School Assembly and Classroom Concerts

School Assembly and Classroom Concerts are highly interactive, 45-minute educational programs featuring small ensembles from the Phoenix Symphony. These engaging concerts are adaptable for all ages and can be performed for your whole school or for an individual class. Teachers can choose between a string ensemble, woodwind quintet, brass quintet and percussion ensemble based program. Assembly and Classroom concerts address various topics that encourage students to develop a deeper understanding of music and integrate this with other concepts across curriculum. These performances allow students and teachers to interact and connect with Phoenix Symphony Musicians through music!

String Ensemble Programs:

Musical Toolbox for Composers

Learn how feelings in music are expressed with the exploration of the composer’s toolbox! This interactive program utilizes the musical tools of key, tempo, dynamics and instrumentation to manipulate the feeling of a piece. Students will be asked to vote on how much each piece made them feel while the ensemble employs different musical tools. This string ensemble made up of violins, violas, cellos and a string bass may make you feel like a superhero, a shark and more!

  • Age Recommendation: K-5
  • Length of Program: 45 minutes (flexible)
  • Start Time: Flexible
  • Distance Requirement: Flexible
Under the Hood - Inside the Orchestra Engine

Have you ever wondered how musicians stay in time together when playing in an ensemble? A string ensemble made up of violins, violas, cellos and a string bass will teach students all about the language of music, collaboration, teamwork and the science of sound. This interactive program will ask student volunteers to sit in our ensemble to watch soloists up close, make observations, explore our Velcro-cello and maybe even participate in a footrace!

  • Age Recommendation: K-8
  • Length of Program: 45 minutes (flexible)
  • Start Time: Flexible
  • Distance Requirement: Flexible
Symphonic Strings - A Musical Journey of Rhythm and More:

Learn about all things strings with a Phoenix Symphony string ensemble! Discover three fundamentals of music: tempo, meter and rhythm. Explore string techniques and how they enable a string ensemble to sound like a train! Learn to dance the waltz, discover the intricacies of being a conductor and maybe even have your students try it out for themselves! 

  • Age Recommendation: K-8
  • Length of Program: 45 minutes (flexible)
  • Start Time: 9:30 AM or 1:30 PM
  • Distance Requirement: School must be within a 30-mile radius from Symphony Hall
  • Special Notes: This program requires ample parking space for up to 22 musicians and equipment delivered via moving truck. Please make note of this and assess if your parking lot/loading zones will be sufficient.

Woodwind Quintet Programs:

Woodwind Whirlwind - A Journey through Global Sounds

Explore the expansive diversity of the Phoenix Symphony Woodwind Quintet! Listen to the distinct sounds of the flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon and French horn. Learn about different musical genres and composers from around the world. Examine the cause of sound and mechanics of each unique instrument. In this interactive program, students will investigate how many keys and values are on each instrument, sing a song from Ghana and snap along while our musicians play collaboratively. Delve into the most diverse instrument group in the orchestra!

  • Age Recommendation: K-8
  • Length of Program: 45 minutes (flexible)
  • Start Time: 9:30 AM or 1:30 PM
  • Distance Requirement: School must be within a 30-mile radius from Symphony Hall
Quintetibox - Listening, Loops and Layers

Have you ever wondered how a composer arranges different musical and rhythmic parts to fit together? Become a composer yourself along with the Phoenix Symphony woodwind quintet! Master your listening skills and be a part of composing a real piece of music. Learn about musical and rhythmic loops and how they are layered to create harmony. Students will apply listening skills to identify loops in classical repertoire and even use body percussion to join in on the music-making!

  • Age Recommendation: K-5
  • Length of Program: 45 minutes
  • Start Time: 9:30 AM or 1:30 PM on certain dates, flexible on others
  • Distance Requirement: School must be within a 30-mile radius from Symphony Hall

Brass Quintet Programs:

Symphony Storytime

Get ready to be blown away during Symphony Storytime with a brass quintet of Phoenix Symphony Musicians. This creative program asks students to use their imagination as a narrator reads a story of a musician walking to rehearsal at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix. Students will hear musical interludes, identify recurring melodies, recognize movie music and even be invited to join in on the story through audience participation. Who knows what our musicians will get into next! 

  • Age Recommendation: K-5
  • Length of Program: 45 minutes (flexible)
  • Start Time: Flexible
  • Distance Requirement: Flexible
Brass Odyssey - Explore the World of Brass Instruments

Learn everything there is to know about brass instruments with a brass quintet of Phoenix Symphony Musicians! Explore the dynamic range of brass instruments and how they make sound. Investigate how these musicians use body language and teamwork to play together. This highly interactive program will ask students to measure the length of instruments, conduct the ensemble and snap along with the beat to help the brass quintet keep time!

  • Age Recommendation: K-8
  • Length of Program: 45 minutes
  • Start Time: 9:30 AM or 1:30 PM on certain dates, flexible on others
  • Distance Requirement: School must be within a 30-mile radius from Symphony Hall 

Percussion Ensemble Program:

Rhythm Remix - Unleash Your Inner Percussionist:

Hear the rhythm of a percussion ensemble of Phoenix Symphony Musicians! Discover how you can use anything to make music: a chair, a metal pole and even your own body. Students will learn about the different types of percussion instruments such as skins, woods and metals. This highly interactive program will ask students to participate in music-making and even get the chance to improvise with our professional musicians. 

  • Age Recommendation: K-8
  • Length of Program: 45 minutes
  • Start Time: 1:30 PM only
  • Distance Requirement: School must be within a 30-mile radius from Symphony Hall 
  • Special Note: This program requires equipment delivered via moving truck. The truck and symphony staff will arrive approximately two hours prior to the performance time for set up. Please make sure the performance space is available two hours prior to the performance and that a loading zone is nearby.

Customized Programs:

Interested in something specific? The Phoenix Symphony can create a custom performance that includes curriculum-based lessons on a topic of your choice. For questions about the Phoenix Symphony’s Education Programs, please contact [email protected]

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