Education Program – Maestro Juniors

Chamber Orchestra of New York is committed to cultivating young audiences for classical music. We recognize that one of the most powerful means of honoring this commitment is to offer in-school music education and outreach in some of New York City’s most under served public schools, particularly those with a Title 1 designation.

With the guidance and expertise of our founding Education Manager, Shanan Estreicher, the Orchestra proudly launched its original in-school education program Maestro Juniors during its 2018-2019 season. Maestro Juniors is structured as an hour-long interactive lecture-demonstration and live performance that initiates students to the beauty of classical music. With the support of the Orchestra’s community of institutional and individual donors, we work to ensure that this program is offered at no cost to partner schools.

Maestro Juniors adheres to National Core Arts Standards, NYC Blueprint Benchmarks, and Common Core Standards for ELA. Instructional content focuses on the history and relevance of classical music, an introduction to the string instrument family, and biographies of prominent classical composers (i.e. Mozart, Vivaldi). The students are also invited to explore the art of conducting an ensemble of musicians. The Orchestra’s Education Manager works closely with educators at each partner school to design age-appropriate assignments that align with the school’s existing curriculum and creatively capture the students’ response to the program.

Understanding that many families throughout New York City are financially unable to attend professional classical concerts, Chamber Orchestra of New York considers Maestro Juniors a crucial component of its activity as a performing arts organization. By bringing a live and highly interactive music program into Title 1 schools, the Orchestra aims to democratize early exposure to classical music and increase young people’s appreciation of, and openness to, classical music throughout their lives.
In light of the remote and hybrid learning models necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Chamber Orchestra of New York has developed a fully virtual Maestro Juniors curriculum through which it will continue engaging young people as we navigate these challenging times.

Below: P.S./I.S. 127Q student artwork inspired by Maestro Juniors.

For more information about Maestro Juniors, including school requests for the program, please contact our new Education Manager, Ms. Jackie Gillette, education@chamberorchestraofnewyork.org
or call 646-397-1879, for more information.