“I’ve been dreaming of this my whole life,” said pianist Zuhal Sultan, 16, one of 10 students who fill in during rehearsals because of the difficulty of getting all 70 musicians to central Baghdad for the Saturday and Tuesday sessions.

She lost her parents in the last four years, one to violence, one to illness. Her older brothers worry about her crosstown trips to rehearsal, she says. But like many here, music is her balm.

“We’re lucky to be musicians,” Zuhal said. “We can express ourselves through music, whether we are sad or happy or any other feeling. Playing with this orchestra brings me joy.”

RTWT