(Photo by Jessica Griffin)
PNC Arts Alive Funds Free Concert, Makes Music Accessible for Young Children and Families
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Sound All Around series offers entertaining and engaging programs for children ages 3-5 throughout the year—bringing orchestral music to life for a new generation of listeners. Now, thanks to funding from PNC Arts Alive, young children and their families experience the joy of music free of charge during a Sound All Around concert on Thursday, April 11, at 10:15 AM, at the Joseph E. Coleman Northwest Regional Library in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia at 68 West Chelten Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144.
This interactive 45-minute program focuses on the cello, and features longtime Orchestra partner and award-winning storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston, Acting Associate Principal Cello Yumi Kendall, and pianist Nathan Jumper. Children will learn everything they ever wanted to know about the cello (and more!) while listening to stories, singing songs, moving to the music, and getting acquainted with the instrument. Seating for the concert on April 11 is first-come, first-served with no tickets required. For more information on this free Sound All Around concert, contact Regional Librarian Patti McLaughlin at 215.685.2155.
The Orchestra has long been committed to presenting programs that nurture children’s love of and appreciation for classical music. The Sound All Around series is specifically designed with the Orchestra’s youngest audience members in mind, and features 20 performances each season, traditionally held in the historic Academy of Music Ballroom. Members of The Philadelphia Orchestra from each of the four instrument families (string, woodwind, brass, and percussion) join award-winning storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston for these interactive programs.
“Sharing the joy of discovering music with young listeners is central to The Philadelphia Orchestra’s learning and community engagement mission,” said Philadelphia Orchestra President and CEO Allison Vulgamore. “We are particularly pleased to have this opportunity to engage with children in the Germantown neighborhood by bringing our Sound All Around program to the Coleman Branch Library. We are grateful for such good partners as the Free Library of Philadelphia and the PNC Arts Alive program. Their support and collaboration help make it possible for the Orchestra to reach further into the Philadelphia community.”
The Philadelphia Orchestra brings the power and joy of music to children and families throughout the Greater Philadelphia region, providing a wide variety of opportunities for learning and music appreciation, training of young musicians, and engagement within the community. Sound All Around and the Family Concert series provide a welcoming entrée for children into the exciting world of classical music in a friendly, fun environment.
Thousands of students each year are introduced to the Orchestra through School Concerts, Student Open Rehearsals, and the ongoing presence the Orchestra maintains in five Student Partnership Schools. The Billy Joel Concert Program provides funding that allows students from nearly 100 City schools to attend the Orchestra’s School Concerts in the Kimmel Center. The Albert M. Greenfield Competition and Side-by-Side Rehearsal are held annually, and the Orchestra regularly partners with the School District of Philadelphia’s All City Choir and Orchestra.
College students from around the region are served by the unique eZseatU program, and many go on to become regular Orchestra subscribers. The Orchestra also presents free Neighborhood Concerts each year, bringing music out of the concert hall and into communities throughout the city and neighboring suburbs. The community footprint of The Philadelphia Orchestra is furthered by its musicians through their individual accomplishments as teachers, coaches, chamber musicians, directors of adult and youth ensembles, and faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music, Temple University, and Settlement Music School.
PNC Arts Alive is a five-year, $5 million investment from the PNC Foundation that supports visual and performing arts groups with the goal of increasing arts access and engagement. For more information on PNC Arts Alive and the grant recipients, visit www.PNCARTSALIVE.com. To learn more about The Philadelphia Orchestra’s educational programs and concerts, visit www.philorch.org.
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