Street Symphony hosts 7th annual Messiah Project, honoring those living on Skid Row

A group of some of Los Angeles's most successful musicians gathered in Pasadena on Friday night as part of an annual concert that celebrates the resiliency of those living on Skid Row. 

For the first time in the last two years, Street Symphony was able to hold their annual Messiah Project event, which they call a "celebration of the stories of the Skid Row community." 

"We all want to matter," said Street Symphony founder Vijay Gupta. "We all want dignity, and hope and belonging. The work of Street Symphony is to create that with the community and to reflect those stories back to the public at large."

Street Symphony is a nonprofit organization dedicated to outreach through music, which has been hosting the event since 2015. Dozens of musicians gathered for the yearly event at All Saints Church in Pasadena, comprised of musicians from LA Philharmonic and Master Chorale, students from the Colburn School and University of Southern California, and community musicians from Skid Row ensembles. 

Gupta founded the group in hopes of bringing about healing, justice and redemption.

Inspired by the works of George Frideric Handel, a German-British Baroque composer from the 18th century, "The Messiah Project reflects and honors the history of the Messiah as a work of resilience," a statement from Street Symphony said. "Handel's Messiah was written in 1741, and performances during the composer's life were dedicated to social causes, such as providing relief for incarcerated debtors and orphaned children."

Working in collaboration, The Midnight Mission, another local nonprofit organization, and Street Symphony streamed the event together. The two often partner to bring workshops, events and one-on-one lesson's with some of society's most vulnerable members.

"What we find when we work with people is that we're a lot more alike than we think," Gupta said. "Making music in Skid Row has become an amazing opportunity."

Over the last 10 years, Street Symphony has brought more than 1,000 events to shelters, clinics and jails across Los Angeles. 

"Skid Row is its own world unto itself," said Laurence Cohen, one of the concert's attendees. "For them to go down there week-in and week-out and find musical talent and nurture it in that community — it's just a wonder to behold."