On Wednesday, November 13, 2019, at 10:00 a.m., hundreds of students and teachers will arrive at the Arapahoe Philharmonic’s Children’s Discovery Concert to experience a special performance just for them. This year’s program is titled “Symphonic, Not Classical.” Join Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Professor Snooty von Classicus, Maestro Devin Patrick Hughes and your Arapahoe Philharmonic, as we take you on a “symphonic” tour through the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras, and all the way to 2019! Students will learn about the different styles and time periods of symphonic music, and that not everything we play is “classical” music. In an interactive format, students will also learn about concert etiquette and experience orchestral instrument demonstrations before and during the concert.

The morning begins at 9:30 a.m. with instrument demonstrations around the hall. Once students are checked in and seated, they will be greeted by adult orchestra players who will tell the students about their instruments and demonstrate how to play them. Some AP members may even allow the students to try out the instruments themselves! Students will also be able to visit the percussion section and learn how to conduct.

As the concert begins, students will be on the edge of their seats, looking especially at their favorite instrument. They know what to expect in the concert because the Teacher’s Guide has helped teachers prepare them. The Guide is a great tool to use with students before arriving on concert day. It connects the music with hands-on activities to Language Arts, Social Studies, Art and other subjects. The students will be thoroughly engaged by the narrator who helps tell the story. The concert is geared toward students in grades 3 through 5, though the program is sure to be enjoyed by slightly younger and older students as well.

The Children's Discovery Concert is also open to the public.

The Arapahoe Philharmonic has a deep commitment to music education, and educating our children and youth is an integral part of our mission. Colorado State Music Standards 3 (Theory of Music) and 4 (Aesthetic Valuation of Music) will be the educational focus of the concert. Join us for a great morning of education and music!

The Arapahoe Philharmonic is partnering with the City of Greenwood Village Cultural Arts and Dr. Noize to present "Wild Kingdom," an entertaining and interactive musical program about your favorite animals. The full orchestra will perform selections from Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals and Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, Leroy Anderson's The Waltzing Cat, the finale from Stravinsky's Firebird, Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumble Bee, and much more!

It will be a fun Saturday morning for all ages. Animal mask-making and an orchestral instrument petting zoo will begin at 9:30am. The concert begins at 10:00am.

The Family Concert takes place at Aspen Academy, 5859 S. University Blvd., Greenwood Village, CO 80121. Free parking!

Tickets are $15 for adults/seniors, $5 for students, and free for children under age 3.

Join us for the 2019–2020 Play-In!

The Play-In with the Arapahoe Philharmonic is a day-long, full orchestra experience combining high school students, avocational adult players and members of the Arapahoe Philharmonic. The day is filled with rehearsals and sectionals and culminates with a free performance for family, friends and community members.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church & School
7691 S. University Blvd.
Centennial, CO 80122

Free community performance at 5:15 p.m.

Registration is $20 per participant. Contact the Arapahoe Philharmonic if you are in need of a scholarship, 303-781-1892 or office@arapahoe-phil.org.

Small groups of AP musicians visit schools and community centers to present concerts that will educate, entertain and teach children and youth about classical music and orchestral instruments. Some of the programs we currently offer and are preparing to implement include:

The unPhiltered Trio
Our principal clarinet, oboe and bassoon players introduce the orchestra’s reed instruments through two unique programs:

French music with compositions by Ibert, Auric, Tansman and Milhaud.
Popular Music Discoveries: Explore the musical world through popular music of the last 40 years. Discover the wonderful sounds of a woodwind trio through the works of popular icons such as Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Leonard Cohen, and even Disney! This program is suitable for children of every age, and can be combined with a lesson on music/musical instruments or presented as a recital. The music from this program can also be combined with music from the classical repertoire for a longer, more diverse concert or presentation.

String Quartet
Our principal violin, viola and cello players speak about the differences between their instruments and sample a variety of musical styles, including classical, jazz, bluegrass, movie themes and popular music from artists like Katy Perry. Check out the video below from an assembly at Franklin Elementary School!

Brass Ensemble
Introduce your students to the brass instrument family! Players will talk about and demonstrate each instrument and perform a variety of engaging repertoire.

Carnival of the Animals
A new program we intend to offer in 2019 is a chamber music version of Camille Saint-Saëns’ beloved Carnival of the Animals. Ten musicians, led by our conductor, will perform these humorous musical depictions of animals.

The goal of these music assemblies is to get children and youth excited about learning to play an instrument and give them a greater appreciation of the classical music genre.

If you are interested in hosting a music assembly at your school or community center, please contact Erin Acheson, Executive Director, at 303-781-1892 or erin@arapahoe-phil.org.