For Immediate Release: 10/14/2019
SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY TO OFFER ROBUST EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMMING AS PART OF 80th ANNIVERSARY SEASON
The San Antonio Symphony is poised to present an extensive array of education and community engagement programs during this year’s 80th Anniversary Season with specific initiatives targeting students of all age groups, from Pre-K through college and beyond. Over 57,000 area students are expected to attend and participate in these programs this academic year. Additional initiatives provide access to individual families, educators, and patients living with dementia.
G6-12 Discovery Concerts: Brahms Symphony No. 1
A new initiative for the 80th Anniversary Season, the Symphony will present two concerts tailored to an audience of middle and high school students on Oct. 16 & 17, 2019, at Lila Cockrell Theatre. These unique, multi-sensory presentations will combine engaging symphonic music, visual enhancements, interactive components, and carefully-planned lecture to create meaningful experiences for students actively engaged in school music ensembles. The program features Brahms’ Symphony No. 1, a revered masterpiece that took the composer 21 years to complete.
Family Concert: Halloween Spooktacular
Family Concerts are an opportunity for all ages – young and old – to experience the Symphony. Our annual Halloween Spooktacular at 11 a.m. on Sat., Oct. 19, 2019 will feature The Composer is Dead, a riotous collaboration between composer Nathaniel Stookey and children’s author Lemony Snicket for a “whodunit” where every member of the orchestra is a suspect. The concert is preceded by our Pre-Concert Activities for Kids, including musical and Halloween crafts, games and an Instrument Petting Zoo in the Laurie Auditorium lobby. Halloween Spooktacular will take place Trinity University’s Laurie Auditorium and tickets are available at the door and online.
Young People’s Concerts
Our Symphony has one of the longest-running Young People’s Concert programs in the country. These 45-minute, school-day field trip performances have introduced area youth to live symphonic music since the 1940s. Programs are cross-curricular, interactive, multi-sensory, geared to grades 3-5, and designed to align with state teaching objectives. This season, the Symphony will offer 16 Young People’s Concert performances at the Tobin Center and 12 additional performances at six public school district locations around the city. Concert programs for 2019-2020 include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (English Language Arts and Reading theme, Dec. 2019), Carnival of the Animals (Science theme, Jan. 2020), Celebrating Women in Music (Social Studies theme, Feb. 2020), and Link Up: The Orchestra Moves (Audience Participation, Apr. 2020).
Open Rehearsals for Students
Select Friday-morning Symphony dress rehearsals at the Tobin Center are open to school groups of middle, high school and college age at no cost. Students witness first-hand how a professional ensemble rehearses while experiencing our Symphony and world-class guest artists up close in state-of-the-art acoustics. Open Rehearsals also include visual enhancements onscreen and a post-rehearsal “Talk Back” with Music Director Sebastian Lang-Lessing or a guest artist.
High School Residency Program
Now in a fourth year, our High School Residency program will partner Symphony musicians with orchestra, band, and mariachi ensembles at Lanier and Highlands High Schools during the 2019-2020 season to provide intensive mentoring experiences to music students through regular school visits. Goals for the program are to enhance students’ learning, inspire them to continue participation, support local school music programs, and to develop meaningful connections between students and the San Antonio Symphony.
Symphony at SAPL Children’s Library Presentations
This sixth-year collaboration with San Antonio Public Library provides greater access to the community with mini-concerts presented by individual musicians at 30 library branches throughout the city. Presentations generally last 40 minutes and are designed for children but easily enjoyed by the whole family. Attendees get to know one of these incredibly-skilled artists and how they chose their instrument, how it works and how it makes a sound. Symphony at SAPL dates and locations for spring 2020 are yet to be announced. These events are free and open to the public.
G6-12 Discovery Concerts, Family Concerts, and Young People’s Concerts are conducted by San Antonio Symphony Associate Conductor Noam Aviel. For more information regarding our Education Programs, please visit sasymphony.org/education/
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ABOUT THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY
The San Antonio Symphony, established in 1939, is a nonprofit performing arts organization with the mission to delight, engage, and enrich the entire community through excellent performance, education, and outreach. Under the dynamic leadership of Music Director Sebastian Lang-Lessing and Associate Conductor Noam Aviel, the San Antonio Symphony gives more than 100 performances annually, including classics, pops, educational programs, movie concerts, and performances with our fellow resident opera and ballet companies. With more than 70 professional musicians, the Symphony serves over 130,000 people per year including over 50,000 students. For more information about the San Antonio Symphony, please visit SASymphony.org.
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