Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra To Offer Free Concert To Central Florida Teachers

The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra announces that it has partnered with local school districts to offer a free concert to local performing and visual arts teachers. Teachers from Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia, and Lake County Public Schools are invited to join this celebratory evening. The Heart of the Arts: Celebrating ARTS Teachers will be held on Tuesday, March 23 at the Dr. Phillips Center Frontyard Festival.

March is nationally celebrated as Arts in Our Schools Month, where thousands of American schools participate, often with the involvement of professional orchestras, dance, and theatre companies, as well as museums and civic organizations. This concert serves as a way to celebrate all that arts teachers do here in Central Florida and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra serves as the host of the concert evening.

"Now more than ever it is critical that we recognize the incredible work of our visual and performing arts educators," said Scott Evans, senior director of visual and performing arts of Orange County Public Schools. "Despite some challenging hurdles thrown in their way due to COVID-19, arts teachers have relentlessly worked to bust all barriers and provide our students with engaging arts learning experiences. Together with the Orlando Philharmonic, we are able to properly say thank you by providing them an evening of joy, relaxation, and appreciation. Arts educators are clearly some of the most important unsung heroes of this pandemic."

A long-standing partnership between the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) has helped present live concerts and in-school music lessons to OCPS students for over two decades. Most notable, the annual Young People's Concerts are attended by all third through fifth grade students during the fall of each school year.

"Central Florida Arts teachers have stepped up to thrive in spite of the challenging times in which we are living", said Dr. Mary Palmer, president of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra Board of Directors. "Teachers have worked tirelessly to pivot and create engaging arts lessons and experiences from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Even in these challenging times, teachers have found new ways for students to engage in creating and sharing their work. The Orlando Philharmonic has created an evening of powerful music to celebrate and thank some of our HEROS: arts teachers in our community. They bring honor and joy to thousands of people as we look forward to a better future."

The Heart of the Arts: Celebrating ARTS Teachers will be held on Tuesday, March 23 at the Dr. Phillips Center Frontyard Festival. Tickets will be offered exclusively to local visual and performing arts teachers through the school districts. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the concert will begin at 7 p.m. This program will not have an intermission. This concert is sponsored by the Celebration Foundation.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, strict sanitation and safety measures will be in place. Learn more about these health and safety updates at: https://www.drphillipscenter.org/explore/health-safety-updates/.