Spotlight: Project STEP Honors Trio
We are honored to be participating in our ninth year of residency activities at Project STEP, a comprehensive string training program for children from communities that are typically underrepresented within classical music. The residency includes weekly chamber music coaching, one-on-one mentoring sessions, and free tickets to AFC concerts across the season. Criers also coach the Project STEP Honors Trio, who continue to delight AFC audiences with pre-concert performances in Jordan Hall, including this evening!
Tonight’s opening performance features Project STEP instrumentalists Laura Licata (violin), Alexander Hernández- Williams (violin), and Lorenzo Ye (cello) performing Beethoven and Perkinson.
Laura Licata is a 16-year-old sophomore currently attending Walnut Hill School for the Arts. She began her musical journey at the age of five and has been a dedicated member of Project STEP for the past five years. She is currently a student of Magdalena Richter. Recent highlights of her musical journey include a recording with world-renowned violinist Midori, AFC, and STEP, as well as a musical tour in Finland.
Laura has attended Greenwood Music Camp and had the honor of serving as concertmaster for the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles National Festival with Gustavo Dudamel. She is also a member of the Boston Ballet’s Next Generation, participating for the fourth consecutive year.
With aspirations of becoming a soloist, Laura is driven by her passion for music. Outside of her musical pursuits, she enjoys swimming.
Alex Hernandez-Williams is a 14-year-old violinist who began his musical journey under the guidance of his father, Angel Hernandez, and later continued with esteemed instructors Liana Zaretsky and Magdalena Richter. Alex has been dedicated to music since second grade when he became a student at Project STEP. In spring 2022, he won first place in his division at the Richter competition at Rivers Conservatory, and recently performed in a masterclass led by renowned violinist Midori at NEC. In fall 2024, Alex was chosen to represent STEP in a a recording of a newly commissioned work with members of A Far Cry, written for and performed with Midori. He performs regularly with the Boston Youth Symphony’s Repertory Orchestra, and serves as concertmaster with the Joy of Music Youth Orchestra in Worcester. As a budding violist, Alex is a member of Camerata Strings under Marta Zurad (Rivers Conservatory) and Sinfonietta Strings under Regie Pineda (Joy of Music). Beyond strings, he enjoys playing jazz and classical tunes on the piano and flute, and playing Minecraft and DND with friends in his spare time.
Both a gifted cellist and pianist, Lorenzo Ye is a 17-year-old Project STEP student studying with Meghan Carye. Over the summer, Lorenzo attended the Sphinx Performance Academy at the Juilliard School of Music and served as principal cellist in the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles/Gustavo Dudamel Tour “Voices for the Future” in Bogota, Colombia. Currently, Lorenzo is the principal cellist in his school’s Concert String Orchestra and in the NEC Prep’s School Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, and he has earned a spot in this year’s National Pathways Festival Orchestra with the Chicago Symphony.
A senior at the Boston Latin School, Lorenzo is currently studying composition at the New England Conservatory Prep School and is the co-founder of the nonprofit BostonCityShowcase. Outside of music, Lorenzo is a member of his school’s Varsity Sailing and Model UN team.
