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Bring PBO to your school!

Due to COVID-19, we are temporarily suspending our in-school programs. Check out our virtual lessons and masterclasses under the “Education” tab above!

PBO works with partnering teachers to tailor our entertaining and informative In-School Programs that are relevant to their students. There are four programs from which to choose. Each of the four 45-minute to hour-long programs may be modified for students at any grade level, and are appropriate for large music and cross-disciplinary classes. Scheduling priority will be given to large school assemblies.

In-School Programs offer:

  • Vibrant, historically informed performances with audience engagement
  • Period Instrument demonstrations, highlighting the instruments’ delightful intricacies and quirks
  • Explanations about the music by musicians who live and breathe the specific repertoire featured in each program
  • Appreciation for stylistically diverse music
  • Advice to students about careers in music
  • An ample question and answer period, facilitating memorable interactions between musicians and students

Read about our program offerings for the 2019-20 school year and sign up below.

Mixing it up Vocally: SATB and Continuo

This program features a dramatic, flexible quartet of vocalists representing the soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone sections of PBO’s all-star Chorale. Accompanied by a PBO continuo cellist and harpsichordist (PBO’s renowned Scholar-in-Residence and Chorale Director Bruce Lamott), the ensemble will perform a variety of popular repertoire from the baroque period and beyond. The audience will learn about “HIP” (historically informed performance) practices, and–by “mixing it up” with the PBO group–students will develop their own teamwork skills. As a Grand Finale, Maestro Lamott will lead a jam session with all participants. The program is suitable program for vocalists, instrumentalists, and all music enthusiasts.

The Line of Dance: Where Baroque and Modern Dance Meet Up

Featuring a baroque dance demonstration and opportunities for student musicians and dancers of any level to try some historic moves, this extremely popular program actively engages students in finding commonalities between baroque style and today’s dance. The program will explore personal artistic choice and the ability to improvise! Dance experience is not required.

Period Winds Play Historic Pop

Performing riveting music on historic instruments that look, respond, and sound like those from the time of the composers, a charismatic sextet of virtuoso PBO wind players (2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 bassoons) delivers the real deal. Students will be amazed to find out the ways in which the “period” instruments differ from their more conventional, “modern” counterparts; they will definitely be swayed by the music!  (Bryan Conger and Diane Heffner, clarinets; RJ Kelley and Alexandra Cook, horns; Andrew Schwartz and Kate Van Orden, Bassoons)

Period Strings, Programmatic Extremes

PBO musicians “get with the program,” exploring dramatic music that portrays natural disasters, acts of heroism and revenge, real-life predicaments, and antics worthy of a modern day sit-com. The presentation features a classical style string quintet (two violins, viola, cello, and bass) and Halloween-ish program music by composers such as Haydn, Beethoven, Onslow, and Mendelssohn.

Questions?  Email Director of Education Lisa Grodin at lgrodin@philharmonia.org.