Live symphonic performances for Elementary & middle school students
Student Education Concerts
Lancaster County students are invited to join us for a special Lancaster Symphony Concert designed for students in grades 3-8 at McCaskey East High School. This FREE concert is tailored to inspire elementary and middle school students, showing them the incredible possibilities that come with continuing their band or orchestra journey.
Concert Date & Time
The concerts will be held at McCaskey East High School in downtown Lancaster and run approximately 45-50 minutes
2027 Program: Peter and the Wolf
Grades 3-5: All Elementary School concerts are identical.
Tuesday, March 23, 2027 - 9:30 AM (SOLD OUT!) or 11:00 AM (NEARLY SOLD OUT!)
Wednesday, March 24, 2027 - 9:30 AM or 11:00 AM
Grades 6-8: The Middle School concert will feature the same music as the Elementary School concerts, but the commentary will be age-appropriate for musicians who have played for a few years.
Tuesday, March 23, 2027 - 1:00 PM
Register Your Class
All classrooms must register to attend the live concert.
Please complete one online registration form below. Registration is open now!
Concerts fill up quickly, so register early to secure your preferred date and time.
One registration per school, please.
Questions?
Contact Melinda Myers at mmyers@lancastersymphony.org or 717-291-6440 x 303.
McCaskey has individual chair seating. Accurate counts on your registration form are critical to ensure that there are enough seats for your school.
Prepare for Your Visit: Peter and the Wolf
We are excited to welcome your students to the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra for a special performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf!
A little preparation before the concert can help students recognize the characters, identify the instruments that bring them to life, and listen more closely to the ways music can tell a story. Even a brief introduction to the work can make the live performance more meaningful.
We’ve gathered several teacher resources from professional orchestras to help you prepare your students. Each offers background information, listening activities, lesson ideas, or creative activities that can be adapted to your classroom and the time you have available.
Teacher Resources
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Peter and the Wolf Teaching and Learning Guide
This comprehensive guide includes background on Prokofiev and the story, information about the characters and instruments, pre-concert activities, lesson plans, a character matching activity, and ideas for extending the experience after the performance.
Download the Peter and the Wolf Teaching and Learning Guide
Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Peter and the Wolf Teacher’s Guide
Explore how Prokofiev uses instruments and musical elements to represent the characters in the story. This guide includes classroom activities focused on listening, character identification, timbre, tempo, dynamics, pitch, and other musical concepts.
Download the Peter and the Wolf Teacher’s Guide
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra: Peter and the Wolf Teacher Guide
This teacher guide includes activities to help students become familiar with the characters and the instruments that represent them. Students can listen for each character’s musical theme, make connections between instruments and characters, and explore the story through additional classroom activities.
Download the Peter and the Wolf Teacher Guide
A Few Things to Listen For
Before the concert, encourage your students to listen for the instruments that represent Peter, the Wolf, the Bird, the Duck, the Cat, Grandfather, and the Hunters.
You might ask your students:
Which instrument represents each character?
What does the sound of each instrument tell us about its character?
How does the music change when the Wolf appears?
Can you hear when a character is happy, frightened, sneaky, or excited?
How does Prokofiev use tempo, dynamics, and different instruments to help tell the story?
Most importantly, encourage your students to come ready to listen, imagine, and experience the story together. They don't need to know everything before they arrive. The concert is an opportunity to discover the music for themselves and experience the orchestra bringing Prokofiev's beloved story to life.