New Haven Symphony Orchestra To Perform Free Young People’s Concert

NEW HAVEN, CT — Calling all young music lovers.

The New Haven Symphony Orchestra will perform a free Young People’s Concert Saturday, April 1 at 1 p.m. at the Lyman Center for the Performing Arts at Southern Connecticut State University.

Led by Music Director Alasdair Neale and NHSO Harmony Conducting Fellow Stephan Fillare, the one-hour “Introduction to the Orchestra” concert will feature music by historic and contemporary composers including John Williams, Florence Price, Arturo Marquez, Alberto Ginastera, and Igor Stravinsky.

After the concert, kids can meet and greet NHSO musicians in the lobby and try real orchestra instruments at an instrument “petting zoo.”

The Symphony will play additional performances of the Young People’s Concert program on Tuesday, March 28 at the Lyman Center in New Haven and Friday, March 31 in Seymour. These performances have been offered specifically as field trip experiences for schools and are sold out.

“The New Haven Symphony Orchestra has performed its Young People’s Concerts annually since 1933, and the programs are constantly evolving to meet the needs of today’s students," said NHSO Education Director Caitlin Daly-Gonzales. This year, thousands of kids from 22 New Haven public schools, as well as public and parochial schools from Seymour, Branford, Monroe, Meriden, Stamford, and West Haven will hear the orchestra play."

Daly-Gonzales said the music will include everything from movie soundtracks by John Williams to ballet scores by Igor Stravinsky to a lively Danzon by Arturo Marquez, "all paired with dynamic visuals projected over the orchestra and fun interactions with our music director and the musicians.”

Tickets to the April 1 Young People’s Concert are free, but registration is required. Ticket registration is available online at NewHavenSymphony.org or by calling the NHSO box office at (203) 693-1486.

About the New Haven Symphony Orchestra

The fourth-oldest orchestra in America, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra’s exceptional and accessible performances and education programs reach more than 40,000 audience members and 20,000 students in a typical year. Innovative programming and a dedication to the commission of new works inspires deeper audience engagement and meaningful artistic and educational collaborations. Through the nationally acclaimed Harmony Fellowship program, as well as numerous award-winning education and community engagement programs, the Symphony strives to be a leader for racial equity in the arts. Learn more here.

Young People’s Concerts are sponsored by The Katharine Matthies Foundation, Southern CT State University, and The Bartels Fund for Education.