SAN ANTONIO – With a stroke of the violin and a pluck of the cello, the Youth Orchestra of San Antonio’s rendition of Mozart’s Serenade No. 13 transcends you into the late 1700s. The song’s title, “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” translates to “A Little Night of Music” and that’s exactly what YOSA is virtually putting together this month.
YOSA is one of four local organizations putting on a virtual gala called “Celebration,” benefiting the performing arts of San Antonio.
Sarah Garcia Villar, 15, is a junior at Reagan High School. She started playing the violin in the third grade.
“I was like, ‘it’s so much easier to carry around than a cello.’ I also like the high notes of the violin,” Garcia Villar said. “The music we play is so much fun.”
Matthew Averyt, 17, is a senior at St. Mary’s Hall. He joined YOSA as a cellist in 2015.
“Everyone in my family plays a musical instrument. So my sister plays the violin. My mom also plays the violin. And so, I started on cello kind of to be like them,” Averyt said.
The students met as members of YOSA and say friendship is an added perk to exploring their passion for music.
“I love the friends that I make in YOSA because we’re all from different parts of San Antonio. We all come from different backgrounds. We all have different stories,” Garcia Villar said.
“It gives us all the opportunity to work with like-minded individuals to come together to really make something bigger than just one person, bigger than ourselves,” Averyt said.
YOSA consists of 450 kids from across San Antonio. Garcia Villar and Averyt will be part of a 75-person orchestra performing for “Celebration.” Organizers of the event have chosen to make it virtual because of the recent increase in COVID-19 cases.
“The pandemic was a very tough time for all of us as musicians. We didn’t have access to the stage,” Averyt said.
Now that more people have been vaccinated and restrictions have been eased, YOSA has been able to reunite musicians on stage, but the organization and many others still need your support.
“It’s like very special when you play and everybody claps for you. Knowing that there’s people supporting you,” Garcia Villar said.
To find more information on the “Celebration,” click here.
