New York Philharmonic050

This revered orchestra offers myriad opportunities for kids and teens to listen and learn.

Young people ages six to 12 and their families are invited to join the New York Philharmonic for Saturday afternoons of music and fun at the renowned Young People's Concerts. These concerts offer an introduction to symphonic music designed to excite the young imagination.

Before each Young People's Concert, families can enjoy Kidzone Live!, a colorful hour of music-making activities and a chance for children to meet members of the Orchestra. Kidzone Live! is free of charge and open only to ticket holders to that day's concert. Concerts are usually held at Avery Fisher Hall

Very Young People's Concerts, for children ages three to five and their accompanying adults, are also scheduled each year. The one-hour concerts introduce preschoolers to classical music through games, active listening, and hands-on music-making with members of the New York Philharmonic. Before each concert, musicians greet families and initiate musical activities based on the day's theme. After each performance, children have an opportunity to try orchestral instruments themselves. Concerts are held at Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th Street.

Parents who subscribe to the Very Young People's Concerts series receive a CD featuring some of the season's repertoire, the better to prepare children for the programs and to allow them to continue the music and activities afterward at home. Single-ticket buyers may purchase the CD at the concert.

Teens ages 12 to 17 attend Hear and Now and Inside the Music concerts for only $12 per ticket. At Inside the Music concerts, composer and humorist Peter Schickele takes the audience inside the music he loves, including listening hints, musical connections, and musical examples. The concerts also feature a Q&A with Schickele in the lobby after the performance.

At Hear and Now concerts, composer and host Steven Stucky is joined on stage by the composer of the evening's contemporary masterpiece, for a composer-guided tour of the landscape of their latest works. Each composer shares the story behind the music and what to listen for. A Q&A session ends the evening.