Last weekend, a special performance unfolded in Central San Rafael. The location was unusual: it's where collection bins full of waste, recycling and compost are brought.

Young musicians from South America are going from the slums to the biggest stages of classical music by turning trash into melody. The group is tuning up for a concert in the Valley this summer.

Only 7% of LAist readers currently donate to fund our journalism. Help raise that number, so our nonprofit newsroom stays strong in the face of federal cuts. Donate now. When you think of an orchestra ...

Eight-time Grammy winner Gloria Estefan is writing the music and lyrics for an original stage musical called Five Notes about Paraguay’s Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, the singer announced today. In ...

Featured in numerous news articles, NPR and 60 Minutes, the story of the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura is one of how art can elevate the human spirit despite crippling poverty. And the musicians are ...

The people of Cateura, Paraguay, are some of the poorest in Latin America, living off landfill — but one group has discovered a way to create art. Michelle Starr is CNET's science editor, and ...

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Miami-Dade County generates more than 5 million tons of waste every year. That’s nearly double the national average. And we’re not alone, as many parts of the world are ...

When you think of an orchestra, you're probably picturing refined woodwinds, brass, and strings. But one ensemble I recently met is made up mostly of kids who play instruments made out of literal ...