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.
“When you’re playing, there’s no talk about borders. There’s no talk about ‘them versus us’ that I see a lot of, especially in the news,” Franqui said. “I think that this music really allows us to be, you know, closer together.”