This archive report was first published on 27 July 2019.
Published on July 27, 2019, in The New York Times, this article highlights the story of Orquestra da Rua, a group of young classical musicians from Rio's favelas.
Gláucia da Silva, a 19-year-old violinist, is one of the members of the quartet. She lives in Morro da Providência, one of Rio's oldest favelas, and has to be careful not to get caught up in the violence that plagues the area.
Ms. da Silva plays in a quartet called Orquestra de Rua, alongside other classical musicians from Rio's favelas. They met through a local youth music initiative, som + eu, and have bonded over playing in Rio's streets and subways.
“Every time I play with the group I feel like I’m around people who understand what it means to be a classical musician in this city,” Ms. da Silva said.
The group's violist, Jessica D'ornellas, 21, has a similar story. She was forced to play as a child, but eventually fell in love with music and now studies at the university level.
However, the future of music funding in Brazil is uncertain, with President Jair Bolsonaro announcing a budget freeze for federal universities in early May. Students, including the members of Orquestra da Rua, took to the streets across Brazil, leading some of the largest protests in the country since Mr. Bolsonaro's election.
Despite the challenges, the members of Orquestra da Rua remain committed to their music. They volunteer at a youth center, leading weekly workshops for the children in Morro da Providência, and have even raised enough money to pay for a piano and other instruments for the kids to use.
