San Diego, Tijuana Youth symphonies unite for historic cross-border performance [Video]

This weekend, 85 musicians from San Diego’s Youth Symphony and neighboring Sinfónica Juvenil de Tijuana packed the Epstein Family Amphitheater at the University of California, San Diego, for a historic performance.

“No matter where you’re from, music can be something that unites,” said Lilian Franqui one of the musicians breaking down barriers.

When she was 7 years old, Franqui picked up a violin at an instrument “petting zoo.” 

Now, more than a decade later, she’s planning to make a career in it. 

“When you’re playing, there’s no talk about borders. There’s no talk about ‘them versus us’ that I see a lot of, especially in the news,” Franqui said. “I think that this music …