Joshua Kosman April 15, 2021Updated: April 16, 2021, 9:23 am
Daisy Newman was the late founder and executive director of the Young Musicians Choral Orchestra. Photo: Khris Carrey Sanchez
A chorus of young singers, ranging in age from 8 to 18, drawn from some of the most poverty-stricken neighborhoods of the Bay Area, raise their voices in harmony, delivering a range of repertoire encompassing both jazz and classical offerings.
Then they leave their risers, move to seats at the front of the stage, and pick up their instruments. Because these kids are not only a chorus — they’re an orchestra, too.
Since 2013, when it parted ways with UC Berkeley’s Young Musicians Program and went out on its own, the Young Musicians Choral Orchestra has been creating musical and educational opportunities for disadvantaged youths. It’s an organization with a powerful multiple mission — part conservatory, part psychological support system, part economic lifeline.