Aurora Symphony Orchestra facts for kids

The Aurora Symphony Orchestra is a group of volunteer musicians from the community. They started playing together in 1978 in Aurora, Colorado. Every year, from August to May, the orchestra performs many public concerts. These include a Fall Masterworks Concert, a Holiday Concert, a Family Concert, a Spring Masterworks Concert, and an Arts for a Better Tomorrow Concert. They also play at special events during the summer.

Meet the Musicians

All the musicians in the Aurora Symphony Orchestra are volunteers. They join the orchestra by trying out in an audition. Auditions happen every August and sometimes throughout the year. If you play an orchestra instrument well, you can try out! The musicians range in age from high school students to retired adults. Being a musician means attending weekly rehearsals, dress rehearsals, and all scheduled performances.

How the Orchestra Works

The Aurora Symphony Orchestra is a special kind of group called a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization. This means they use any money they get to support their music and community programs, not to make a profit for themselves. A group of people called a board of directors helps run the orchestra. This board includes people from the community and musicians from the orchestra.

Special Events and Programs

The Aurora Symphony Orchestra hosts exciting events for young people and families.

Young Artist Solo Competition

The Aurora Symphony Orchestra holds a special competition for young soloists. It's called the "Young Artist Solo Competition." This event gives talented young musicians, aged 12 to 21, a chance to show off their skills. They get to perform as a soloist, playing alongside the full Aurora Symphony Orchestra!

Children & Family Concert

Each year, the Aurora Symphony Orchestra puts on a concert just for young children and their families. This concert is free for everyone to attend. The music often has a multi-cultural theme, with songs that include singing or narration. Sometimes, the narration is even in both English and Spanish!

One of the most fun parts of this concert is the "Instrument Petting Zoo." Kids can go on stage with the orchestra members. They can ask questions and even hold the instruments to try making sounds. It's a great way for kids to experience music up close for the first time!

Working with Others

The Aurora Symphony Orchestra often works with other performing arts groups. They love to team up and create amazing shows!

Here are some of their collaborations:

• 2016: They worked with Aurora Dance Arts to perform The Nutcracker ballet, with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
• 2016: They joined forces with Opera on Tap Colorado for the opera Die Fledermaus, by Johann Strauss II.
• 2018: They again collaborated with Aurora Dance Arts for another performance of The Nutcracker ballet.