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Thousands of students will experience the music of the Canton Symphony Orchestra during the next two weeks with performances across our community in partnership with Stark Library.
On April 15 and 16, Stark County classes and community groups will gather at the Canton Cultural Center for the Arts for CSO’s 2026 Kinder Concert, "Once Upon an Orchestra."
The concert is designed to be a child’s first experience with a live orchestra, and students from pre-kindergarten to second grade will attend and experience the magic of instruments, up-close and first-hand.
Thirty musicians and Alison Norris, orchestra conducting fellow, dreamed of creating beautiful music and sharing the wonders of the orchestra with young listeners, which led to this free, full-orchestra experience.
The educational concert will be narrated by local librarians and brings the story of the orchestra to life while showing how each instrument family works together to create a fictional tale.
With music inspired by fairytales, folklore and legends from around the world, this interactive and imaginative concert invites children to sit in front of the stage and explore how an orchestra tells stories, stirs emotion and inspires wonder through the power of sound. Along the way, they’ll be introduced to the four families of orchestra instruments: strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion.
The orchestra also provided interactive lesson plans that coincide with the concert, giving educators the opportunity to extend learning beyond the performance and into their students’ classroom and homes.
“It is truly an honor to be able to provide access to free music and educational experiences to the students, families and educators who call Northeast Ohio home,” said Caroline Eberhard, CSO director of education and community engagement.
“When you register and attend, you aren’t just reserving a seat; you are helping nurture creativity and connection through music and showing that the arts matter to this community.”
Through the Ohio Arts Council’s Big Yellow School Bus Grant, CSO was able to award funding to local schools for bussing students to the concert, removing the barrier of transportation expenses and making the experience accessible for all students.
After the CSO and Stark Library collaboration at the Kinder Concert, additional opportunities for younger children will take place the following week during "Listen at the Library," a program that introduces students ages 3 to 6 to the world of symphony by pairing music with their favorite recognizable stories.
Instrument trios will visit five Stark Library locations: the Perry Sippo Branch on April 20, Madge Youtz and North Branches on April 22 and East Canton and Main branches on April 23.
During these events, librarians will tell popular stories while musicians play excerpts with their cellos, French horns and flutes in tandem.Learn more and register for these CSO programs and others at www.cantonsymphony.org.