Members of the Afghan Youth Orchestra play traditional orchestral instruments, such as the violin and the clarinet, as well as Afghan classical instruments like the rubab and the sitar.
In February, a group of young musicians from Afghanistan played in some of the most famous concert halls in the United States. The Afghan Youth Orchestra performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and Carnegie Hall in New York City.
The trip was very special for the young Afghan musicians. There was a time when they would not have been allowed to perform in their own country. From 1996 to 2001, a militant group called the Taliban ruled Afghanistan and banned all non-religious music. The Taliban had many other harsh laws, including not allowing girls over the age of 8 to go to school. In 2001, during the War in Afghanistan, the Taliban lost power and people began to gain more freedoms.
During their two-week tour, the members of the Afghan Youth Orchestra wanted to share their music and also show the positive changes that are happening in their country. America’s new Secretary of State, John Kerry, attended one of their practices. He called the group “ambassadors of peace.” The orchestra members also took time to study, rehearse, and perform with students at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with learning about and sharing music, the students were excited to visit a new country. They enjoyed visiting museums and eating pizza and other American foods.
The Afghan Youth Orchestra was the idea of musician and teacher Ahmed Sarmast. He had left Afghanistan during the Taliban’s rule. He returned in 2008, however, with the hope to start a music school. He realized his dream in 2010 when he opened the Afghanistan National Institute of Music. Today, the institute has students from 10 to 21 years of age. Many are orphans because of the ongoing War in Afghanistan. The institute’s female students, who make up one-third of the student body, would not have been allowed to continue their education under the Taliban’s rule.
Image credit: ©AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq
Related Links
- Afghan Youth Orchestra
Watch a video about the Afghan Youth Orchestra’s trip to the United States. In the video, you can hear the orchestra practicing during their visit. - Afghan Youth Orchestra, Ambassadors for Change
Check out a photo gallery that highlights the Afghan Youth Orchestra’s tour of the United States. - Afghanistan National Institute of Music
Learn about the organization that trains the Afghan Youth Orchestra.
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