Children's Concerts

The Philharmonic and Conservatory Orchestras perform four concerts for over 10,000 school children in grades 3-8 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall each year. These concerts introduce children to classical music in a concert hall setting in a more informal way than the evening concerts. They include segments such as Meet the Instruments and Be a Conductor. All conductors are invited to click here to be added to the mailing list.

February 17, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.
April 14, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.

Download the the current Children's Concert Brochure

Peer Mentor Program

The Portland Youth Philharmonic Peer-Mentor Program pairs middle school music students with PYP musicians for half-hour private music lessons on their instruments. The PYP musicians/mentors are high school or college students who have benefited from private lessons for years. They are eager to share their experience and knowledge with young, enthusiastic musicians. The individual attention these young musicians receive in private study will allow them to work on specific areas of their playing that need improvement.

The Peer Mentor Program is offered in three sessions of seven or eight lessons per session.

Some scholarships are available. Call 503.223.5939 or email information@portlandyouthphil.org for more information. Students who participate in the Peer Mentor Program are expected to attend all lessons. There will be no make-ups given unless an instructor must cancel and is unable to find a substitute. Make-ups can be arranged with the instructor, should that be necessary.

Download an application for more information and to sign up for the Peer Mentor Program

Mini-Tours and Preview Concerts

All four ensembles perform several outreach concerts each year throughout the state of Oregon and southern Washington. These vary from performances for school-aged children during the day to concerts for the community-at-large during the evenings or on weekends.

Note for Note

Note for Note is a fundraising program offered to local schools, inviting them to sell blocks of tickets to each of our concerts. By doing so they can earn much needed funding for their own music programs and expose their students to the concert-going experience while giving our musicians a new audience. Schools that have participated so far include: Deer Creek Elementary, Aloha High School, Grant High School, Whitford, Stephenson Elementary, and McCartey Middle School. Contact Ingrid Arnett to sign up, ingrid@portlandyouthphil.org.