Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Youth and Family Programs
45 Monument Circle, Indianapolis, IN 46204
About
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Youth and Family Programs include the Teddy Bear Series, which introduces preschool and kindergarten students to the orchestra through story, movement, and live music, and has produced three picture books. Discovery Concerts are designed so children in grades 3–6 have the chance to hear a live orchestra, and Words on Music, offered before each Classical concert, shares behind-the-curtain perspectives from musicians, conductors, guest artists, and community hosts. Additional activities include the Side-by-Side concert featuring a 100+ piece orchestra of students and professionals, the Michael Ben & Illene Komisarow Maurer Young Musicians Contest with Rising Star and Young Musician categories, and the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, where a parent or guardian learns a stringed instrument alongside their student for the first several years.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Across some 150 concerts and mainstage educational programs over a 12-month season
Founded in 1930, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is described as one of the leading orchestras in the nation, with a commitment to artistic excellence and ambitious approaches to music education, performance, and collaboration. The Education and Community Engagement Department delivers a spectrum of programs serving the community and reaches more than 20,000 people per year, and the orchestra welcomes more than 200,000 people to its concerts and educational programs each year. The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra was founded in 1996 by Artistic Director Betty Perry, became a program of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in 2008, and now serves more than 200 students and their families each year under the direction of Krystle Ford. Since Side-by-Side began in 1991, more than 1,000 students have shared the stage with professional musicians, and the winner of the Michael Ben & Illene Komisarow Maurer Young Musicians Contest performs a prize-winning concerto with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra during this concert. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra states that its mission is to inspire and unite the community through its music and describes itself as setting new standards as a dynamic leader in the arts by creating innovative, engaging, and accessible musical and educational experiences.
Last updated May 12, 2026.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Across some 150 concerts and mainstage educational programs over a 12-month season
Founded in 1930, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is described as one of the leading orchestras in the nation, with a commitment to artistic excellence and ambitious approaches to music education, performance, and collaboration. The Education and Community Engagement Department delivers a spectrum of programs serving the community and reaches more than 20,000 people per year, and the orchestra welcomes more than 200,000 people to its concerts and educational programs each year. The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra was founded in 1996 by Artistic Director Betty Perry, became a program of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in 2008, and now serves more than 200 students and their families each year under the direction of Krystle Ford. Since Side-by-Side began in 1991, more than 1,000 students have shared the stage with professional musicians, and the winner of the Michael Ben & Illene Komisarow Maurer Young Musicians Contest performs a prize-winning concerto with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra during this concert. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra states that its mission is to inspire and unite the community through its music and describes itself as setting new standards as a dynamic leader in the arts by creating innovative, engaging, and accessible musical and educational experiences.
Last updated May 12, 2026.
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