Education And Community Outreach
As an organization, the Wheeling Symphony Society believes that arts programming is a critical component to a well-rounded education, and
therefore has a strong commitment to education outreach initiatives such as the Artist In Residence Program, the Young People’s Concert Tour and the
Wheeling Symphony Youth Orchestra. Furthermore, we believe that we have an obligation to serve all students, especially those who have limited exposure to the arts due to socio-economic and/or geographic barriers.
Our organization operates our educational outreach programs on the premise that experiencing the arts at a young age will inspire a life-long appreciation for and participation in the arts. Statistics support our ideals and indicate that students’ participation in arts programming raises standardized test scores and reduces the risk of violence among emotionally at-risk youth.
Arts education and appreciation are important in sustaining an cultured, productive, and happy community. The WSO’s takes education outreach and
extends it beyond the typical K-12 parameters in such offerings as the Masterworks Concert Talk Series, special ensemble performances, the College
Concert Series, and unique festival activities.
Young People’s Concert Anniversary
2012 will mark the 75th anniversary of the Wheeling Symphony’s Young People’s Concerts. Now a week-long Tour, the concerts provide elementary school students and teachers with the great opportunity to experience high quality, age-appropriate symphonic programming.
The Wheeling Symphony does its best to make the YPC Tour more than simply entertainment, but an educational experience as well. To that end, Teacher’s Guides and CDs are provided to participating schools in advance of the concerts. Created and distributed by the WSO, these free materials
allow teachers to better prepare students for the concert while maximizing the educational and entertainment value of the program.
The 2012 YPC Tour is set to include eight performances and will reach an audience of more than 6,000. Since the concerts cast a wide net geographically, they promote a positive message about the Wheeling Symphony and classical music in general.
