ANIM Orchestras and Ensembles Make Professional Debut in "Light and Hope" Gala

Coinciding with the WORLD Day of Music on October 1, 2022, Light and Hope heralds the survival and resilience of Afghan’s music and its musicians and stands as a powerful symbol and an international call for the restoration of musical and women’s rights in Afghanistan.

Light and Hope performed in conjunction with the Annual Youth Music Festival and Competition of Portugal, marks the return of ANIM in full force to the concert stage, after its members were forced to flee from Taliban repression in the fall of 2021 to continue their unique co-educational musical training on Afghan and western music.

A total of eight ensembles of the school, including sixty ANIM students ages 12-20, have reassembled and take part in their debut performances. Portuguese young musicians from Braga Conservatory and others join the Afghan Youth Orchestra and play side by side with ANIM students

On the same day, the world premiere of a new Voice of America documentary, Symphony of Courage, telling the compelling story of ANIM’s flight from Kabul to Lisbon opens. Participants in the rescue and documentary held a panel discussion about the escape and resettlement of ANIM in Portugal.