Kingston Symphony presents ‘Carnival of the Dinosaurs’
As the Kingston Symphony continues its Symphony Education Partnership, bringing fun and dynamic orchestral concerts to thousands of area students, this year, they’re inviting the public to join in, too.
Next week, the Kingston Symphony will welcome over 2,500 grade 4 students to the Grand Theatre as part of the Symphony Education Program. The concerts will take place on Thursday, Mar. 21 and Friday, Mar. 22, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. both mornings. The Symphony Education Program is the result of a unique partnership between the Kingston Symphony, and the Dan School of Drama and Music at Queen’s University, the Limestone District School Board, the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board. This particular concert, ‘Carnival of the Dinosaurs,’ will see the giants of the Jurassic world come to life on stage, with a fun symphonic experience featuring poetry, storytelling, and, of course, music.
And now, the Symphony is repeating the concert reserved for students earlier in the week for all to enjoy! The Kingston Symphony will perform ‘Carnival of the Dinosaurs’ again on Saturday, Mar. 23 at 2:30 p.m. at the Grand Theatre so Kingstonians of all ages can take in this whimsical and exciting concert.
For Kingston Symphony Maestro Evan Mitchell, the family-friendly concerts and the concerts they perform through the Education Program are not only fun for members of the Symphony and the audiences – the shows also provide a critical means for making the Symphony experience accessible to local youths.
“There are a bunch of reasons why these shows are so important to us! Firstly, we present these concerts as a way to facilitate young people to be exposed to great art. From a very young age, kids are able to determine if they’re interested in experiences like this and it can foster a lifelong love of music. Often we are the very first point of exposure to orchestral music, and we offer it at a price point which can make it accessible for everyone,” Mitchell said, noting that, through the Education Program and partnership with Queen’s, the Symphony is able to offer free concerts for grade four students every year, with the only cost being transportation to and from the concerts.
‘Carnival of the Dinosaurs’ is the work of award-winning Canadian composer Dean Bury, a Kingston resident, whose other works (like his opera ‘The Brothers Grimm’) have received overwhelming praise both nationally and internationally. An Assistant Professor at the Dan School of Drama and Music at Queen’s, and Artistic Director for Queen’s Musical Theatre Creation Program, Bury will narrate ‘Carnival of the Dinosaurs’ himself. The concert will also feature music from ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Carnival of the Animals.’
So what can audiences expect from ‘Carnival of the Dinosaurs’?
“A lot of fun and interesting music! I make a point of putting together shows for young people which are enjoyable for the whole family, but also don’t ‘talk down’ to the kids… I do think that young people have a better attention span than we seem to give credit for,” Mitchell expressed.
“We’re not trying to turn every person who comes into our family concerts into the next violin virtuoso, but concerts are always about sharing, and there’s no better way for us to do that than with great music and fun programs aimed at young people, which they get to experience with their families. It’s magic.”
Tickets for the Kingston Symphony’s ‘Carnival of the Dinosaurs,’ taking place Saturday, Mar. 23, 2019 at 2:30 p.m., are available for purchase at the Grand Theatre Box Office, 218 Princess Street, by phone at 613-530-2050, or online at www.kingstonsymphony.ca. Tickets are $20 for adults and seniors, $15 for students, and $10 for children 12 and under. The show will also include pre-concert activities, including crafts and the wildly popular instrument petting zoo, where kids and adults alike have the opportunity to see a number of orchestral instruments up close, and even try their hand at playing.
Additionally, the City of Kingston is offering free transit on Saturday, Mar. 23 for the grand re-opening of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library Central Branch. Families can take the bus for free, and enjoy both events in downtown Kingston.