Our Mission
Our mission is to harness the transformative power of music to empower children and communities.
We do this by offering free string music education to children from Montreal and Kahnawake, breaking down socioeconomic barriers to ensure all children have access. By ensuring our students are continually engaged, supported, and celebrated, we open doors to new opportunities, foster personal growth, and inspire a brighter future for all.
Our Vision
At Encore! Sistema Québec, we aim to create a future where music unites and uplifts young minds, ensuring that every child can reach their fullest potential and contribute positively to society.
Our Values
Encore! Sistema Quebec is guided by a set of values inspired by the ideals and fundamental principles uniting all Sistema projects around the world and across the country. These values steer us in all aspects of our work, from supporting our students and employees to working with our partners, funding our projects, and connecting with our communities.
Social Impact +
Access & Inclusion +
Excellence +
Collaboration +
Learning +
What we do
Encore! Sistema Québec’s approach is inspired by the Sistema model, which was created in Venezuela in the 1970s. This model highlights the importance of collaboration in music-making and prioritizes meeting the unique needs of each community of young musicians we serve.
Students are involved in group-based instruction for up to 6 hours each week, where they are taught how to play string instruments like the violin, viola, cello, and double bass. They also have the opportunity to perform in at least two annual concerts and take part in various cultural enrichment activities.
Our programs are deeply rooted in the students’ cultural heritage, and depending on the location, they are exposed to traditional music, body percussion, music composition, and indigenous visual arts.
Our History
Beginnings: A Vision for Change (2011-2015)
In 2011, the Canadian Symposium II on El Sistema at McGill University sparked the inspiration for music educator Theodora Stathopoulos to launch the first program in Quebec inspired by the Venezuelan El Sistema model, Viva!Sistema. For three years, Viva!Sistema operated as a free after-school program in the communities of Pointe-Saint-Charle and Kahnawake.
Incorporation and Growth (2015-Present)
Building on the resounding success of Viva!Sistema, Encore! Sistema Quebec (ESQ) was established in 2015 to continue Viva!Sistema’s mission. In 2016, ESQ achieved a significant milestone by officially incorporating and obtaining charitable status. This recognition allowed the organization to expand the reach of its programs and clientele to include high school and autistic children, with key collaborations including the Kahnawake Survival School, Parc-Extension Youth’s Organization (PEYO), and Giant Steps Centre for autistic children.
Adapting Through Challenges (2020-2022)
The COVID-19 pandemic presented Encore! Sistema Quebec (ESQ) with unprecedented challenges, disrupting our operations and straining our resources. Despite the difficulties encountered, the crisis highlighted the significant impact our services have on the well-being and development of children. Music and community have proven to be influential sources of comfort and social bonding during times of seclusion.
In response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, the ESQ team demonstrated resilience and adaptability by creating online programs. This allowed for the implementation of hybrid and versatile teaching methods, enabling us to provide intensive extracurricular programs to remote communities on a daily basis.
Expansion of our programs and impact (2022- Present)
In 2022, we partnered with the Innovation Youth Center, extending our reach to more children and youth. Our summer camp resumed, offering stimulating music education and generating significant interest.
In 2024, ESQ inaugurated a new hub in the vibrant Quartier des Spectacles, providing a central location for multiple programs and activities for all children and youth from the surrounding neighborhoods, with convenient access to the subway. This center also serves as our administrative headquarters.
Looking Forward
Over the past year, ESQ has diligently worked on a strategic plan to guide our future growth and enhance our impact. We will be posting this plan soon, so be sure to check back for updates!
At Encore! Sistema Québec, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and safe environment for all.
Land Acknowledgement
Encore! Sistema Québec (ESQ) acknowledges that our work takes place on the traditional territories of Tiohtià:ke/Montreal and the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) Nation, which we recognize were never ceded or surrendered. We honor the Kanien’kehá:ka as the traditional stewards and custodians of these sacred lands and waters. We are grateful for the privilege to learn, create, and connect on this territory, and we pay respect to the traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who are with us today, those who have gone before us, and the youth who inspire us.
Allyship Statement
Encore! Sistema Québec is an equity-driven organization dedicated to anti-oppressive practices. We are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion as a core value in our work. We actively acknowledge our privilege and power, and aim to do our work with integrity and transparency. We recognize all types of diversity including but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, body size and shape, class, citizenship status, religion, and abilities. As an organization, we welcome the ways this diversity will deepen our shared understanding of each other and of the world around us, and aim to celebrate these differences as unique aspects of our humanity.
Safe Space Statement
Encore! Sistema Québec is also committed to providing a safe space for our staff, students, and communities: a space free of fear, bullying, and harassment of any kind. A space where we accept and uplift each other. We want to respect our differences and aim to always treat each other with kindness. We believe that everyone deserves to be listened to respectfully, and we commit to making space for our students and staff to speak. If we are subjected to or witness bullying and harassment, we will speak out knowing that our voices will be heard and we will be taken seriously. Together we will maintain a safe space at Encore! Sistema Québec.
