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.
Take Me Out to the Symphony | Concerts for Kids
Concerts for Kids is our educational outreach concert that allows schoolchildren throughout central Illinois the opportunity to experience LIVE classical music performed by the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. Next year, we invite your class to join us for a musically sports fun-filled concert!
View DetailsMusic 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.
View DetailsItsy 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.
View DetailsMusic Scholarships
Music scholarships are offered by the guilds through our Concerto Competitions. Scholarship awards fund private lessons, summer music camps, and youth orchestra fees.
View DetailsScholarship Winners
The ISO Guilds of Bloomington-Normal & Springfield offer annual scholarship competitions for area young musicians. We are excited to announce the 2022 scholarship recipients here.
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