Educational Programs

Salisbury Youth Orchestra

The Salisbury Youth Orchestra was established in the 1999-2000 season with a grant from the Blanche & Julian Robertson Family Foundation. Originating as a string ensemble, it now also includes winds and percussion, with students between the ages of 10 and 18. The Youth Orchestra meets at Catawba College on Sunday afternoons with Ryan Peller as its Conductor.

Interested musicians are invited to contact the Symphony office to schedule individual auditions.

The Salisbury Youth Orchestra continues to be supported by The Blanche & Julian Robertson Family Foundation, Inc.

String Education Program

The String Education Program provides class instruction in string instruments (violin, viola, cello, and bass) and consists of two parts: the After-School String Program which provides classes twice weekly after school between September and April and is co-sponsored by the Rowan-Salisbury Schools; and Summer String Camp which meets daily from 9 -12 for two weeks in June.

North Carolina Symphony Concerts for School Children

Annually the North Carolina Symphony gives two performances in Keppel Auditorium of Catawba College for all fifth grade school children (3000 seats utilized). The school music teachers attend a workshop in Raleigh in August and prepare the children in their music classes. The children are bused to the concerts by the Rowan-Salisbury School System. Occasionally, a fifth-grader gets to a chance to conduct!
The concerts are sponsored by the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra with contributions from the School System and the PTAs. The Margaret C. Woodson Foundation also supports this project.

Salisbury Symphony Orchestra Family Concert

A concert designed for families with children is performed annually by the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra as a part of the Symphony Society's subscription concert series.  The concert is performed on a Saturday or Sunday and alternates between the auditoriums of Catawba and Livingstone Colleges.  The concert is promoted by the local elementary music teachers and often involves students from throughout the county.

Mini Concerrts in Schools

Short concerts, designed for elementary school students, are performed by a small ensemble (such as violin, viola, cello, and bass) in each elementary school in Rowan County annually.

Other Educational Projects

Other educational programs offered by the Symphony Society include the use of a fifth-grade honors chorus on a Salisbury Symphony concert annually; a hands-on exhibit of musical instruments called "A Musical Petting Zoo"; and pre-concert talks prior to the masterworks concerts..