School Concerts

Experience The Philadelphia Orchestra for only $8 a person!

ANNOUNCING DATES for the 2012-13 SEASON!

School Concerts

For Students, Grades 2-6

Introduce your students to the thrilling and powerful art form of orchestral music with a Philadelphia Orchestra School Concert. Held on weekdays, these 45-minute programs are open to school groups and home schools throughout the greater Delaware Valley area. In the 2012-13 season, The Philadelphia Orchestra will present the Classical Kids LIVE! production of Beethoven Lives Upstairs. School Concerts have been commended by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as a model program in alignment with the state’s Standards Aligned System. 

Beethoven Lives Upstairs

This world-famous production features a lively exchange of letters between young Christoph and his uncle. Their subject is the “madman” who has moved into the upstairs apartment of Christoph’s Vienna home. The funereal second movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony sets the scene as we travel back in time from March 26, 1827, the day of Beethoven’s death, to the more intimate setting of Christoph’s house a few years before. Christoph’s father has just died and Beethoven has taken the room upstairs.

As the correspondence with his uncle unfolds, Christoph recounts the horrors of the composer standing naked at the window, water dripping down into their apartment, and Beethoven playing late into the night. Finally, after attending the famous first performance of the Ninth Symphony, Christoph comes to understand the genius of Beethoven, the torment of his deafness, and the beauty of his music. Excerpts from many of the composer’s musical works accompany this moving story. Let your ears, and your imagination, take you into the heart of the action!

2012-13 Philadelphia Orchestra School Concerts
All performances are 45 minutes long and take place in Verizon Hall at The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013, at 10:30 AM and 12:15 PM
Thursday, February 28, 2013, at 10:30 AM and 12:15 PM
Tuesday, March 5, 2013, at 10:30 AM and 12:15 PM

Reserve Your Seats!

Through the support of generous sponsors and donors, the Orchestra is able to offer tickets at a reasonable cost of $8 per person. Pick a School Concert date that works best for your schedule and take advantage of our comprehensive resources at no additional fee to prepare your students for an experience they’ll never forget!

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Get the Most from Your School Concert
Enhance your classroom preparation for the School Concert by viewing the tabs to the left of this page, which include information about the accompanying School Concert curriculum guide, teacher workshops, our Orchestra docent program, and additional teacher resources.

The Philadelphia Orchestra is pleased to recognize the following major donors who support the School Concert Program.

School Concerts are funded in part by the Billy Joel Fund for Music Education and grants from the Deluxe Corporation Foundation, Christian Humann Foundation, the Rosenlund Family Foundation, the Wells Fargo Foundation, and the Zisman Family Foundation.

Supporting sponsorship for School Concerts is provided by

wells Fargo Logo   

The Wells Fargo Foundation is proud to be the Lead Underwriter for the "Raising the Invisible Curtain" initiative.