The Harrisburg Symphony presents two pairs of Young Persons’ Concerts each season, normally one in the fall and one in the spring. The programs are designed for students in grades 3-8 who come from across the capital region and beyond. School groups arrive by bus, by van, by car, and on foot to participate in one of two 45-minute performances. Maestro Stuart Malina hosts these concerts, which feature excerpts from the upcoming weekend’s Masterworks program.
In the days and weeks prior to the concert, students and their teachers or parents prepare for the performance by utilizing materials provided by the Harrisburg Symphony’s Education Department. The materials offer information on the composer(s), the music and other music-related ideas. Each of the Young Persons’ Concert performances and the pre-concert materials are geared to assist instructors in meeting the requirements of the National and Pennsylvania Music Standards.
An estimated 5000 students experience a Young Persons’ Concert each season.
Join us for our 2023-2024 Young Persons’ Concert Series
Our educational Young Persons’ Concerts (YPC), presented free for teachers and students, feature performances by the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra and the Harrisburg Symphony Youth Orchestra and are hosted by Gregory Woodbridge, HSO Associate Conductor, and Stuart Malina, HSO Music Director. All YPCs are presented at the Forum Auditorium in Harrisburg.
Fall YPC: Friday, November 17, 2023: Join Maestro Stuart Malina and the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra for a charming and humorous Young Persons’ Concert. Maestro Malina will guide students through select repertoire from the HSO’s November Masterworks program, including Mozart’s Symphony No. 36, Manuel de Falla’s The Three-Cornered Hat, and Carl Nielsen’s Concerto for Flute and Orchestra featuring HSO Principal Flutist, David DiGiacobbe.
Spring YPC: Friday, May 3, 2024: For our Spring YPC, we present Carnegie Hall’s Link Up: The Orchestra Sings! Featuring “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s ninth symphony, The Finale from Stravinsky’s “The Firebird,” and selections from Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World,” this interactive concert will have students singing and playing along with the orchestra from their seats. This concert includes side-by-side performances by members of the HSO, the Harrisburg Symphony Youth Orchestra, guest singers, and a student choir from local schools.