海角大神

Beneath the vaulted ceiling of the Church of the Covenant in Boston, a small group of women is gathered around a baby grand piano. Their coats and, for some, all their personal possessions are laid carefully across the front pews. Although it鈥檚 near midday, the glow from the stained glass windows and brass chandeliers barely affords enough light to read the sheet music.

The pianist rolls out the chords for the fourth verse of 鈥淪till I Rise,鈥� a rousing gospel song by Rosephanye Powell that was inspired by Maya Angelou鈥檚 poem of the same name. The women sing:

Though you see me slump with heartache;

Heart so heavy that it breaks.

Be not deceived I fly on birds' wings.

Someone is singing slightly off-key, but the group remains focused, with flashes of jubilance. They are learning. And in just four weeks, they will be performing. This is a rehearsal, or meetup as it鈥檚 called, for at , a day shelter that works to meet the needs of women who identify as low income or who are facing homelessness.

Several rows back, seated in a cushioned pew, is Kristo Kondak莽i, listening intently. He is the co-founder and conductor of the , a network of more than 50 musicians who perform in chamber groups and as an orchestra with a mission of using music as an agent of social change. Along with cellist Alan Toda-Ambaras, Mr. Kondak莽i launched the Eureka Ensemble in 2016, and over the past several years the group has performed in public libraries, care facilities, and schools across Massachusetts.

But the purpose is deeper than just connecting audiences to classical works. The Eureka Ensemble builds relationships with organizations addressing a range of social issues 鈥� from marginalized immigrants to childhood obesity to homelessness 鈥� and then performs concerts to draw support for those organizations. Mr. Kondak莽i is a dynamic force behind these relationships.

A direct outcome of his efforts is The Women鈥檚 Chorus. Through twice-weekly meetups, the choir has become a place where vulnerable women can have a respite from daily anxieties, find their voices, and experience joy. Since its launch last September, more than 80 women from diverse backgrounds, ranging in ages from 23 to 82, have come to sing.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the things that I鈥檝e always loved about singing, is that you have to literally train your whole self right in order to sing,鈥� Mr. Kondak莽i says. 鈥淭he metaphor is, bringing your voice out. In one sense that鈥檚 literally while you鈥檙e singing, but in another sense 鈥� internally, spiritually 鈥� it鈥檚 really powerful.鈥澨�

A rising young conductor

Mr. Kondak莽i, who exudes warmth to all he meets, is considered a rising young conductor in the Boston area. He made his professional conducting debut in 2014 with the Albanian National Orchestra. He coaches chamber music players at Harvard University and works tirelessly as a speaker and adviser to an array of artistic programs.听

Mr. Kondak莽i鈥檚 drive to unlock the transforming power of music is deeply rooted in his own experience. His extended family had been persecuted for its links to Western music in communist-ruled Albania. In 1997, a 5-year-old Kristo, along with other family members, immigrated to Boston with little more than the clothes on their backs.听

He started his musical training in the preparatory school at the New England Conservatory, and he earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from NEC.

鈥淜risto has just a very, very strong social justice aspect to his work, and he has got an enormous capacity to work,鈥� says Tom Novak, provost and dean of the college at NEC, who has known Mr. Kondak莽i since 2009 when he was an undergraduate. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a real relationship builder, and that鈥檚 a very important skill to have for this kind of an initiative to be successful. He has a vision and a passion, and people respond to that.鈥�

Eureka鈥檚 concert last year, 鈥淪heltering Voices,鈥� focused on domestic abuse issues and drew support for local homeless shelters. The connection between domestic violence and women facing homelessness is strong, and it鈥檚 a persistent challenge. In Massachusetts, the number of individuals experiencing homelessness has doubled since 1990 to more than 20,000, according to the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, with 50 percent identifying as women.听

Mr. Kondak莽i has volunteered at homeless shelters since he was in high school, and he brings a high level of personal attention and commitment to the undertaking 鈥� necessary traits if one wants to connect with individuals who are constantly on the move. Last year from January to March he visited shelters across Boston weekly, arriving at 7:30 a.m., to earn the trust of the women and to encourage them to audition for a spot in the chorus for 鈥淪heltering Voices.鈥澨�

In addition to supporting women experiencing homelessness, 鈥淪heltering Voices鈥� also sought to highlight female composers. (At least 90 percent of 2019-20 programming for orchestras in the United States is composed by men, according to an analysis by the Institute for Composer Diversity.)听

Performed last May, 鈥淪heltering Voices鈥� premiered a work by Eureka鈥檚 composer-in-residence at the time, Stephanie Ann Boyd, with lyrics commissioned from Jessica Lynn Suchon, a women鈥檚 rights advocate and poet. 鈥淚t was a piece that was in essence written for them,鈥� says Mr. Kondak莽i of the women experiencing homelessness who sang in the chorus.

A visible transformation

Maritza Rosario, manager of Women鈥檚 Lunch Place, says one can see the transformation in the faces of the women who regularly participate in the chorus. One woman, who has been going to the day shelter for four years, has been more joyful since her first meetup.

鈥淚 look at all programs that come in through here, and I make sure they meet our philosophy of care, that they meet our mission ... of respect and dignity,鈥� Ms. Rosario says. 鈥淲hen I met with Kristo, in a few minutes I knew that our mission was going to be met every single step.鈥澨�

For the singers, the joy they feel was evident at a recent meetup. 鈥淚 do find that it extends outward.... I take it with me. I鈥檓 in a better mood. I鈥檓 happier. I鈥檓 calmer. I鈥檓 not overthinking things as much,鈥� says Jennifer, a chorus regular who lives in a low-income residence and asked that her last name not be used.

When concerts that The Women鈥檚 Chorus participates in raise funds for charity, the singers decide where the money is distributed, says David McCue, co-founder and financial manager of the group.

鈥淭he nice thing is they get to give; they get to sing and give for a change,鈥� says Mr. McCue, who recounts that one participant once remarked to him that it鈥檚 exhausting to have to live on someone else鈥檚 kindness. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of nice to do something and give back,鈥� he remembers her saying.

Ms. Rosario says she can see the potential for a 鈥渞ipple effect鈥� if resident choruses are established at other shelters. 鈥淲e are so focused on basic needs all the time that we forget at times to feed the soul,鈥� she says.

Mr. Kondak莽i says he is working toward dispatching volunteers to continue building connections at homeless shelters across Boston. And he hopes that one day, The Women鈥檚 Chorus will be its own entity, independent from the Eureka Ensemble. Mr. Kondak莽i's assistant conductor, Ismael Sandoval, is already taking the lead in developing the chorus鈥檚 artistic content.

鈥淔or me personally, it鈥檚 like the most perfect execution of our mission, to create a program that then inspires another program to be created 鈥� to literally plant a musical seed,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t is so special to be a part of something so great. It鈥檚 incredibly humbling.鈥澨�

鈥� For more, visit .

Three other groups with arts opportunities

听helps people give to and volunteer for top-performing charitable organizations around the world. All the projects below are vetted by UniversalGiving; 100 percent of each donation goes directly to the listed cause.听

鈥� 听gives an education to underprivileged children as well as families and communities. Take action: for the youths.听

鈥� 听aims to advance the lives of street children. Take action: to a program in Colombia that offers a refuge to children of sex workers where they can participate in art and educational activities.听

鈥� 听provides safe and affordable housing for veterans, domestic violence survivors and their children, and homeless women and their children. Take action: for a children鈥檚 picture book whose sales will benefit this organization.听