HARMONY IN A WHOLE NEW PLACE. HERE'S RICHARD ENGEL. >> Reporter: IN THE CITY OF BRAGA, KNOWN AS THE ROME OF PORTUGAL WHERE TRADITION AND HISTORY RUN DEEP, MEMBERS OF THE AFGHAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA ARE KEEPING THEIR COUNTRY'S RICH MUSICAL TRADITIONS ALIVE, BECAUSE IN AFGHANISTAN NOW THIS -- IS A CRIME. THREE YEARS AGO AS U.S. TROOPS LEFT AFGHANISTAN, THE TALIBAN SEIZED POWER. >> IT WAS LIKE WE WERE DEAD. >> Reporter: YOU FELT LIKE YOU WERE DEAD? >> YES, OF COURSE. >> Reporter: FOR COUSINS FRIDA AND ZORA AHMADI, IT WAS A THREAT TO THEIR VERY EXISTENCE. THEY WERE STUDENTS AT AFGHANISTAN'S NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MUSIC, ESTABLISHED IN 2010 IN KABUL. THE SCHOOL WAS A DIRECT CHALLENGE TO THE TALIBAN'S EXTREMISM. FOR YEARS THE GROUP TRIED TO SILENCE THEM, EVEN DISPATCHING A SUICIDE BOMBER TO A PERFORMANCE. SO WHEN THE TALIBAN RETURNED AS RULERS, THE MUSIC STOPPED. THE SCHOOL'S DIRECTOR, ORCHESTRATED A MYRRH MIRACLE, A MASS EXODUS. THEY LIVE ON NOW IN PORTUGAL, AND THEY ARE RECOGNIZED WITH AN INVITATION TO PLAY CARNEGIE HALL. IT WAS BITTERSWEET FOR ZORA. >> WE WERE HAPPY AND SAD AT THE SAME TIME. >> Reporter: SAD FOR THOSE LEFT BEHIND IN AFGHANISTAN WHERE MUSIC REMAINS BANNED AND GIRLS ARE NOT ALLOWED MORE THAN A SIXTH GRADE EDUCATION. THE ORCHESTRA IS FIGHTING BACK WITH INSTRUMENTS. THIS AUGUST, THEY MADE IT TO NEW YORK CITY. >> WELCOME TO CARNEGIE HALL! NO ONE HAS SILENCED US. >> EACH CONCERT IS A PROTEST. >> EACH NOTE IS A PROTEST. >> Reporter: BRINGING THEM ONE STEP CLOSER PERHAPS TO RETURNING