They played with the kind of musicality that makes you sit a little taller—clean, intelligent phrasing, infectious rhythmic vitality, and an ensemble cohesion that only years of shared history can create.

Thirteen years ago, a visionary idea took root at Berkshire Children and Families, a social service agency serving western Massachusetts: Give children from underserved communities the same kind of high-quality music training usually reserved for the privileged, and watch what happens. Inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema program, the goal was to foster not just musical excellence but also confidence, discipline, community, and opportunity.

Thanks to Carolyn Burns, then director of Berkshire Children and Families (now 18 Degrees), and the support of several members the wider Berkshire community, Kids 4 Harmony was born. Over the years, the program has grown to serve children in Pittsfield and North Adams, delighting audiences from Tanglewood to local churches, schools, and concert halls.

Four of its earliest participants—Geivens Dextra (violin), Gerdrose Jean-Louis (cello), Gerdlie Jean-Louis (viola), and Leila Paredes (violin)—started at ages six, seven, and eight. Today, they are young adults, aged 19 to 22, with college degrees or studies underway in music performance, composition, education, and administration. All are engaged in teaching, two in El Sistema-inspired programs, passing on the gift they were given.

Though they scattered to different New England colleges, they never stopped playing together. By 2020, they had formed the Pluto String Ensemble, committed to building community through classical music and uplifting the voices of musicians of color.

This past week, Pluto returned to the Berkshires, performing at The Foundry in West Stockbridge. The evening opened with a warm, unexpected duet between Gerdlie Jean-Louis on viola and Zev Breen on acoustic guitar playing original songs they had composed together, followed by a poised and expressive Bach gigue for solo violin performed by Geivens Dextra. Then came the centerpiece: Mozart’s String Quartet No. 3 and Mendelssohn’s charming “Four Little Pieces.”

They played with the kind of musicality that makes you sit a little taller—clean, intelligent phrasing, infectious rhythmic vitality, and an ensemble cohesion that only years of shared history can create. Every movement felt alive, charged with both precision and joy.

By the final notes, the audience was on its feet, applauding as if they could propel the musicians right back on stage. I left with a full heart and a sense of optimism; here was the future of music: young people deeply in love with their craft, ready to share it as performers, teachers, and leaders in the communities they touch. You can follow them on Instagram, @plutostringensemble.

Bravo, Pluto String Ensemble. The Berkshires is proud to claim you as its own.