EDUCATION: MUSIC FOR LIFE

The North Carolina Symphony leads the most extensive music education program of any symphony orchestra. Each year, we serve more than 150,000 North Carolina students of all ages and provide training and resources for teachers in alignment with the curriculum set by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Music education has been a pillar of our mission for more than seven decades, and we are proud to build the next generation of musicians and music lovers.

We are grateful to our music education supporters for their dedication to the importance of the arts in the lives of young people.

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Education Concerts

Hear your North Carolina Symphony in person with all-new concerts for elementary students, supported by lead education sustainer Truist.

Online Resources for Educators

Educators can access video and curriculum-aligned resource materials here for the Symphony’s in-person and virtual Education Concerts.

Teacher Workshop

A free online workshop where North Carolina educators present curriculum-aligned materials and lessons for the Symphony’s Education programs. The 2023/24 Teacher Workshop is sponsored by Puffin Foundation West, Ltd.

Music Educator Awards

NCS values and recognizes the work of outstanding music educators in North Carolina, with whom we carry out our music education mission.

Youth Concerto Competition

The Kathleen Price and Joseph M. Bryan Youth Concerto Competition is North Carolina’s premier performance competition for young instrumentalists.

Preschool Education: Music Discovery

Music Discovery, part of PNC’s Grow Up Great program, combines music with storytelling for preschoolers and their families.

Elementary School Programs

Learn about our in-person and online Education Concerts, our ongoing Meet the Instruments series sponsored by MetLife Foundation and Puffin Foundation West, our Adopt-a-School program, and more!

Middle School, High School, and College Programs

As students grow in their musical pursuits, they have opportunities to work directly with NCS artists and perform for NCS audiences.

Musical Meditations

NCS and presenting sponsor UNC Health have partnered with North Carolina State Parks and the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to develop a meditation tool for all ages—a series of brief musical excerpts, combined with breathtaking visuals from North Carolina landscapes.