Santa Barbara Youth Symphony Presents Free Community Concert, 4/29

More than 300 local students ages 9 to 18 will perform a free classical music concert at the Page Youth Center beginning at 3 pm on Saturday, April 29. Presented by the Santa Barbara Symphony, the performance will feature musicians from the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony, other Symphony youth outreach programs, and several area schools.

"Musicians from all Santa Barbara Symphony Music Education Center programs will participate, as will local junior high and high school students," explained Amy Williams, director of education and community engagement for the Santa Barbara Symphony. "This concert will highlight all that we do through the Music Education Center, as well as our ongoing partnership with the Santa Barbara Unified School District. We're all about friendship and sharing the wonders of music with children and the wider community."

Consisting of some 70 musicians ages 12 to 18 from Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony is the capstone program of the Santa Barbara Symphony's award-winning Music Education Center, which offers a series of highly regarded instructional programs for area children of all ages. The ensemble is led by Music Director Andy Radford, principal bassoonist of the Santa Barbara Symphony, and members are selected through audition. The Symphony's Junior Orchestra serves beginning and intermediate string and wind players ages 9 to 14, while introductory instruction is offered through the String Workshop and the BRAVO! programs for elementary school students.

The Santa Barbara Youth Symphony will conclude its season at the Lobero Theatre on May 21.

For more information, call 805-898-8785.

The Santa Barbara Symphony was founded in 1953 on the belief that a special city deserves a special orchestra. Consistently lauded for its unique ability to present brilliant concerts, engage the community, and deliver dynamic music education programs, the organization prizes both innovation and artistic excellence, and is widely recognized as one of the region's premier cultural institutions. Its award-winning Music Education Center serves more than 8,000 students throughout Santa Barbara County each year. Charismatic Israeli conductor Nir Kabaretti was appointed music director of the Santa Barbara Symphony in 2006. For additional information, visit www.thesymphony.org.