Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Increases Diversity

Azira G. Hill hasn’t forgotten the days she used to volunteer as an usher for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in order to save money on tickets for performances. A passion that was fueled during her childhood in Cuba.

“I grew up with music all the time in my home, my mother’s room,” Hill told CNN.

Hill moved to Atlanta from Cuba to pursue a degree in nursing and went on to work at Grady Memorial Hospital. While there, she met and married her husband, civil rights activist Jesse Hill. But from a young age she said she also felt it was important to make a positive impact in her community.

“I was taught you are responsible for something, you’re not here for decoration. You are expected to use your talents and your energy to improve things, if necessary,” said Hill.

A lifelong music lover, Hill, served as co-chair of the Atlanta Symphony Associates’ Action Committee for Audience Development in the Black community. This propelled her to launch a program that went on to serve as a model across the country, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program (TDP).

Over the last 30 years, the Talent Development Program has mentored more than 100 young Black, African American and Latino musicians. Some of them go on to continue their education at top music schools across the country such as The Julliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music and the Peabody Institution.

Source: CNN