Education

The Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s work extends beyond performing concerts throughout central Illinois. Our musicians dedicate many hours each season to reaching young people in our community with educational programming.

Each year, these programs serve more than 5,000 students. This work is critical in the face of public funding cuts to music education: there is a significant gap in children’s exposure to music, and we are determined to help bridge that gap. Our roster of programs includes:

Concerts for Kids allow students to experience a LIVE orchestral performance that is both inspiring and transformative.
Music Matters! is our award-winning in-school program for Kindergarten – 6th-grade students. Musicians from the Illinois Symphony Orchestra visit schools throughout central Illinois to showcase their instruments, teach students about the orchestra, and share a specific discipline related to music. This past season orchestra members taught and shared music with students from other countries.

Itsy Arts: Emotion Commotion

Itsy Arts: Emotion Commotion is a virtual education program offered by the Illinois Symphony Orchestra for preschool children. It deals with emotions and how we can express how we feel through music and art. There will be an art project in each video for children to try at home through collaboration with the Illinois Art Station. Musicians from the Illinois Symphony Orchestra will talk more about their instruments and play various music to help express different emotions like feeling happy, sad, calm, and more.

Learn More

Music Matters

Music Matters! is our award-winning in-school program for students in Kindergarten through 6th grade. Musicians from the Illinois Symphony Orchestra visit schools throughout Central Illinois to showcase their instrument, teach students about the orchestra, and to share a certain discipline related to music. This past season orchestra members taught and shared music with students from other countries.

Learn More

2026 Scholarship Auditions

The Illinois Symphony Orchestra's two regional guilds recently concluded their 2026 Scholarship Auditions, recognizing exceptional young musicians across the region with awards totaling more than $9,000 in combined scholarship support. From a pianist's near-perfect score in Springfield to a violinist's commanding performance of Mozart in Bloomington–Normal, this year's competitions delivered a remarkable portrait of the next generation of classical musicians.

Click the links below to see the list of winners!

Bloomington-Normal Music Scholarship Winners

Thirteen outstanding student musicians (grades 8–11) performed for a panel of distinguished judges at the Bloomington–Normal auditions, demonstrating remarkable skill, artistry, and maturity.

In recognition of the exceptional talent, the scholarship committee expanded its awards to honor six recipients.

Music Scholarship Winners - Bloomington-Normal

Springfield Music Scholarship Winners

Twenty talented students took the stage at this year’s Springfield auditions, impressing judges with a wide range of instruments, ages, and artistry. With an expanded scoring system and incredibly close results, the competition highlighted the depth of talent within our Youth Orchestra program.

Music Scholarship Winners - Springfield

Get Involved with Illinois Symphony

Our patrons, donors, and sponsors are a large part of what makes our orchestra great and our concerts successful! If you'd like to take part in making a difference for our orchestra, click Donate Today button. Thank you!

Donate Today