Field Trips
From our youngest audience members to our most seasoned listeners, a field trip is a great way to discover the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.
Composing Conversations: A Symphonic Journey with Brian Nabors and the ASO
Young People’s Concert (recommended for 3rd-8th grade)
October 18 & 19, 2023 - 10 am
Alys Stephens Center, Jemison Concert Hall
Join Birmingham native, Brian Nabors and Chris Confessore, ASO SuperPops! Conductor, as they take the audience on a journey of a composer’s creative process. From inspiration to performance, this incredibly personal and meaningful concert, pays tribute to classical composers, digs a little deeper into musical structure and entertains as the Alabama Symphony Orchestra performs the beautiful soundtrack of a young composer’s career. For the first time, student audiences will enjoy Nabors’ “Letters from Birmingham,” a work commissioned by the ASO and debuted in our 2022-2023 Season. Nabors says, “From its inception as the steel capital of the South in the late 19th
century, the city of Birmingham, Alabama has seen many changes. I could think of no better way to pay homage to my hometown and my identity than to compose a symphony, the first of its kind, to encapsulate the history, growth, and hope of Birmingham.”
Once Upon a Time!
Young People’s Concert (recommended for 2-5 grade but can be enjoyed by ALL ages)
November 2 & 3, 2023 - 10am
Samford University’s Wright Center
Back by popular demand for a second season in a row is the intensely engaging and interactive, “Once Upon a Time!” written by Candace Neal Pappas. Met last year with rave reviews from teachers, students and parents alike, choose your own adventure in this beautifully written show complete with Samford University’s Department of Dance Students and a soprano and baritone from the School of Music. Explore the elements of a story with delightful narrator, writer, and illustrator, Candace Pappas, as Chris Confessore leads the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in this interdisciplinary celebration of the arts. Whether you are looking for an evil villain, a damsel in distress or holding out for a hero, you are sure to find laughter, fun and timeless music in a unique concert experience to be enjoyed by all ages!
Building Blocks of the Symphony
Explorer Concerts (PK-2nd grade)
February 28 & 29, 2024 - 10 am
Alys Stephens Center-Jemison Concert Hall
March 15, 2024 - 9:30am and 11am (2 performances)
Thompson High School Performing Arts Center
Perfect for our youngest concert goers, our Explorer Concert Series helps to lay a firm foundation for music appreciation by introducing listeners to the instrument families of the orchestra and beginning musical terms. Similar to how we build houses, skyscrapers and even cities, students will learn how music is built or constructed focusing on musical concepts and their correlation with STEAM concepts. Lesson plans to prepare students for their experience at the symphony will be focused around science, technology, engineering, and math! How do musicians count? Why does a woodwind instrument sound the way it does? What are the building blocks composers use to write a piece of music? We can’t wait for you to come discover these lessons as told by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra at our concert hall!
Coffee Concerts
Middle and High School students can enjoy a mini version of our Masterworks Concerts at the 11 am Coffee Concerts on select Fridays throughout the season. The 2023-2024 Season features world-renowned solists, movie music, and symphonies by great composers such as Tchaikovsky, Mahler, and Brahms! Student seating is limited, so sign up today!
Groups of 10+ can register at a rate of $8 per ticket at the link below.
Groups less than 10 can purchase tickets directly through the box office.