A Colorado Springs Philharmonic musician stopped by Steele Elementary School on October 15 to introduce students to orchestral instruments ahead of a major end-of-month performance. Philharmonic violist Matthew Diekman made the visit to share information on upcoming opportunities for children to engage with orchestral music.
The school visit is part of a broader citywide outreach effort. The Philharmonic is making stops at 18 schools across Colorado Springs, and more than 5,000 students and teachers are expected to attend performances at the end of the month. Musicians brought instruments into classrooms to give children a preview of what they would see on stage. For many of the students, it will be their first encounter with the fine arts.
Karl Heffernan described the experience as "eye opening" for elementary-age children, adding that it is "really amazing for these kids to see professional musicians playing instruments they've never even heard of and giving them that exposure."
The outreach comes during the Philharmonic's 100th year, and the organization is focused on cultivating a new generation of music lovers in southern Colorado. The school visits are designed to lower the barrier to entry for families who may have little prior experience with live orchestral performance, ensuring that children arrive at the concert hall with some familiarity with what they will hear and see.
The children's concert, titled "Carnival of the Animals," is scheduled for October 27 and 28.
Whether all 18 scheduled school visits were completed before the concert dates, and how attendance at the performances ultimately compared to the projected 5,000, has not yet been reported.