Boston Music and Arts Fundraiser

Hi everyone! My name is Ashley Gong, and I am a high school junior from the Greater Boston area. I am an oboe player in the Boston Youth Symphony, the top-level orchestra in the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (BYSO). Every Sunday, we rehearse many great works of classical music, learning so much about musicianship and collaboration while having an amazing time.


Here is BYSO performing Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" in Symphony Hall in November 2019! I am the oboe player in the orange shirt.

This summer, I was also accepted into the Young Artists Orchestra of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI). I went to BUTI in the summer of 2019 for the Oboe Workshop and Young Artists Wind Ensemble, and I can honestly say that it was one of the best experiences of my life. I made some of my closest friends, grew so much as a musician, and had a whole lot of fun.

Tanglewood 2019!

My life has only changed for the better since I have joined BYSO and attended BUTI, and I am eternally grateful for the joy that performing in orchestras has brought me. Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, BYSO rehearsals have been suspended, orchestra seasons remain in jeopardy, and BUTI 2020 has been canceled. My fellow musicians and I have been devastated that we can no longer see each other and rehearse as we used to. 

However, I am still a student who only rehearses once a week and at summer intensive programs. Throughout the country and world, professional musicians are unable to rehearse and perform their music as they used to. The cancellations due to COVID-19 badly impact performers, orchestras, and artists as they can no longer take gigs, hold concerts, and share their art to audiences all around. Freelance musicians, in particular, rely on these performance gigs for income. As a result, I would like to start a fundraiser to donate to the Boston Center for the Arts Artist Relief Fund, which provides grants directly to Boston-area artists and musicians. Please consider donating to help our beloved musicians get through these extremely difficult times. Also, many musicians have been active on social media in sharing their playing and talent- please check their work out!

Thank you so much!
Ashley Gong