KidZNotes Spends Musical Day in Raleigh 11/19

KidZNotes will spend the day in Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday, Nov. 19, attending the North Carolina Symphony's Young People's Concerts performance of "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" followed by a benefit concert at Flanders Gallery featuring performances by The Beast with guest and Grammy-nominee Nnenna Freelon, Sacrificial Poets and KidZNotes.

KidZNotes, which is modeled after Venezuela's highly successful El Sistema program, uses the transformational power of classical music to help build new futures for children, targeting those who would otherwise be blocked by economic and social barriers. Established last year in East Durham, KidZNotes enriches the lives of elementary school students and their families through music. Participants in the program learn to play violin and receive free orchestra training in a safe environment that emphasizes fun, joy and teamwork in learning as well as musical accomplishment.

Earlier this year, KidZNotes announced their partnership with the North Carolina Symphony. Presenting and supporting an extensive education program for North Carolina schoolchildren has always been a major priority of the North Carolina Symphony, and through this collaboration the organization is providing an amazing opportunity for the KidZNotes students and families to attend the "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" concerts and artist meet-and-greet free of charge. This will be a first-time opportunity to attend a performance of the North Carolina Symphony for many of the KidZNotes students and families.

The Symphony's performances of "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" take place at Meymandi Concert Hall, in downtown Raleigh's Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1:30 and 4:00 p.m.

Following the concert, KidZNotes will attend A Night of Jazz, Poetry and Chamber Music, set for 7:00 p.m. at Flanders Gallery, 302 S. West St., Raleigh. This benefit concert will provide an intimate music and art experience and also supports the students of KidZNotes. A donation of $10 is suggested and all proceeds will benefit the KidZNotes Scholarship Fund. The Beast, a local hip hop, jazz and soul musical group, featuring special guest and Grammy nominee Nnenna Freelon, will perform with KidZNotes and a youth poetry organization, Sacrificial Poets, composed of youth ages 13-19 from the Triangle area. The event is co-hosted by Flanders Gallery and Raleigh Denim, a company that makes limited edition jeans using local materials and traditional construction methods.

About KidZNotes

KidZNotes is expanding in its second year to enroll 100 students in need at four low-income schools in East Durham: Eastway Elementary, Y.E. Smith Elementary, E.K. Powe Elementary, and Club Boulevard Humanities Magnet Elementary. KidZNotes provides instruments and nearly ten hours a week of free music instruction for their 100 students. KidZNotes is sponsored by Duke University, Durham Public Schools, Durham Parks and Recreation, the Durham Arts Council, and the East Durham Children's Initiative. KidZNotes is inspired by El Sistema, the social-reform orchestra program for children and families in poverty in Venezuela. Information about KidZNotes' calendar and opportunities for support will be available at the event, and are listed at www.kidznotes.org. Donations of financial support and musical instruments will be gratefully received.

About the North Carolina Symphony

Founded in 1932, the North Carolina Symphony performs over 175 concerts annually to adults and school children in more than 50 North Carolina counties. An entity of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, the orchestra employs 67 professional musicians, under the artistic leadership of Music Director and Conductor Grant Llewellyn, Resident Conductor William Henry Curry and Associate Conductor Sarah Hicks.

Based in downtown Raleigh's spectacular Meymandi Concert Hall at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts and an outdoor summer venue at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, N.C., the Symphony performs about 60 concerts annually in the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary metropolitan area. It holds regular concert series in Fayetteville, New Bern, Southern Pines and Wilmington, as well as individual concerts in many other North Carolina communities throughout the year, and conducts one of the most extensive education programs of any U.S. orchestra.

For tickets, program notes, podcasts, musician profiles, the Symphony blog and more, visit the North Carolina Symphony website at www.ncsymphony.org. Call North Carolina Symphony Audience Services at 919.733.2750 or toll free 877.627.6724.

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