School Outreach Activities

The Chevron Symphony Goes to School… and Beyond! education and outreach program is a diverse, comprehensive program which brings NSO musicians into schools as well as bringing schools and community groups to concerts and other activities with the NSO.

Click on the headings below to learn more.

NEW for Grade Two Classes for 2024-2025

The Johnson Geo Centre and The Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Goes to School… and Beyond! program are thrilled to offer Musical WaterNauts, a program that will cover the science of the water cycle while making meaningful connections between our water environment and music.

To register please contact the Johnson Geo Centre by calling 709-864-8370 or email gcprograms@mun.ca

NEW for Grade Six Classes for 2024-2025

The Johnson Geo Centre and The Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Goes to School… and Beyond! program are thrilled to offer Musical Astronaut Trek. This class will cover the science of space all while making meaningful connections between the space environment and its solar system and music.

To register please contact the Johnson Geo Centre by calling 709-864-8370 or email gcprograms@mun.ca

The NSO and The Rooms offer both in person and virtual interactive education modules which are included as part of the Learning Programs at The Rooms and the Open Minds Program. These programs are available for classroom teachers, music teachers, and community groups.

– For inquiries and to book a program please contact Visitor Services at (709) 757-8090.

Join musicians of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra virtually at The Rooms to explore the world of music. Teachers can choose one of the following FREE programs:

Musical Heritage with NSO
Students are introduced to the exhibit Here, We Made a Home before joining a toe-tapping, hand-clapping virtual road trip of the province to learn about how location and culture influence artistic expression.

This program can be adapted for Grades K-9.

Musical Connections with Nature
Students learn about how peoples of the province have connected to nature for 9,000 years in the Connections gallery. NSO musicians teach students about soundscapes and how nature inspires musical sounds and compositions.

This program can be adapted for grades K-6.

Please contact Visitor Services at 709-757-8090 to book.

NSO musicians and our conductor visit schools to introduce students to the world of classical music.

Past Fine Arts Fridays Sessions

Recordings of past sessions can be accessed by signing into the Department of Education’s Professional Learning site, www.k12pl.nl.ca. Fine Arts Friday’s recordings are managed and housed by the Department of Education. Any inquiries regarding recordings can be directed to marydinn@gov.nl.ca.

• Engage Musically and Personally with the NSO and Guest Artist: Isabella D’Éloize Perron Target Audience – 4-12 (24/25)
• Experience Symphonic Music for Youth with the NSO! Target Audience – K-12 NOTE: This session will be live-streamed and presented to an in-person school audience. (24/25)
• Explore the Music of Favourite Cartoons and Movies with the NSO!  – Tune Toons!! Target Audience – K-12 (24/25)
• Experience Harmony in Ulliasuk: The Story of Martha Joshua (an Inuit woman from Labrador) with the NSO! (24/25)
• The NSO and Newman Sound Men’s Choir… Sharing Songs and Singing Together! (24/25)
• Come Along to NSO’s Hallowe’en Spooktacular Joined by Well-Known Witches of Disney and Broadway! (24/25)
• Come to the Circus with the NSO with St. John’s International CircusFest (23/24)
• Snap! Snap! – Wednesday Addams & Friends with the NSO with Best Kind Productions (23/24)
• Engage Artistically, Musically and Personally with Mark Fewer (23/24)
• Celebrate Women in Music with the NSO – Les Femmes (23/24)
• Experience and Make Joyful Music with the NSO – Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony – Ode to Joy (23/24)
• Experience Sci-Fi Music – The Final Frontier (23/24)
• Soar Through the Planets with the NSO, Calos Youth Orchestra and Chorus! (22/23)
• NSO Hallowe’en Spooktacular: Who Ya Gonna Call with Best Kind Productions! (22/23)
• Engage Personally and Musically with NSO and guest artist pianist 10-year-old Ryan Huang! (22/23)
• Pass the Baton….a journey in symphonic conducting! (22/23)
• Explore the Appalachians – Experience Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring with the NSO and Kittiwake Dance Theatre! (22/23)
• Sing with the NSO – Join the NSO and three local school choirs to sing some of your favourites songs including Sound of Music Medley and Maroon 5’s Memories! (22/23)
• NSO Hallowe’en Spooktacular: Henry Hiccup and the Forbidden Orchestra with Best Kind Productions! (21/22)
• Paint Music with the NSO and Visual Artists Keli-Ann Pye-Beshara and Nelson White! (21/22)
• Take A Musical Journey with NSO’s Atlantic String Quartet! (21/22)
• Behind the Scenes with the NSO! (21/22)

The Fine Arts Fridays (FAF) Educational Series is an initiative of NL Department of Education that engages community arts organizations to bring curriculum-based arts and cultural learning experiences and/or products to the provincial K-12 public school demographic. FAF is intended to engage learners, both students and teachers, with digital products and/or in interactive live streamed sessions, as facilitated by professional artists, that explore the province’s arts and culture. The program is supported under the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Cultural Connections: A Provincial K-12 Arts and Cultural Strategy.

The Play-in/Sing-In Jam Session brings over 500 students together to play and sing a chosen selection with members of the NSO based on rep from the current season.

Schools, community groups and individuals have the opportunity to perform at Prelude shows prior to NSO concerts.

School groups and community music groups can purchase tickets for NSO concerts at a special group discount.

The NSO has partnered with the NL Public Library to present the Books & Music series for community members and other events throughout the season. We introduce and demonstrate various musical instruments that community members can borrow and check out from the Public Library Musical Instrument Lending program.

NSO Youth Ambassadors attend NSO concerts and events act as a focal point for meeting young people, guest artists and NSO musicians during concerts. The Ambassadors usually write a blog on their experiences.

Each year we reach out to a local school to find a student or two with an interest in music to become the NSO Youth Ambassador for the season.

Our Youth Ambassador attends all four Masterworks concerts and writes a blog about their experience. The Youth Ambassador also meets with youth in our audience on the ACC upper concourse during intermission to discuss the concert with them. Be sure to check this page often for the NSO’s Youth Ambassador’s blogs throughout the season.