Haiti Youth Orchestra and the Road to Hope

The Road to Hope builds self-sustaining communities through partnering with individuals and organizations in the U.S. and Haiti to learn from each other and build mutually supportive relationships. Their focus is on helping children, and communities break the cycle of poverty by empowering people of all ages to dream, aspire, and achieve.

One of their projects is a youth orchestra in Haiti called the Haiti Youth Orchestra which was founded by Zach Harris six years ago, when he was twelve years old. Zach initially brought ten instruments to fifteen young Haitian students and taught clinics, private lessons, and basic orchestral rehearsals. Since then, the orchestra has grown to over one hundred and fifty Haitian students spread across two orchestras.

Through this program, students from the Haiti Youth Orchestra are able to be mentored by individuals from the Colorado Symphony

Catherine Beeson -Director of Community Education for the Colorado Symphony 

Helen McDermott – Viola String Specialist and Lead Mentor with the Colorado Symphony 

Jane Kay- Intern at the Road to Hope

Peter Clervoyant- Violinist with the Haiti Youth Orchestra

Fencia Clervoyant- Celloist with the Haiti Youth Orchestra

David Marcellus- Trumpeter with the Haiti Youth Orchestra

All stopped by the KUVO studios to speak with Susan Gatschet.

Peter, Fencia, and David also performed (in order):

The Haiti National Anthem, Jupiter by Gustav Holst, and Carol of the Bells. Interview with Susan Gatschet, David Marcellus, Peter Clervoyant, Helen McDermott, and Catherine Beeson.