Fourth-grade students from several area schools will join the Central Ohio Symphony musicians on May 15 as part of the Symphony’s partnership with Carnegie Hall and its Link Up curriculum. This is the second year in a row that the Symphony has partnered with school districts to present this program in Gray Chapel on the Ohio Wesleyan University campus.

Symphony Music Director Jaime Morales-Matos will conduct with Columbus performer Kristen Basore serving as host.

Students from all five elementary schools in Delaware, both elementary schools in the Buckeye Valley Local School District, St. Mary School, Delaware Christian School, and Big Walnut Elementary have spent the year studying and preparing for this concert as part of their music curriculum. During the concert, the youth will both sing and play recorders with the orchestra.

Symphony Executive Director Warren W. Hyer spoke about the upcoming event, which is for students and teachers only.

“The Link Up concert is very interactive,” he said. “The students become part of the performance, giving them a stake and an interest beyond passive listening. We became interested in the Link Up program not only because Carnegie Hall asked us to partner with them, but because we and the music teachers in the schools were looking for a new music curriculum that captured the students’ imaginations at the age that they will be making decisions about taking up an instrument.”

“We will have over 900 musicians in Gray Chapel for this concert,” Hyer added. “Based on what we experienced last year, Gray Chapel will rock.”

Major funding for the Link Up concert comes from the Delaware County Foundation, with additional funding from the Delaware Lions Club. In addition, the schools pay a small fee to participate.

For more information about the Symphony’s educational programs, contact the Symphony at 740-362-1799.