STORIES
CONTEMPORARY
Music That Transforms Lives
Youth Orchestras and Choirs
Desde 2025, el programa impulsa la BECA Grupo México para estudios superiores en Música.
More than 2,000 children and young people aged 5 to 22 actively participate in the orchestras and choirs, developing discipline, talent, and a sense of community.
Since 2025, the program has offered the Grupo México Scholarship for higher education in music.
About Youth Orchestras and Choirs
Bárbara is 15 and on her first trip abroad. She is a member of Grupo México’s orchestra in Nacozari, Sonora. Thousands of miles from home, she excitedly takes photos as she walks through Lima’s international airport in Peru. She has arrived for a three-week residency in which five Mexican teenagers will develop their musical skills and perform in two concerts with Sinfonía por el Perú’s main ensemble.
Grupo México’s Youth Orchestras and Choirs program, of which Bárbara is a member, began in 2018 in Nacozari de García, Sonora, to provide free music education to children and young people, supporting their educational, personal, and musical development. What began as a project in a single mining community in the mountains of Sonora has grown into a network of 16 orchestral centers across Mexico and Peru, benefiting more than 2,000 participants aged 5 to 22.
Beyond teaching music, the program fosters values such as discipline, teamwork, and shared social responsibility. In 2020, it established a partnership with Sinfonía por el Perú, an organization founded 15 years ago by internationally renowned tenor Juan Diego Flórez. Recognized by UNICEF and the World Bank, the organization promotes music as a means of social transformation, nurturing talent and helping shape new generations of citizens.
The collaboration between Grupo México’s Youth Orchestras and Choirs and Sinfonía por el Perú made the residency possible for Bárbara and other young people from different regions of Mexico. This exchange strengthens the program’s goal of becoming a national benchmark for developing responsible citizens and, in many cases, future professional musicians. In line with this goal, 2025 marks the launch of the Grupo México Scholarship for Higher Education in Music, which already supports two young Mexicans in their university studies.
Testimonials
At first, I felt discouraged because I thought, ‘Maybe they won’t choose me, or they’ll pick someone else to go to Peru.’ But I feel very proud to be part of this residency because, in the end, you’re the one who needs to be happy with what you do.”
Bárbara Janeth Rosas Valdez
Member of Grupo México’s orchestra in Nacozari and residency participant in Lima, Peru
After seeing the concert, I realize that talent is in our homes, in our schools, in our communities… We see it before us on this stage today, thanks to the joint efforts of the Chihuahua State Department of Education and Grupo México.”
Jorge Gerardo Baca
Head of the Education Coordination Office for Southern Chihuahua
Sharing this trip with my fellow orchestra members, whom I’ve played alongside for several years, was a special experience.”
Julia Adamaris Hernández Bautista
Flutist at the Esqueda orchestral center
Esqueda, Sonora — 40th anniversary of the Alfonso Ortiz Tirado Festival
Awards and Recognition:
“Empresas Excepcionales” Award
Grupo México received the Empresas Excepcionales award from the Business Coordinating Council, the Institute for Quality Promotion, and the Communication Council for maintaining practices that address the needs of the communities where it operates.
Ostotakani Award
In 2023, the Youth Orchestras and Choirs received the Ostotakani Award from the Sonora Department of Economy during the Mexico Polymetallic Seminar, recognizing the program’s positive impact on communities through skills development and values education for children and young people.
Festival Alfonso Ortiz Tirado (FAOT)
Young musicians from Esqueda shone at the 40th Alfonso Ortiz Tirado Festival (FAOT) as members of Grupo México’s Youth Orchestra and Choir. With their program Mis Raíces (My Roots), they performed pieces inspired by their region’s traditions, showcasing their talent and pride in their heritage. Over its seven-year history, this social initiative has provided children and young people in the community with access to music education and opportunities to perform on prominent stages, strengthening their artistic and cultural skills.
The program uses music education as a tool for social transformation. Through collective music-making, young people strengthen their values, improve their academic performance, and contribute to the well-being of their communities.
14
communities across Mexico and Peru participate in the Youth Orchestras and Choirs.
14
communities across Mexico and Peru participate in the Youth Orchestras and Choirs.
80%
of students improve their academic performance after joining.
80%
of students improve their academic performance after joining.
1,550
hours of instruction provided to each student in 2024.
1,550
hours of instruction provided to each student in 2024.
40%
of students are children of our employees.
40%
of students are children of our employees.
100
hours of volunteer service completed annually by each student to give back for the support received.
100
hours of volunteer service completed annually by each student to give back for the support received.
60%
of students come from the wider community.
60%
of students come from the wider community.
From a Local Initiative to an
International Movement
Mexican Talent Shines in Spain
Ten-year-old Ivanna Martínez, a founding student member of the Youth Orchestra in Cananea, Sonora, took part in the International Gathering of Young Artists in Madrid through a scholarship from the Albéniz Foundation. She received intensive training in classical music and concluded her experience with a concert at the Sony Auditorium. She now hopes to apply what she learned in her community.
A Presence in the United States
Three members of the La Caridad Youth Orchestra and Choir—Paula Karina Hernández Sáenz (saxophone), Ian Uriel Rangel Ríos (trombone), and Delia Esther Verduzco Espino (choir)—gave a special performance at the Mining Summit held at the University of Arizona in Tucson, United States. Accompanied by music teacher Sergio René Barrios Cano, they showcased their talent at the Student Union Memorial Center.
Young Musicians Bring Lima to Life
Five program members completed a residency in Lima with the main ensemble of the Children’s Orchestra of Sinfonía por el Perú. Representing Mexico during the 20-day experience were percussionists Jesús Abinadap Miranda Castro and Bárbara Janeth Rosas Valdez, both from Nacozari, Sonora; violinists Pedro de la Cruz Contreras and Sara de la Cruz Contreras, from Nueva Rosita, Coahuila; and double bassist Carlos Fernando Guerra Albeldaño, from Santa Bárbara, Chihuahua.
