The sister of the classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma is back to leading a student orchestra based in Syosset after live performances were halted for two years by the pandemic. 

Yeou Cheng Ma runs the Children's Orchestra Society in Syosset. She says she was in her father’s orchestra when she was about 11 years old. She is now approaching 71. 

Joshua Wang, who is a senior in high school, has been a violinist for the Children’s Orchestra Society since he was in seventh grade. 

“For me, the most important part about music is sharing it with other people and for you to enjoy it and hopefully they enjoy it as well,” he says. 

However, the group's love for live performance came to a halt when the pandemic started. Yeou Cheng Ma says they were forced to cancel their annual live show two years in a row.

This year they were finally able to return this year in front of an audience at the Lincoln Center in Manhattan. The three Discovery Winners from the past competitions were a part of the performance. 

“The interaction with the audience is something the internet can't replace,” Wang says. 

The Children’s Orchestra Society is always searching for more students. Applicants can send in an interview and audition at the society’s website.