Youth Concerts

Oregon Symphony youth concerts provide high quality artistic experiences in music for students from Kindergarten through 6th grade. Our developmentally appropriate family of Youth Concerts offers comprehensive, sequential learning experiences that encourage active participation by students and teachers alike. We believe that music is an essential and equal part of the total school curriculum and, while our concerts cannot replace sequential arts education curriculum in the school, they are designed to help schools meet and exceed the Oregon Department of Education's Arts Content Standards curriculum objectives and deepen your work in the classroom.

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• Kinderkonzerts — suggested for grades K-2
• Young People's Concert — suggested for grades 3-6
• Take advantage of our free curricular resources to help shape your Youth Concert experience
• How to schedule your symphony visit

Kinderkonzerts, Grades K-2

What are Kinderkonzerts?

Small ensembles of Oregon Symphony musicians, with help from our narrator, bring the orchestra off the stage and into schools for an up-close musical experience where children are active listeners. This series of four 30-minute performances is designed to introduce the four instrument families of the orchestra to students K-2. Kinderkonzerts are held at three Portland-Metro Area host locations.

2007-2008 Kinderkonzerts

Musical merriment and other misadventures

Woodwinds: Zany Zoo Tunes

All abooaarrd! The Zoo Train is departing for a creature-crazy expedition. Hop on and meet animals and instruments of all shapes and sizes, from the buzzing bumblebee (piccolo) to the lumbering elephant (bassoon). There’s room aboard for everyone.

Strings: Three Pigs Construction Co.

The Three Little Pigs – as different as different can be. Their personalities are as distinctive as their homes. Come join the construction crew and help lay the foundation with the right beat, frame the structure at a toe tapping tempo, and blow the roof off with a crashing crescendo!

Brass: Royal Rumpus

As the trumpets announce the arrival of royalty, travel back to the time of knights in shining armor, fancy balls and ornate castles. The Royal Talent Agent is in search of just the right brass ensemble and the perfect musical lineup. She needs some help from the audience to make this a rockin’ Royal Rumpus!

Percussion: A Treasure Trove of Tunes

Arrr Maties! Join our percussion trio for a musical treasure hunt as they dig up some surprising sounds and rhythms. You never know what music can be created when using common objects in unusual ways. After all, one person’s “trash” is a percussionist’s “treasure!”

Kinderkonzert dates, times and locations:

Times shown in RED are Sold Out.

Tickets: $2, free to students in federal free and reduced lunch program & free to chaperones.

Purchase tickets for the 2007-2008 Kinderkonzerts online beginning July 1, 2007. Brochure order forms will be mailed September 1, 2007.

Purchase tickets here »

Young People's Concert, Grades 3-6

What is a Young People's Concert?

Students and teachers arrive at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall eager to experience the full Oregon Symphony playing just for them! The conductor, narrator and orchestra give young listeners a memorable concert experience by combining the expansive emotions of classical music with historical and social concepts that relate to their lives today. Young People's concerts last 50 minutes and are designed especially for grades 3-6.

2007-2008 Young People’s Concert

Rhythmic Roots

Gregory Vajda, conductor
Bilingual narration in English & Spanish

Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
May 1 & 2, 2008
9:30 & 11 AM

(Sold Out: May 1 & 2, 2008 at 11 AM)

Curricular connections: The Arts, Socials Sciences, English Language Arts, Second Language

Music from all over the world has what most living things possess—a heart beat! A pulsing rhythm is the building block of music that keeps things movin’ and groovin’. Join the full Oregon Symphony as we encounter music from around the globe. We’ll discover how rhythm from past centuries creates the foundation for music that moves us today, we’ll investigate cultural and historic influences on some of the world’s greatest composers and we’ll uncover how music speaks to our hearts!

Tickets: $3, free to students in the federal free and reduced lunch program, and free to chaperones.

Purchase tickets for the 2007-2008 Young People’s Concert online beginning July 1, 2007. Brochure order forms will be mailed September 1, 2007.

Purchase tickets here »