Education Programs

The MSO has shaped its education and community programming to support and cultivate creativity and an appreciation for music in our community’s young minds. From early childhood exposure to the power of music to tell stories, to enhancing the Memphis Shelby County Schools’ music education program through collaborative performance, to coaching/mentoring adolescents, culminating in supporting the pipe-line for talented pre-professional musicians in the Musician Fellowship program, the MSO is dedicated to enriching the lives of our next generation through the transformative power of music.

School Tunes & Tales

A Memphis Symphony Orchestra | Memphis-Shelby County Schools Collaboration

Free to the public at Memphis Public Libraries and Memphis-Shelby County Schools, each event is a storybook reading enhanced with live music for children ages 3-8.

For more information or to schedule your school's Tunes & Tales, please contact Erin Kaste. You can also download the flyer here. 

With support from the International Paper Foundation

Orff Side by Side

In partnership with Memphis-Shelby County Schools, this program takes the full orchestra into elementary schools for a public side-by-side concert in which every student participates in the content creation and performance. This program was recently the focus of an impact study by the University of Memphis, which was presented at national education conventions. 

Young People’s Concerts

Young People’s Concerts (YPC) is a series of specially designed concerts for students. Over 4,000 students from across the Shelby County come downtown to the Cannon Center. Created in partnership with the school system, these concerts reinforce and enhance the teaching curriculum and inspires students to progress into middle and high school music programs.

Coaching and Mentoring

The MSO provides coaching and mentoring for leading Middle and High School music programs, including the Memphis Symphony Youth Program (MYSP), Soulsville Charter School, Overton High School, White Station High School, and Colonial Middle School. The MSO Assistant Conductor is the conductor for the MYSP.

Musician Fellowship Program

The Musician Fellowship Program, established in 2020 by the MSO Circle of Friends, is a 2-year fellowship for highly-qualified African-American/Latinx pre-professional musicians who are underrepresented in orchestras. Fellows gain experience performing with the MSO, participate in community engagement programs, and can pursue an advanced degree in music in partnership with the University of Memphis.

MSO’s Overture Series

The MSO is pleased to present groups of student artists as an overture to MSO performances at the Cannon Center of the Performing Arts. We welcome visual art, dance, singing, symphonic bands and orchestras, jazz ensembles and much, much more. Performing students get to attend a MSO concert for FREE and their parents/family members are eligible for special priority pricing discounts on tickets. 

For more information, please contact Estefan Perez to learn about our 2024-2025 season calendar and our Overture Series application process.

Estefan Perez, Education and Operations Coordinator
(901) 779 - 7830
estefan.perez@memphissymphony.org

Leading from Every Chair

Leading From Every Chair® is a day-long workshop that pulls back the curtain on the Memphis Symphony Orchestra to reveal effective teamwork, successful leadership, and creative problem-solving that lead to stellar performances.

Through a series of hands-on activities, participants are:

  • Stimulated by the high level of personal commitment exhibited by each member of the orchestra and its impact on a successful final product.

  • Challenged to evaluate their own communication style against the efficient, concise communication models presented by the orchestra.

  • Inspired by the spirit of mutual respect and cooperation that lead to a clearly defined goal.

While the musicians on stage might not seem to have much in common with business people, they share the same needs for clear, timely communication, inspiration, workplace respect, and motivation toward a specific goal. Leading From Every Chair® takes apart the components of a working team, explores them from multiple perspectives, and then puts them all together into a finished product—the performance of a great piece of music. The workshop will give you the opportunity to observe, participate, reflect on and apply the principles observed in your work environment.

For more information contact the Memphis Symphony at info@memphissymphony.org or call (901) 537-2500.