What can 100 days of practice accomplish?
For years, Urbain Vangu, violist with Excellencia in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has shared the beauty of music despite a challenge few audience members could see. The viola he played was built for a student—too small for his frame, limiting his reach, restricting his technique, and preventing him from drawing the full, rich voice from the instrument that every professional musician longs to hear. Yet week after week, rehearsal after rehearsal, Urbain continued to make music, knowing his artistry had outgrown the instrument in his hands.
Encouraged by two dedicated teachers, they accepted an ambitious challenge: a 100-Day Practice Marathon. They pledged to practice for 100 days, inviting family and friends to sponsor their commitment. Some days were easy. Others competed with homework, sports, vacations, and the distractions of everyday life. But they kept going. One practice session became another, then another, until a hundred days of perseverance began to add up to something far greater than anyone could have imagined.
More than 6,000 miles away in New Jersey, twelve young string players decided they could help change that story.
With the support of generous sponsors and concert audiences, their daily discipline raised enough to purchase and ship a professional 16.5-inch viola for Urbain—a beautifully crafted instrument complete with a professional bow, hard case, shoulder rest, and rosin.
Today, that viola is making its journey across the ocean to Kinshasa.
Soon, for the first time, Urbain will hold an instrument that truly fits him—one that will allow his technique, musicianship, and musical voice to flourish without the physical limitations he has quietly overcome for so long. That instrument already carries an extraordinary story: the determination of twelve young musicians who chose to practice not only for themselves, but for someone they had never met.
Though separated by continents, they are united by a shared belief that music is more than performance—it is generosity, connection, and hope made audible.
This story is what OPERAnauts exists to do: connect musicians across continents, identify meaningful needs, and transform the generosity of one community into lasting opportunities for another. The journey of Urbain’s new viola is one example of how partnerships, planning, and shared purpose can create music that reaches far beyond the concert stage.
