Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra Presents OrchestrAnimals for Elementary Students

The Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra will perform for thousands of elementary school students at this Fall’s annual Young People’s Concerts on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, October 31 and November 1 and 2, at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. KSO Principal Guest Conductor Cornelia Kodkani Laemmli will conduct the concert, entitled OrchestrAnimals. Performances will be held at 9:30 AM and 10:45 AM on October 31 and November 1 and at 9:30 AM only on November 2. These performances are open to the public for $5. OrchestrAnimals is a unique educational program designed for students in grades three through five.  In partnership with the Knoxville Zoo, the concert will explore music about animals and the way they move and behave.  Students will compare pieces about animals and discover which instruments represent certain animals.  Pieces featured will include Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee, Haydn’s Symphony No. 82 “The Bear,” Anderson’s Chicken Reel and The Waltzing Cat, Symphony No. 9 “From the New World” by Dvorák, Selections from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and “Elephant,” “Aquarium” and “Aviary” from Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals.  Special guest performers will include live animals, a vocalist and young piano soloists.  “In the past couple of years, the KSO has placed great emphasis on developing these concerts using the recommendations of public school teachers who form our Education Advisory Council. We work very closely with the Knox County Public School System to make sure that the concepts we are presenting support what students are learning in their classrooms,” says KSO Director of Education and Outreach Jennifer Barnett. “This is a wonderful opportunity for students to take their learning from the pages of textbooks and recorded music and apply it in an exciting live performance.” Co-Publisher of the Herald Newspapers Michele Karl has been talking with the KSO about the possibility of bringing the symphony to Sevier County. “I’d like our students to have the same opportunity to see a symphony orchestra perform,” stated Karl. “I will work with the KSO representatives in the next few months to see if we can someday bring this great educational opportunity to Sevier County.”