Education Outreach

Sarasota Orchestra Delivers

Ever had a craving after you saw, smelled or tasted something for the first time? Like the ads with ooey, gooey cheese dripping off a slice of pizza that make your mouth begin to water. Well the Sarasota Orchestra recognizes that many of their "regulars" may not even be the ones sitting in their audiences, because they may have never even sampled a symphony.

Without the right taste in your mouth, why would one go out to eat? You're drawn to what you know, have experienced and loved. To cater to the vast majority of "boomers" and younger who have never tasted live, classical music for themselves, the Sarasota Orchestra has beefed up its menu to provide a delivery service of sorts.

In any given week, the Orchestra's musicians may be found throughout Sarasota and Manatee Counties, entertaining, coaching and educating both children and adults. Building community connections is perhaps the most important component of the Orchestra's future.

Through its generous sponsors, the Sarasota Orchestra makes frequent, no-cost visits to schools to dish out ensemble concerts and music demonstrations. It also provides special performances in underserved special-needs classrooms and after-school programs. The Orchestra even makes field trips to local preschools. They serve up neighborhood Musical Mornings and Classical Conversations (concert previews) that coincide with Masterworks performances held at the Symphony Center. No one is too young or too old to savor a piece of music's "supreme" pie.

After visiting its neighbors, the Sarasota Orchestra invites friends over to its house for musical feasts with a little something for everyone. The newly developed Family Concert series and the Young Person’s Concert, exclusively presented to fourth- and fifth-graders each year, are among the house favorites. The Side-by-Side Concert in February is sprinkled with kids off the block during spotlights on the Youth Philharmonic and Young Artist Concerto Competition winners.

Now, who wouldn't want a slice of that?

For more information on supporting the Sarasota Orchestra's outreach efforts or to discuss an event arrangement, call the Education Office at (941) 487-2731 or use our contact form.