Stretto Youth Chamber Orchestra of Princeton

Stretto Youth Chamber Orchestra is a team of music lovers who participate in learning and teaching together in an immersion based music learning program. We come together to tackle the challenge of playing great works of the chamber orchestra literature, as well as newly composed works. Stretto is also a community that emphasizes the values of socio-economic inclusion, training our youth to be leaders and the need to actively foster empathy. There is a leadership-training program built into the structure of Stretto to give older students a chance to mentor the younger students and lead their peers. Service and a capacity for nurture are emphasized as the characteristics of a strong leader. The students inspire each other to invest their energies within the ensemble and, ultimately, the other communities where they belong. All students’ joys and struggles, no matter how different the context, are honored as significant within our community.

Local and international performances are a part of our training. The students share their music with those who might not otherwise have access, including playing during meals for the homeless and at nursing homes. We travel triennially to Asia or Europe with all members of our ensemble regardless of their ability to completely cover their costs of travel. This type of experience matters because the students can view themselves as citizens of the world. The enjoyment they experience during their musical development carries over into their adult years and, like the compassion we foster, ends up as part of the DNA of our students and alumnae, creating emotional fulfillment within their lives and careers. We model the strength and confidence that a diverse and shared community can create when all the individuals are joined in a shared purpose.