Boca Raton Sisters Conduct Recital
to Benefit the Symphonia

While some kids can name every type of dinosaur or rattle off any sports stat, two sisters from Boca Raton have a different passion.

Nine-year-old Julia and seven-year-old Daphne can tell you everything there is to know about classical composers and have been playing the piano for the past three years.

That’s how the girls discovered The Symphonia.

Pre-pandemic, the sisters participated in The Symphonia’s Meet the Orchestra program. Families are invited to attend a live performance rehearsal followed by an ‘instrument petting zoo’ where kids can interact with the musicians and the instruments they play. Needless to say, the experience left an impression.

Another passion shared by the young sisters? Philanthropy. At the Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton, the girls attend an afterschool program called Philanthropy Kids in Action where they talk about giving your time, talent, and treasure to those in need. During the pandemic, they combined their love of music and their love of giving back to create “Pennies for Piano,” a special zoom recital for friends and family to benefit The Symphonia.

The girls created invitations, drew pictures of the composers, and prepared seven songs which they pre-recorded for the recital followed by a live encore of a song they composed themselves. They counted the individual notes of each song and gave a suggested donation amount with one note equaling one penny. All in all, the girls raised $500 which they decided to donate to a local organization that spotlights women in music, The Symphonia, as well as the International Alliance for Women in Music.

“I’m thrilled that they love music and that they’re learning to be fluent in the language of music,” said Seth Edgarde, the girls’ father. “It’s something of a lacuna in a modern education, so I’m very happy that they are able to use their passion to further music education right here in our community in Boca Raton.”

What’s next for these impressive sisters? They’ve challenged themselves to practice piano every day for 500 days. So far, they’re up to 450! The Symphonia will be cheering these young pianists on as they continue to work toward their goals and make a difference in their community.