PSO Receives $5,000 Grant to Bring 400 Portland Students to Spring Youth Concert

PORTLAND, Maine – Bank of America recently awarded the Portland Symphony Orchestra (PSO) a $5,000 grant to make it possible for over 400 students from four Portland schools to attend its spring Youth Concert, Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, for free on Tuesday, April 5.

Fourth and fifth graders from Portland’s predominantly low-to-moderate income schools — Ocean Avenue, Reiche, East End Community, and Presumpscot — will receive free transportation and tickets to the concert. For many of these students, this will be their first time to experience the power of live orchestral music.

Conducted by PSO Music Director Robert Moody, this concert features excerpts from Britten’s classic introductory work, Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, music from the Harry Potter films and Avatar, and works by Tchaikovsky, Dukas, and Rouse. The concert also features the winning composition from the Young Composer Festival competition.

“We are grateful to be able to expand our ability to serve Portland’s youth thanks to this generous grant from Bank of America,” notes executive director Lisa Dixon. “The nurturing of creativity and expression through music can lift children up beyond their immediate reality to a place where their hopes and dreams can be formed.”

To help prepare for the performances, the PSO provides supplemental learning materials that include lesson plans and a CD recording. These instruction materials play a critical role in providing educators with the tools they need for their students to achieve several Maine Learning Results: identifying sounds of musical instruments, attending a live performance, learning music terminology, and understanding the relationships between music and other disciplines.

The spring Youth Concert will be held on Tuesday, April 5 at at 9:30 a.m. (sold out) and 11:10 a.m. For tickets, which are $5, and information, email education@portlandsymphony.org or call 773-6128.

Youth Concerts are sponsored by Unum, with additional support from Target and Macy’s. The PSO’s 2010-2011 season is sponsored by IDEXX Laboratories and Wright Express.

For complete season information, including artist biographies; program notes; and Online Insights, provided with support from Digital Enrichment sponsor Fairpoint Communications; visit www.portlandsymphony.org.

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Tags: fun, Robert Moody, students, youth concerts