our story

Concerts for Compassion (CFC) was inspired by the diverse backgrounds of its founders. Jocelyn Zhu was born in Jackson, Mississippi to immigrant parents from China and Taiwan. Mariella Ochoa grew up in the South of Germany before immigrating to the United States in her teenage years. Although vastly different, their backgrounds share a common theme: communities that have histories of racial discrimination. CFC grew from a mutual desire to use their Juilliard education as a tool to make a difference.

Working with organizations such as The United Nations Refugee Agency, The Red Cross, and Support International, Concerts for Compassion has visited ten countries in North America, Central America, Europe, and the Middle East. Concerts for Compassion is the proud recipient of The U.S. Department of State Federal Assistance Award and The Tarisio Trust Young Artists Grant. Founders, Jocelyn Zhu and Mariella Haubs, are 2018 winners of The Hill McGraw-Robert Sherman Award for Outreach and Education presented by WQXR at The Juilliard School.

impact

Concerts at Refugee Camps

CFC aims to bring meaningful musical experiences to displaced peoples through performance, interaction, and education. Thus far, we have visited many types of refugee camps, ranging from unofficial shelters populated by recently displaced individuals to more structured camps under the Red Cross’s and UNHCR’s jurisdiction.

Benefit Concerts

CFC performs benefit concerts for organizations supporting refugee communities. In the past, CFC has performed in support of Buffalo String Works, Church World Service, Jesuit Refugee Services, Support International, and the UN Refugee Agency. When performing in traditional performance venues or for refugee-adjacent communities, CFC prioritizes works by composers who were either refugees themselves or faced other kinds of adversity. By doing so, CFC’s goal is to build deeper societal awareness, understanding, and compassion.

Educational Workshops

CFC’s youth workshops encourage creativity, play, dialogue, self-expression, and self-regulation. In these workshops, CFC demonstrates musical instruments and live music-making, encourages artistic creativity and self-expression through interactive games, and facilitates discussion on a wide range of topics.

The most important facet of these educational workshops is the integrative element. Refugees in post-migration status often experience the challenges of acculturation as groups of individuals sharing different cultures come into continuous first-hand contact. “Research on the resettlement context has shown that refugees face difficulties such as... establishing a new identity in a cross-cultural setting, learning a new language, building new social networks, and feeling like they belong and have a purpose.” Concerts for Compassion's integrative musical events, which involve both refugees and local community members, create opportunities for multicultural exchange, dialogue, and community building in an inclusive and welcoming environment. Through such work, CFC aims to support the two-way adaptations that take place among post-migration refugees and their local communities while helping to combat refugee misconceptions and foster greater awareness, understanding, and goodwill.