Symphony Day 2008 is an important component of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra Association's nationally recognized music education program. As one of 11 outreach projects, Symphony Day will celebrate its twenty-fifth season in 2008; collectively more than 135,000 children have attended this event. The QCSO is the largest provider of free music education outreach programs in the Quad City region with free concerts and events designed for preschool through high school aged children that reach 30,000 children and their families each year.
On Tuesday, April 1, 2008, more than 7,000 fourth and fifth grade students will travel to the Adler Theatre for Symphony Day 2008. These children represent 32 different school districts and 195 public, private and home-study classrooms within a 45-mile radius of the Quad Cities. Two significant Association goals are fulfilled by Symphony Day. Young audience members -- future event musicians and patrons -- experience a live concert performed by a full orchestra of accomplished student musicians. And the Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra players, conducted by Tom Hageman, have the opportunity to perform a large-scale concert in a distinctive concert hall.
Symphony Day 2008, featuring the Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra, introduces elementary school students to the symphony orchestra and classical music. Programming is designed to highlight the families of music instruments through short and varied works. Instruments and orchestra sections are featured throughout the performance with narration and comments from the conductor to draw the listener's focus to the music and the musicians. Additionally, the Youth Orchestra members, themselves only a few years older than the audience, serve as positive role models for the elementary school students. The narrated performances are carefully designed to expand on the general school music experience for ten and eleven-year-old students. Prior to Symphony Day, each school is provided with a comprehensive study guide, prepared by Symphony Association music educators, that can be integrated into the music curriculum by individual classroom teachers. This guide contains information about the orchestra, the theatre, the program, the composers, and offers suggested learning activities. Music highlights is included to facilitate the pre-concert preparation experience.
"Celebrate!" is this year's theme, as Symphony Day celebrates its twenty-fifth year and the Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra celebrates its fiftieth anniversary.
Symphony Day 2008 Classroom Materials
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All programs are offered at no cost to participants. Funding for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra's music education programs is provided by Volunteers for Symphony (VfS) and the organizations listed below:
- Adler Theatre Foundation
- Aquent Software Development Center
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Rauch Foundation
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Volunteers for Symphony
For more information please contact Laurie Skjerseth at the Symphony Office at 563-322-0931 ext.13 or click here to e-mail.