Boston String Academy at Shalin Liu

Boston String Academy (BSA) is a non-profit organization, inspired by the Venezuelan El Sistema model which believes in music as a vehicle for social change. We provide rigorous string instrument instruction to children in under-served communities, laying a solid musical foundation and creating a path for young people to become sensitive, responsible, and creative human beings.  Our program makes mastery of a string instrument reachable by eliminating obstacles that stand in an inner-city family’s way.

BSA | Shostakovich String Quartet No 3 Allegro non troppo

BSA was founded in 2012 by Marielisa and Mariesther Alvarez, graduates from The Boston Conservatory, and of El Sistema program in their home country of Venezuela, and have modeled BSA on that experience. We currently offer three programs in the Chinatown and Allston neighborhoods, serving more than 120 students.

The Academy has collaborated with renowned artists including Midori, Gustavo Dudamel and Sir Simon Rattle. Our students have performed out of state and internationally and have been selected to participate in festivals such as the Dudamel Foundation’s “Encounters/Encuentros” in Mexico City, Orquestra Geraçao in Lisbon, Portugal, Festival Groba in Galicia, Spain, LA Phil’s YOLA National Festival in Los Angeles, Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute, Sphinx Performance Academy, Greenwood Music Camp, Dudamel’s residency at Princeton University, among others. In June 2021, the Youth Ensemble was selected by Midori’s Orchestra Residency Program to premier “Spring Cadenzas” for violin and strings, performed by Midori herself.

In Spring of 2016, Marielisa and Mariesther Alvarez were chosen among the 100 most influential people for the Hispanic community in Massachusetts. BSA won the 2019 Commonwealth Awards, which honors exceptional achievement in the arts, humanities, and sciences in the state of Massachusetts. In 2023 BSA received recognition from the Boston City Council for its contributions dedicated to supporting and promoting Venezuelan culture in the City of Boston and in the Commonwealth.