RI Philharmonic to Close LINK UP Concerts with Children's Performance, 4/12

April 7, 2016 - Providence, RI - On April 12, 13, 14 and 15, over 13,000 of the region's third, fourth and fifth graders make their debut playing with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra at The VETS in Providence. The eight Link Up concerts are the culmination of a year of school-based music education with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and Music School's FLEX program (Foundations in Learning Exploration).

2016 marks the RI Philharmonic's fourth season of Link Up, developed by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute. Providing instruments, curriculum materials and professional development to schools, Link Up culminates in concerts where students play along with the Orchestra - not just for the finale, but for most of the program. The program began in 2012 with 7000 children participating; this year, over thirteen thousand children will play in eight concerts, titled "The Orchestra Moves." Funding for Link Up comes primarily from businesses, foundations and individuals.

"Link Up provides these children with an unrivaled opportunity to experience, and participate in, live music performance," says David Beauchesne, Executive Director of the RI Philharmonic. "After months of hard work building their music literacy in class and at home, seeing the excitement of tens of thousands of kids getting to play with our orchestra really shows the value of music education."

"The Philharmonic has been presenting education concerts since 1946," said Annette Mozzoni, the Philharmonic's Director of Education and the Music School. "Performed by the full Philharmonic Orchestra at the The VETS in Providence, these concerts are the first introduction, for many students, to music played by a large group of people on many different instruments. Our partnership with Carnegie Hall takes these concerts a big step further: Link Up unites the classroom with the concert hall, in a curriculum aligned with national standards for music learning."