Georgia’s Augusta Symphony Offers Free Concerts For Students

Through its outreach program, the orchestra has introduced educational initiatives allowing free concerts and audience engagement for students

Founded in 1954, the Augusta Symphony comprises 85 professional musicians who perform in concerts reaching 20,000 people annually. The orchestra’s education and outreach program, Community Chords, currently serves around 27,000 youth and adults in communities within a 75-mile radius from Augusta, Georgia.

Through Community Chords, the orchestra has announced “Classroom Concerts” in addition to their “Discovery Concert” — two free education outreach initiatives for schools, teachers, students, and homeschoolers in the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) that will occur across September 2022 and April 2023.

The “Classroom Concerts” series will bring performances and classes by Augusta Symphony musicians to students in Richmond, Columbia, McDuffie, and Aiken County in the U.S. This program provides classical music and quality music programs to children in the CSRA who may not have access to them. 

Throughout the series in the upcoming season, the symphony’s musicians will offer interactive performances as a collective or as smaller groups such as ensembles, duets, or soloists, based on the needs and size of the school. An interest and availability form is available here for educators who are interested in a Classroom Concert in their school. 

Held annually, the Discovery Concert provides over 1,000 students the chance to experience a free live symphonic performance. The 2023/24 edition will be held on February 16, 2023, at 10 AM ET, at the Miller Theater. Children are encouraged to dress in colorful clothing and engage with the performers and instruments after the concert. 

This concert will showcase the Augusta Symphony as well as special guest artists including percussionists Gene Koshinksi and Tim Broscious, who will perform Koshinski’s work “soniChroma,” on over 70 instruments including metals, woods, strings, and non-Western instruments. This event is free to attend with advanced registration only. To register, click here.

Community Chords was created by the Augusta Symphony to connect members of the orchestra and other music educators with all people beyond the concert hall. Other Community Chords programs include Music Therapy, Veterans Outreach, School Outreach, Discovery Children’s Concerts, and Symphony on the Road.