Meet the Orchestra

“Meet the Orchestra” introduces children and families to the orchestra in an engaging, hands-on setting. Held in the theatre lobby on the Saturday morning before each concert, the program helps participants understand the structure of an orchestra, how its sections work together, and how musicians interact with the conductor.

What Families Experience

• Attend part of The Symphonia’s dress rehearsal to watch and listen as the orchestra prepares for performance.
• Learn how the orchestra is organized and how the conductor guides the musicians.
• Participate in a Musical Instrument Petting Zoo, where children can touch, try, and learn about orchestral instruments.
• Interact with professional musicians and senior music students in an informal, welcoming environment.

Program Purpose

The goal is not to teach children how to play an instrument or to lecture them about classical music. Instead, the program helps them discover where orchestral music comes from, how it is created, and why it matters.

Orchestral music is part of everyday life, even when listeners do not consciously notice it. It appears in movies, television programs, cartoons, video games, shopping malls, and many other familiar settings. By bringing an awareness to what an orchestra is and how it functions, “Meet the Orchestra” opens a new world of understanding for young audiences and their families.

This event is free for children; $15 per person for adults.