The Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra (ICO) continued the 2024-2025 Season with our Annual Education Concert. This year, nearly 2,000 third through fifth grade students joined the ICO for an interactive field trip concert filled with engaging learning experiences and student participation. This year's program, The Orchestra Moves (part of Carnegie Hall's Link Up Music Education program), took place at Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University on November 21st.

Created by Carnegie Hall and designed for grades 3-5, ICO's LINK UP concert series soared beyond a basic concert experience and invited students to sing, dance, play recorder, ukulele, or other instruments along with the orchestra during an immersive morning of music! Students explored how an orchestra and the music it makes MOVES using Orff Schulwerk strategies and creative movement activities. Some of the repertoire from this year included the first movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Strauss's The Blue Danube, Tanyaradzwa A. Tawengwa's Mhande, and André Filho's Cidade Maravilhosa. We provided Carnegie Hall's robust curriculum guides and professional development sessions for teachers to help prepare their students for the experience.

Designed specifically for youth, the ICO delivers multiple education programs each year to connect students with live and virtual music education experiences in schools, the concert hall, in Indy Parks, side-by-side performances, and after-school programs for the purpose of fostering creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and problem solving. These educational programs also meet Indiana Academic Standards for music with additional cross-curricular standards in the virtual programs. ICO's education programs prioritize students attending schools with little to no music education access.

Education lies at the core of the ICO's mission. In our history, the ICO has grown with free community performances, engaging education programs, and memorable live concert experiences that help us reach our communities where they need it most.