Cleveland Orchestra Expands 'Under 18s Free' Program

Committed to welcoming more young people and families, The Cleveland Orchestra will significantly expand the "Under 18s Free" program in the 2013-14 season to include 46 concerts from September to May, an increase from 14 "Under 18s Free" concerts in 2012-13. "Under 18s Free" tickets will be available for all family programming at Severance Hall, along with Cleveland Orchestra concerts on Fridays and Sundays. The concerts include the Family Concert Series; PNC Musical Rainbows programs; Cleveland Orchestra Friday Matinee, Friday evening (including KeyBank Fridays@7), and Sunday afternoon concerts; and Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and Youth Chorus concerts.

"We're dedicated to serving more people in our community. The expansion of our 'Under 18s Free' program will provide access to more than three times as many performances for families and young people next season," said Gary Hanson, the Orchestra's Executive Director.

Since the launch of the Center for Future Audiences in 2010, 55,975 young people have attended concerts at the Blossom Music Festival and at Severance Hall. "Under 18s Free", Student Advantage, and Student Ambassadors programs are all part of The Cleveland Orchestra's Center for Future Audiences. The Center, created with a lead endowment gift from the Maltz Family Foundation, was established to fund programs to develop new generations of audiences for Cleveland Orchestra concerts in Northeastern Ohio.

2013-14 Family Concert Series
Three Family Concert Series will take place during the 2013-14 season, in October, April, and May. The 2013-14 programs are: "Tchaikovsky Discovers America" with Classical Kids Live, professional actors who utilize period costumes, props, and theatrical lightning to enhance fully staged productions; "The Mozart Experience" with Magic Circle Mime Co., a duo of mimes who unite the concert orchestra with far-out visual theater; and "The Composer is Dead," a mystery designed to introduce young people to the instruments of the orchestra with text by Lemony Snicket and music by Nathaniel Stookey. In addition to the performances, the Family Concert Series also includes free pre-concert activities, which begin one hour before each performance, and include Instrument Discovery, where children can individually try out instruments of all kinds.

Family Concert Series are sponsored by The Giant Eagle Foundation.

2013-14 PNC Musical Rainbows programs
The Cleveland Orchestra's PNC Musical Rainbows programs are a fun way for children ages 3-6 to learn about instruments of the orchestra, one at a time. Energetic host Maryann Nagel leads the 30-minute programs, singing, clapping, and moving to the music with children while Cleveland Orchestra musicians and guests perform short solo selections and kid-friendly tunes, and demonstrate their instruments.

The Cleveland Orchestra's PNC Musical Rainbows programs are sponsored by PNC and endowed by the Pysht Fund.

2013-14 Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and Youth Chorus Concerts
The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra is a full symphonic ensemble comprised of approximately 100 young musicians drawn from 38 communities in 11 counties across Northern Ohio. The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO) provides serious young music students of middle- through high- school age with a unique pre-professional orchestral training experience.

Youth Orchestra members are coached regularly by Cleveland Orchestra musicians. Youth Orchestra members also have opportunities to meet and work with world-renowned guest artists and conductors appearing with The Cleveland Orchestra. Newly appointed as Cleveland Orchestra Assistant Conductor and COYO Music Director, Brett Mitchell makes his debut in the 2013-14 season.

The Youth Orchestra presents three concerts annually in Severance Hall and three or more community performances in the greater Cleveland area. COYO performs annually with the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus, providing students of both ensembles experience with a broader repertoire.

The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus was founded in 1991 to raise awareness of choral music-making in the schools of northeastern Ohio and to encourage more students to continue their choral activities through college and into adulthood. The 120 members of the Youth Chorus are in grades 9 to 12 and represent some 40 schools and communities. The director is Lisa Wong, and the assistant director is Daniel Singer.

The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra is supported by generous grants from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation and The Surdna Foundation. The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus is supported by the Edward & Ruth Wilkof Foundation.

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