Department of Music

Budding Beethovens and mini-Mozarts are invited to the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia’s third annual Musical Instrument Petting Zoo on Sunday, March 24. The free event will be held from 1:00-2:00pm in the Monticello High School Commons and is open to the public.

Children and their parents can toot, blow and pluck instruments in the string, woodwind and brass families. Members of the orchestra will be on hand to offer demonstrations and answer questions. The program is designed to help families make choices about the instruments students may play in their school band or orchestra. It also offers adults the opportunity to try an instrument that they may have admired from the audience.

Instruments will once again be provided by Music for HOPE, a non-profit partner that purchases new instruments and refurbishes donated used instruments for distribution to children in low-income families and under-funded school music programs. More information is available at www.musicforhope.org.

The Petting Zoo precedes a concert by the orchestra at 3:30pm in the high school auditorium. Music Director Kate Tamarkin will conduct an all-orchestral program that explores dance forms from Italy, Spain, France and Austria. Works include Ottorino Respighi’s Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 1; Manuel de Falla’s Suite No. 2 from The Three Cornered Hat; Johann Strauss, Jr.’s Emperor Waltzes; and La Valse by Maurice Ravel.

Tickets are priced at $35, $30, $25 and $20 for adults, and $10 for students. U.Va students may request one complimentary ticket in advance. Tickets may be purchased at The University of Virginia Arts Box Office, (434) 924-3376, 12:00-5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday in the lobby of the Drama Building at 109 Culbreth Road, or on-line at www.artsboxoffice.virginia.edu.

All University of Virginia employees are entitled to a 20% discount on tickets to individual performances. This offer does not apply to subscriptions or previously purchased tickets.