Jane H. Kesson School Concert Program

The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Jane H. Kesson School Concert Program is the ideal way to expose students in grades 3–5 to the exciting and powerful art form of orchestral music. School Concerts familiarize students with the environment and traditions of a concert hall, equip them with fundamental musical vocabulary, and cultivate a lifelong interest in classical music.

2022-23 School Concerts

This season, The Philadelphia Orchestra is delighted to present two ways to enjoy our Jane H. Kesson School Concert Program: in-person concerts in Verizon Hall and a Virtual School Concert Experience, accessible from anywhere in the world. Please note: concert program and dates differ between the in-person and Virtual School Concert options. See below for details and registration for each.

School Concerts in Verizon Hall

Registration is now open for 2022–23!

Dates:

March 14, 2023 12:15 PM
March 15, 2023 10:30 AM
March 15, 2023 12:15 PM
March 16, 2023 10:30 AM
March 16, 2023 12:15 PM

Program:

Nick Kendall Host and Violin

Price Fourth movement from Symphony No. 1
Rossini
Overture to William Tell
Glinka
Overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila
Massenet
"Meditation," from Thaïs
Morales-Matos
Little Rhumba
Bach
Second movement from Concerto for Violin, Oboe, and String Orchestra
Bernstein
“Mambo,” from West Side Story
Coleman
Seven O'Clock Shout
Tchaikovsky
Third movement from Violin Concerto

Register for a School Concert in Verizon Hall:

School District of Philadelphia Registration

General Registration

Teachers' Lounge

 

Virtual School Concert Experience

In addition to the School Concert in Verizon Hall, The Philadelphia Orchestra is happy to offer a FREE Virtual School Concert Experience for teachers to share with their students during the month of April. This School Concert video will be in addition to our in-person School Concerts and is designed for grades 1–6, though any age can enjoy this vibrant program. The video is about 20–25 minutes long and will be released on April 1 via e-mail to registered teachers.

Imagined Through Music

Register Now

Repertoire:

Johnson “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
Rimsky-Korsakov Sheherazade
Frank “Tarqueada,” from Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout
Gounod Funeral March of a Marionette
Holst “Jupiter,” from The Planets

 

Billy Joel Fund for Music Education

Established in 2008 with an extraordinary donation from legendary singer-songwriter Billy Joel, the Billy Joel Fund for Music Education is earmarked to support and augment music education in the School District of Philadelphia. The Fund subsidizes tickets and transportation, allowing School District of Philadelphia Schools to receive 73 tickets and bus transportation to a School Concert each year. 

To receive tickets and busing, schools and their music teachers must commit to attending a Teacher Workshop, devoting instructional time for preparation and reflection, and completing post-concert evaluation surveys. Please note that eligibility for the program is limited to elementary and middle schools within the School District of Philadelphia only.

About Jane H. Kesson

Jane H. Kesson (1926–2017) was a Philadelphia Orchestra patron since the age of 12. She went on to become a music educator for 45 years, teaching grades K–12 in public schools. During her career, and even in retirement, she brought hundreds of students to Orchestra concerts each year. In recognition of her extraordinary bequest, the Orchestra renamed its School Concert Program in honor of Miss Kesson in October 2018.

The Jane H. Kesson School Concert Program is funded in part by the Acadia
Fund, the Annenberg Foundation, Donald E. Barb, Esq. and the Rev. Bruce H. Davidson, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., the Julius and Ray Charlestein Foundation in memory of Morton and Malvina Charlestein, the Connelly Foundation, the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation, Mr. Colin Gardner and Ms. Erika L. Faust, the Hess Foundation, JKG Florida Business Corporation, the Billy Joel Fund for Music Education, Mrs. Beth Ann Wahl Kolpen and Mr. Jack Kolpen, Lincoln Financial Group Foundation, the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation, the Nancy and William A. Loeb Student Education Fund, Philadelphia Insurance Co., Linda S. Rothermel, the Volunteer Committees for The Philadelphia Orchestra, and an anonymous donor.

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