Even through the crisp digital window of our Zoom call, Francisco J. Núñez’s passion radiates so much that the screens between us seem to disappear. As we discuss his journey from the streets of Washington Heights to becoming one of the most influential figures in music education, his story unfolds with the same rich complexity as the harmonies he draws from his acclaimed Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC).
Today, Núñez is a MacArthur Fellow and Musical America’s 2018 Educator of the Year, but his beginnings were far more modest. “My father was from Haiti, my mother from the Dominican Republic,” he tells me, his voice carrying the warmth of someone who has learned to embrace the complexity of identity. Born in New York but spending formative years shuttling between the Dominican Republic and the city, he experienced firsthand the stark contrasts of economic disparity. “I was on the poor side, not the extremely poor, thank goodness,” he recalls. “But in the Dominican Republic we had children that would come over every day and whatever food we threw out, they would collect it. This would be food you would give to pigs… You learn empathy. You learn how poverty really affects you.”
Early Life and Inspiration
Along a relatively peaceful stretch of Washington Heights—156th Street between Riverside and Broadway—young Francisco found his calling at a second-hand piano from the Salvation Army. It was the 1970s, and while his peers were navigating the complex social dynamics of street life, Núñez was upstairs, practicing scales and melodies, his television antenna adorned with the obligatory aluminum foil that defined an era of make-do ingenuity. This early musical prowess would prove developmental; as a piano prodigy, he found himself bridging worlds he didn’t yet understand he was connecting.
His mother, determined to keep him from joining the gangs that dominated neighborhood life, employed a strategy that would prove visionary: she filled their home with musical instruments. Through music competitions sponsored by churches and community organizations, Núñez began to glimpse possibilities beyond his immediate surroundings, eventually earning a full scholarship to NYU as a piano performance major.
Founding the Young People’s Chorus of New York City
What began as personal transformation would eventually become a movement. Since founding YPC, Núñez has established a new paradigm for youth choruses, earning recognition among composers for establishing the child’s voice as a significant instrument for making music. Under his leadership, YPC has commissioned over 300 pieces from distinguished composers, contributing to the ever-evolving fabric of music in the 21st century. The results speak for themselves: YPC became the first American chorus to win first prize in the European Broadcasting Union’s Let the Peoples Sing competition and the first North American chorus to be named “Choir of the World” at the International Choral Kathaumixw in 2018.
But more remarkable than the accolades is the impact on individual lives. “YPC was born out of the idea of fighting racism and poverty by bringing rich and poor together,” Núñez explains, though he’s quick to add that he doesn’t typically frame it in those terms. “You cannot bring diversity if you use those words because then you’re a charity or social justice organization. That’s not what I am. I’m a high-level music ensemble that brings any child in, and we win competitions and bring these kids across the country, and we change their lives.”
The organization’s College Bound program offers workshops ranging from financial literacy to college application coaching, with over $1 million in scholarships awarded annually. The program provides 550 hours of intensive training, including group and private voice lessons, chorus rehearsals, and dynamic dance and choreography training.
The impact of Núñez’s vision has continued to evolve, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. When traditional performances became impossible, he refused to let the music stop, instead expanding into new mediums. His 2023 Emmy® Award for Artistic Direction of YPC’s feature-length holiday special “Topsy Turvy New York” marked just the beginning of this innovative chapter. His documentary “This Time Round,” shot during lockdown, offers a poignant glimpse into the pandemic through the eyes of his young choristers, currently garnering acclaim at film festivals across the country. Most recently, he launched “Out of the Vox,” an intimate film series that follows him as he engages in candid conversations with accomplished artists, taking audiences beyond the stage to explore the human stories behind the music.
As our conversation shifts to the upcoming winter concert, ‘A Very Merry New York’ at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall, Núñez’s eyes light up with renewed vigor. Set for December 8, the performance will feature nearly 600 choristers from every New York City borough, Long Island, and Westchester. The program, themed “Finding the Light,” will premiere a unique “Song of Light” arrangement by Grammy-nominated artist Chandrika Tandon, alongside an eclectic selection of global music and holiday classics.
Perhaps the most telling example of YPC’s impact comes through what Francisco J. Núñez calls the ‘peach ceremony.’ During a tour in Japan, the chorus participated in a traditional tasting of $40 peaches—a price that admittedly has me daydreaming about what such a carefully cultivated fruit must taste like. For his students, it became more than just an expensive piece of fruit; it introduced how other cultures can elevate even the simplest pleasures into art. “When they come home, do they remember the concert, or do they remember that peach?” he asks rhetorically. “That peach ends up being their college essay, and they get a better college because who the heck is writing about a peach ceremony?”
As we near the end of our conversation, I ask Núñez about the most important lesson he’s learned through his years with YPC. His answer reveals the wonder that still drives him: “I can’t believe that a child would be willing to dedicate so much of their life to an organization. That blows me away. There’s something going on in that heart and that brain… How can a child be that amazing, to give so much to society, to make so many people joyous? To me, that still is unanswerable.”
The impact of Francisco J. Núñez’s vision extends far beyond the concert hall. From Emmy Award-winning holiday specials to appearances on “CBS Sunday Morning,” NBC’s “Today Show,” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” YPC has become a cultural touchstone. But more importantly, it stands as living proof that music can be the bridge connecting us all, one young voice at a time.
In an era of increasing social division, the Young People’s Chorus of New York City offers a powerful counter narrative—proof that excellence and diversity need not be mutually exclusive. As our Zoom call ends and Núñez’s image fades from my screen, I can’t help but think that somewhere in New York City, another young person is discovering their path to transformation through the universal language of music, guided by the legacy of a visionary who never forgot the power of a second-hand piano to change a life.
Book Tickets Here: Young People’s Chorus of New York City Presents A Very Merry New York and Follow @ypcofnyc on Instagram
