MUSIC WITH A MISSION: From left: Spoorthy Gundra, Eshani Banerjee, Eric Sigalov, and Aleena Zhang will perform to raise funds for victims of devastating hurricanes at their concert at the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville this Sunday, December 22 at 3 p.m.

By Anne Levin

For the four high school juniors who make up the Del Forzza Chamber Music Society, helping others is as important as making music together.

This quartet, made up of two flutists and two saxophone players, will perform at the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville on Sunday, December 22 at 3 p.m. Their goal is to raise funds to aid the victims of Hurricane Helene, which caused catastrophic damage in North Carolina last September; and Hurricane Milton, the destructive tropical cyclone that hit Florida a month later. Also on their list are the wildfires that devastated Lahaina, Hawaii, in August 2023.

“We are an independent, student-run club volunteering for our community and driven by our beliefs that we can make a small difference in this world,” said Aleena Zhang, a flutist who attends Princeton High School.

Along with Zhang, the ensemble includes a flutist from West Windsor/Plainsboro North High School, and saxophone players from Montgomery High School and Union County Magnet High School. The musicians have been working together for a year.

“We all have the same music teacher. We came together and thought it would be cool to do something with our music, and give back to the community,” said Zhang. “We were initially inspired by the Lahaina fire, but once those hurricanes occurred, we added them to our cause.”

Pairing flute and saxophone is an unusual combination. “It was hard for us to find music for our group,” said Zhang. “My flute teacher helped us to rearrange some woodwind quartets. The other flutist in the group is also learning how to compose, so she and our teacher did that together. It definitely hasn’t been easy, but we’ve made it work.”

The name of the quartet comes from the musical term “forzza.”

“In Italian, it means ‘to be strong,’ and we have four pillars that connect to that,” said Zhang. “They are loyalty, integrity, teamwork, and organization. We operate on those values.”

Future plans for the ensemble include more fundraising for causes the musicians feel are important. “We want to continue to raise money. We’re looking for some other target areas outside of America,” said Zhang. “We’re hoping to ramp it up on a larger scale, but will stick to the same instrumentation for now. But we all have a bit of background in piano, so we can do that, too.”

Music for the upcoming concert will include classical selections and some holiday carols, as well as a sing-along with the audience. While admission is free, the group is hoping for donations from those who attend. Proceeds will directly support organizations providing essential aid such as emergency shelter, food, medical assistance, and long-term recovery support.

“The event aims to not only raise funds, but also bring hope and solidarity to the affected communities through the universal language of music,” reads a release about the event.

The Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville is located at 2688 Lawrenceville Road (Route 206). The concert will be held from 3 to 5 p.m.