. Year of the Boar
Quinn Mason | Reflection on a Memorial for String Orchestra
Antonio Vivaldi | Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, RV 315, “Summer” (L’estate)
Antonio Vivaldi | Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, RV 269, “Spring” (La primavera)
Caroline Shaw | Entr’acte adapted for string orchestra
Curated by Crier Michael Unterman
Featuring Students from Project STEP
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is a foundational work that has sparked the imagination of musicians and audiences for over 300 years. Through the lens of climate change A Far Cry intertwines this seminal work with newer pieces by an eclectic group of composers who are similarly drawn to the cyclical nature of time and its capability for renewal.

Project STEP at Rockport
2025-03-16 15:00 - 17:00 | Shalin Liu Performance Center at Rockport Music, 16 MAIN STREET, Rockport, MA, 01966
Join us on Sunday, March 16 at 3 pm at Rockport Music’s Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport MA for a free community concert as part of Rockport Music’s Education & Community Program sponsored by Applied Materials. This concert is in honor of William Moyer, the late founder of Project STEP. Tickets are FREE and open to the public.
MORE INFORMATION>>>

Masterclass with Leonardo Vásquez
2025-02-01 12:00 - 13:00 | Boston Symphony Hall, 301 Masachusetts Ave, Boston, MA, 02115
Saturday, February 1, 2025
Boston Symphony Hall – Chorus Room – from 12-1 pm
Project STEP students learn from BSO Violist Leonardo Vásquez
FREE with RSVP – Limited availability – Email jodiemcmenamin@projectstep.org for RSVP

Violist Leonardo Vásquez Chacón, from Lima, Peru, holds degrees from Bard College and Indiana University. Leonardo’s parents introduced him to classical music through CDs and he decided to pursue music during his first year of medical school, realizing he preferred harmony and music history over biology and anatomy. A two-time Tanglewood Music Center Fellow, he has also been a principal of The Orchestra Now (Bard College) and played with the Evansville Philharmonic and Owensboro Symphony. He has participated in the chamber music programs of The Orchestra Now, Jacobs School of Music under the Pacifica Quartet, and Tanglewood Music Center. In his home country, he has been a guest artist in the International Chamber Music Festival and a soloist with both the National Youth Symphony and the National Symphony Orchestra of Peru.

Project STEP + A Far Cry
2025-01-31 19:30 - 21:30 | Jordan Hall, 30 Gainsborough Street, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Friday, January 31, 2025
7:30 pm at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall
30 Gainsborough Street, Boston, MA, 02115.
TICKETS>>>

Project STEP’s Honors Quartet will perform with Grammy-nominated A Far Cry.
MUSICAL PROGRAM
Quinn Mason | Svítání for String Orchestra
Ludwig van Beethoven | Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, arr. for String Sextet by Michael Gotthard Fischer; adapted for String Orchestra by AFC
Curated by Crier Michael Unterman
Featuring Project STEP’s Honors Quartet and Student winners from the New England Conservatory Fellows competition.
Last season A Far Cry “scaled up” Beethoven’s quartets. This season is our first time performing what curator Michael Unterman calls a “sporty” arrangement of a symphony! The iconic “Pastorale” symphony is boiled down to its essence and paired with Quinn Mason’s Svítáni for a refreshing exploration. Daybreak’s sunrise-inspired program offers an escape from the depths of Boston’s winter.

MLK Concert
2025-01-12 15:00 - 17:00 | NEC | Burnes Hall, 290 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115
Sunday, January 12, 2025 | 3 pm – 5 pm
New England Conservatory | Burnes Hall
FREE and open to the public
290 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115
All are welcome to join Project STEP’s annual community event on Sunday, January 12, 2025 to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through music and conversation. The program will include performances featuring student musicians from Project STEP and is FREE and open to the public. Sponsored in part by Mass Cultural Council, The Mary Saudek Jaffee Fund, and The National Endowment for the Arts.

Emmanuel Music + Project STEP Holidays!
2024-12-15 16:00 - 18:00 | MA
Christmas at Emmanuel Music in Collaboration with Project STEP
Sunday, December 15, 2024
Emmanuel Church | 4 pm
Under the Direction of Ryan Turner
We are thrilled to announce that Project STEP has been invited toperform J.S. Bach’s Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, BWV 91, alongside the renowned Emmanuel Music during their Christmas concert on December 15, 2024. This special collaboration brings together the emerging talent of our students with the seasoned expertise of Emmanuel Music’s artists, promising an unforgettable celebration of the holiday season through the timeless music of Bach. Our very own cello student, Suubi Laurent, was able to travel to Leipzig, Germany over the 2024 summer to see and hear Emmanuel Music play for Bachfest! We are eternally grateful to Emmanuel for this opportunity.
LEFT: Student Suubi Laurent, cello: Traveled tom Leipzig Germany in summer 2024 for Bachfest courtesy of Emmanuel Music. Photo by Matthew Muise.

Celebrity Series Stringfest
2024-12-14 15:00 - 17:00 | MA
Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 3 pm
Celebrity Series Stringfest– Rasa String Quartet with Project STEP
Kroc Center, Dorchester
FREE and open to the Public with RSVP
Boston’s Rasa String Quartet, first heard in Celebrity Series 2023/24 season, finds their niche in the musical space where classical and folk traditions intersect.
In their engaging, thoughtful, and approachable concerts, they invite listeners to experience the familiar and the unfamiliar, often pairing folk songs from around the world with contemporary chamber and classical selections and pop culture treats from film and anime.
The quartet loves to share information about the genres and styles of the works they perform, telling stories about the pieces’ composition and cultural context to inspire audiences’ curiosity.
The Rasa Quartet’s commitment to education of audiences present and future makes them a natural choice to partner with young strings players from Boston Music Project, City Strings United, and Project STEP. In this Stringfest concert, they’ll rehearse and perform two folksongs with the student musicians.

Giving Tuesday
2024-12-03 | MA
GIVING TUESDAY: December 3, 2024
The Global Day of Giving Back
Help Our Students attend Equity Arc’s National Pathways Festival in Chicago, Il.
GIVE TODAY
EIGHT Project STEP students have applied to Equity Arc’s 2025 National Pathways Festival. Last year, at the Pathways Festival in Nashville, TN, seven of our students were selected to join 60 participants nationwide. This #GivingTuesday, Project STEP will launch a one-day campaign to support our students’ journey to Chicago!

Matthew Muise

“Playing in the National Pathways Festival Orchestra was an experience like no other. Working with Maestro Guerrero was incredible; he was one of the more passionate directors I’ve worked with, but the opportunity to become closer to some of our nation’s strongest young musicians was super inspiring. It was an experience that showed me just how powerful it is to have a “familia” in music.” – Caleb Graupera, cello, Project STEP Class of 2024; Pathways Festival Student 2024

About Equity National Pathways Festival:
Taking place in Chicago, from April 4-6, 2025, the festival is a prestigious honor for students. Offering comprehensive support and mentorship to pre-college musicians from backgrounds underrepresented in classical music, students will perform with Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the conclusion of the festival.

ABOUT Project STEP: Project STEP (String Training Education Program) champions equitable access to comprehensive music education for students from racial and ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in classical music.

WHAT WE DO/ Good to know: Project STEP is the Nation’s first college and career pathway program for students of color in classical music. We offer our students long-term and early access to music instruction, orchestra & ensemble participation, workshops, mentorship, masterclasses, summer music camps, and more!

CCOS + Project STEP + ISGM
2024-11-24 13:30 - 15:30 | The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 25 Evans Way, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Sunday, November 24, 2024
JULIUS EASTMAN X KYLE MARSHALL
Castle Of Our Skins (COOS) Concert with Project STEP students
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (ISGM) | 1:30 pm
Calderwood Hall
LEARN MORE & TICKETS
Julius Eastman was one of the most exciting figures in American music from the 1960s through the 1980s. He was a pianist, conductor, an excellent singer, and–most enduringly–one of the most innovative composers of his time. COOS will present three of Eastman’s Minimalist masterpieces in concert. Choreographer, Kyle Marshall, will premiere a new ISGM-commissioned dance, and revive one COOS commissioned four years ago, with a score for ten cellos – whoa! STEP students will join COOS for a portion of the performance. Not to be missed!

WORKS IN ORDER OF COMPOSITION
Julius Eastman:
Touch Him When (1970)
Gay Guerilla (1980)
World premiere choreography by Kyle Marshall, ISGM commission
The Holy Presence of Joan d’Arc (1981)
Choreography by Kyle Marshall, ISGM commission (2019)

Sphinx Virtuosi Masterclass
2024-10-26 12:00 - 13:00 | MA
Sphinx Virtuosi Masterclass
Saturday, October 26th
11 am – not open to the public
The Sphinx Virtuosi is a dynamic and inspiring professional self-conducted chamber orchestra and serves as the flagship performing entity of the Sphinx Organization – the leading non-profit dedicated to transforming lives through the power of the arts. Comprised of 18 Black and Latino artists who reflect the highest level of musicianship in America, a critical aim of the Sphinx Virtuosi is to evolve the breadth and impact of classical music through artistic excellence, pioneering programming, and impassioned community engagement. Its members serve as cultural ambassadors for audiences and communities around the United States and abroad.
What is a masterclass?
A masterclass allows our student musicians to perform repertoire for a master musician(s), composer, or conductor. Once the student(s) has performed, the master artist will critique the performance, giving them advice on instrumental and performance technique.

LSO & STEP – JORDAN HALL
2024-10-19 18:45 - 22:00 | Jordan Hall, 30 Gainsborough Street, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
PRE-CONCERT RECEPTION 6:45 – 7:45 pm in Williams Hall
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2024 at 8:00 pm
TICKETS } $15 (STEP students & Families) | $30 Balcony | $35 Wings | $40 Orchestra (choose your own seat)
Reception Hosted by: Faber Daeufer & Itrato

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2024 at 8:00 pm– Join us for an evening at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall featuring Project STEP student musicians, cellist Andrés Sanchez, and Longwood Symphony Orchestra. This incredible evening also highlights Longwood Symphony Orchestra‘s (LSO) Music Director Jotaro Nakano. All funds from the concert support Project STEP’s students and program.
PRE-CONCERT RECEPTION 6:45 – 7:45 pm in Williams Hall
Hosted by: Faber Daeufer & Itrato
Enjoy libations and hors d’oeuvres prior to the concert, mix and mingle with friends, musicians, and members of the medical and science community. This generous reception is hosted by our friends at Faber Daeufer & Itrato, a boutique law firm that provides corporate and transactional counsel to clients in the drug and life sciences industries.
Where your ticket funds are going: For over 40 years Project STEP continues to advocate for early and long-term access to high-quality classical string training for our student musicians, providing a creative and safe learning environment for a successful future. Thanks to the generosity of friends like you, we are able to amplify the stories and voices of our young musicians of color.
Read last year’s press on this incredible collaboration
Photo of Alba Gilbert-Reid by Lipofsky.com

Andres Sánchez Masterclass
2024-10-19 12:00 - 13:00 | MA
Andres Sánchez Masterclass
Saturday, October 19th, 2024
12-1 pm | Chorus Room, BSO
RSVP by email to jodiemcmenamin@projectstep.org – Limited capacity for public
Honduran-Venezuelan cellist Andres Sánchez, born in Allentown, PA, began his studies at age eight under Miguel Rojas, later continuing with Jesus Morales of the Dali Quartet. By age 13, he had already made his solo debut at Carnegie Hall and with the Midwest Clinic of Chicago and the Ocean City Pops Orchestra. A Curtis Institute of Music graduate, Andres has performed with numerous orchestras and will appear this year with the PA Sinfonia Orchestra and Waterbury Symphony. His interpretation of Dvořák’s concert promises to be both powerful and moving, bringing this iconic piece to life in a way that will resonate with audiences.
What is a masterclass?
A masterclass allows our student musicians to perform repertoire for a master musician(s), composer, or conductor. Once the student(s) has performed, the master artist will critique the performance, giving them advice on instrumental and performance technique.

BSO Concert for City - STEP performance
2024-09-21 15:00 - 17:00 | Boston Symphony Hall, 301 Masachusetts Ave, Boston, MA, 02115
Saturday, September 21, 2024
BSO Concert for the City – Symphony Hall, Boston | 301 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA
3 pm – Tickets will be available to reserve on September 12, 2024 at 10am.
Keith Lockhart, Andris Nelsons, and Thomas Wilkins, conductor – including Project STEP students for the pre-concert! STEP students performing: Alexander Hernandez-Williams, Sofia Hernandez-Williams, Sarah-Alyssa Williams, Rodney Elias Williams, and Micah Williams.
Showcasing all that the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops have to offer, alongside their arts and music education partners and programs (including STEP!) from throughout Greater Boston. Join BSO and Pops musicians, Music Director Andris Nelsons, Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart, and Youth and Family Concerts Conductor Thomas Wilkins for a free and joyful afternoon of music-making and community spirit. Concert for the City is generously supported by the Li-Qiu Family Foundation.

MIDORI & A FAR CRY RECORDING
2024-09-15 | MA
September 15, 2024
Closed to the public – Invite only
Learn More >>>
We are thrilled to announce an extraordinary musical engagement this fall, where our talented Project STEP students will have the unique opportunity to record side-by-side with members of the renowned ensemble A FarCry and the legendary violinist Midori. Together, theywill bring Derek Bermel’s evocative piece, SpringCadenza, to life in a recording session scheduled forSeptember 15th.

STEP into Grace
2024-06-04 18:00 - 22:00 | Grace by Nia, 60 Seaport Blvd #325, Boston, MA, 02210
SAVE THE DATE | STEP INTO GRACE
TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2024 FROM 6-10 PM
GRACE BY NIA
60 Seaport Blvd #325, Boston, MA 02210
Download the Save the Date postcard and forward to friends!
Join us for an evening of entertainment at Boston’s new favorite club – Grace by Nia. Hear music performed by Project STEP’s students, enjoy soul food, and sip libations, all while helping us celebrate STEP’s decades of championing equity and excellence. We look forward to seeing you! Mark your calendars.

Senior Students' Recital
2024-05-25 15:00 - 17:00 | MA
Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 3 pm
Join us for a free concert featuring graduating senior students*: Gui Vignon-Villani, cello; Suubi Laurent, cello; and Jean-Caleb Belizaire, viola.
WHERE:
Burnes Hall
255 St. Botolph St.
Boston, MA
United States
CONTRIBUTE TO THE SENIOR FUND THROUGH THE DONATE BUTTON ON OUR WEBSITE AND ADD A REMARK IN THE “NOTES” SECTION AT CHECK-OUT THAT THE CONTRIBUTION IS RESTRICTED FOR OUR GRADUATING SENIORS.
*Please note there are five graduating seniors in the 2024 class including Caleb Graupera and Paul Y. Clayton, who unfortunately are unable to perform on May 25th.

Spring Recital & Parents’ Benefit
2024-05-19 14:00 - 16:30 | Parish of All Saints, Dorchester, 209 Ashmont Street, Dorchester, MA, 02124
Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 3 pm
Higginson Hall, Boston Symphony Orchestra
301 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA 02115
Enter through Cohen Wing on Huntington Ave
This event is sponsored in part by The Gregory E. Bulger Foundation
Free and open to the public RSVP REQUIRED
PROGRAM BOOK
This program is supported in part by grants from the following generous supporters: Mass Cultural Council (a state agency), the Boston Cultural Council administered by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. This event is also made possible by the generous support of The Mary Saudek Jaffee Fund.

Boston Society of New Jerusalem
2024-04-28 15:00 - 17:00 | Boston Society of New Jerusalem, 140 Bowdoin Street, Boston, MA, 02108
Project STEP performs at Boston Society of New Jerusalem (Church on The Hill). Through Boston Society of the New Jerusalem Project STEP is honored to participate in the Carlton Doctor Scholarship.
WHEN: Sunday, April 28th at 3 pm
WHERE: Boston Society of New Jerusalem
140 Bowdoin Street, Beacon Hill, MA
FREE & Open to the Public

Masterclass: Rafael Popper-Kaiser
2024-03-30 12:00 - 13:00 | Boston Symphony Hall, 301 Masachusetts Ave, Boston, MA, 02115
Hailed by The New York Times as “imaginative and eloquent” and dubbed “a local hero” by the Boston Globe, cellist Rafael Popper-Keizer maintains a vibrant and diverse career as one of Boston’s most celebrated artists. He is principal cellist of the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Emmanuel Music, and the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and a core member of many notable chamber music organizations throughout New England, including the Chameleon Arts Ensemble, Winsor Music, and Grammy-nominated string ensemble A Far Cry.
WHEN: Saturday, March 30, 2024 at 12 pm
WHERE: Chorus Room at Boston Symphony Hall, 301 Mass. Ave
Boston, MA 02115
FREE with RSVP

Love & Justice
2024-03-29 20:00 - 22:00 | Pickman Hall – Longy, 27 Garden School St., Cambridge, MA, 02138
Fri. March 29: Project STEP + Castle of Our Skins
Project STEP students Suubi and Sokki Laurent will play with Castle of Our Skins at Longy School of Music of Bard College. The “Love & Justice” portrait concert will feature chamber works by Dr. Adolphus Hailstork and our students will perform for and meet the composer. Join us for an incredible evening.
WHEN: Friday, March 29, 2024 at 8 pm
WHERE: Pickman Hall, Longy School of Music | 27 Garden School, Cambridge, MA 02138
FREE with RSVP

Project STEP at Rockport Music
2024-03-17 15:00 - 17:00 | Shalin Liu Performance Center at Rockport Music, 16 MAIN STREET, Rockport, MA, 01966
Project STEP at Rockport Music
Concert at Rockport Music
Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 3:00 pm
Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport, MA
Free and open to the public with RSVP -| donations encouraged

Not to be missed! Join us for an unforgettable concert featuring the student musicians of Project STEP performing works by Black composers including Xavier Foley and Walter Hawkins.
For over 40 years Rockport Music has been committed to one enduring purpose–enriching lives through great music. Located in the scenic seaport village of Rockport, Massachusetts, Rockport Music presents exceptional musical performances and events year round. Photo by Matthew Muise.

Lineage
2024-03-10 16:00 - 18:00 | St. Paul, 15 St. Paul Street, Brookline, MA, United States
Sun. March 10: Winsor Music + deVon Russell Gray + Project STEP
Winsor Music presents: LINEAGE
Multi-instrumentalist deVon Russell Grayperforms a musical lineage from contemporary music back to the 18th century. The evening will end with a piece by the next generation – a collaboration with Project STEP students.
WHEN: Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 4 pm
WHERE: St. Paul’s Church | 15 St. Paul Street, Brookline, MA >>> MAP
TICKETS

DBR & Diversity in Classical Music
2024-02-11 14:30 - 16:30 | The Strand Theatre, 543 Columbia Road, Dochester, MA, 02125
You’re Invited: Daniel Bernard Roumain, Suzuki School of Newton, and Project STEP
Date: February 11th at 2:30pm
Location: Strand Theatre
543 Columbia Road, Dorchester, MA
Free and open to the public
In collaboration with the City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, Suzuki School of Newton, and Project STEP, Daniel Bernard Roumain will present a K-12 performance of an original composition on the theme of diversity in classical music. The performance will highlight the voices and stories of our community, continuing the work of making classical music a bridge towards equity. The performance will be followed by an open community dialogue led by Daniel Bernard Roumain and the Directors of Suzuki School of Newton and Project STEP to help chart a path forward. The performance and community dialogue are free and open to the public.

Project STEP Performs with A Far Cry for “Street Stories”
2024-01-26 20:30 - 22:00 | Jordan Hall, 30 Gainsborough Street, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Project STEP Performs with A Far Cry for “Street Stories”
Friday, January 26th at 8pm
Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory
30 Gainsborough Street, Boston, MA 02115
Purchase tickets>>>
Project STEP Honors Group
Luigi Boccherini | String Quintet No. 60 in C Major, Op. 30, G. 324 “Night Music of the Streets of Madrid,” arr. Miki Cloud. Project STEP side-by-side.
Claudio Monteverdi | Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, SV 153
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | String Sextet in D minor, Op. 70, “Souvenir de Florence,”arr. Rafael Popper-Keizer

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Concert
2024-01-14 15:00 - 17:00 | Kroc Center, 650 Dudley Street, Dorchester, 02125, United States
Sunday, January 14, 2022 | 3 pm – 5 pm
Salvation Army Kroc Center in Dorchester
650 Dudley Street, Boston, MA 02125
Free and open to the public
Learn more>>>
