Sinfonía Por el Perú
Empowering youth through collective music education
Help Peru supports the Huaraz music center of Sinfonía por el Perú, a national social initiative founded by world-renowned tenor Juan Diego Flórez. Through the power of music, participants gain a higher self-esteem, develop a greater tenacity to achieve goals, increase their personal creativity and are enriched through exposure to better ways of living together in society.
In order to foster these changes among Peru’s youth, Sinfonia por el Peru has established 21 music centers with orchestras and choirs throughout the country.
Located in the region of Áncash, the Huaraz music center provides a safe and nurturing environment for over 200 children and adolescents, many of whom come from homes affected by poverty, domestic violence, and social exclusion. Through music, students develop emotional resilience, autonomy, and a strong sense of purpose.
The program includes:
- Choir and guitar lessons.
- Development of socioemotional skills such as discipline, empathy, and teamwork.
- Activities that foster leadership, citizenship, and personal agency.
By 2025, the program aims to directly benefit 250 children and youth in Huaraz, while also reaching over 800 family members with indirect positive impacts.
Across the national program, Sinfonía has demonstrated strong results. The participants have better expectations for the future: they engage less in risky behavior, they show a decrease in rates of teenage pregnancy, they undertake more hours of study, and they have a considerably higher expectation of master’s degrees and postgraduate education.