Atlanta Symphony Expands Free Music Education for Young People

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is widening the doors to music for young people. In March 2026, the orchestra announced a new collaboration with The Gift of Music Foundation aimed at expanding access to high-quality music education for students across metro Atlanta and the broader Southeast, from elementary school all the way through college.

The partnership is built on the belief that direct contact with great musicians can change a young person's life. Through the collaboration, students will be able to take part in masterclasses and concerts led by professional players, gaining mentorship and the kind of immersive experiences that rarely reach children outside well-resourced schools. The aim is not only to train future performers but to open the world of orchestral music to anyone curious enough to step toward it.

“In March 2026, the orchestra announced a new collaboration with The Gift of Music Foundation aimed at expanding access to high-quality music education for students across metro Atlanta and the broader Southeast, from elementary school all the way through college.”

A centerpiece of the effort is an Instrument Exploration Station, a hands-on space that will appear at ASO Family Concerts at Atlanta Symphony Hall as well as at outdoor venues such as Piedmont Park and the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre. There, children and families can pick up instruments, feel the weight of a cello or the buzz of a brass mouthpiece, and discover for themselves the joy of making sound, all in welcoming, accessible settings designed to lower the barriers that often keep newcomers away.

"Partnering together allows us to connect students with world-class musicians, meaningful mentorship, and transformative experiences," said David Starnes of The Gift of Music. Sarah Grant of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra added that working alongside the foundation lets the organization expand access to high-quality musical experiences for more young people than it could reach alone.

Programs like this one quietly shape the future of culture. Music education has been shown to support confidence, focus and a sense of belonging, and exposure to live orchestral playing can spark a lifelong love that enriches a person far beyond any concert hall. By joining forces to meet children where they are, in parks, family concerts and classrooms, the Atlanta Symphony and its partner are betting that the surest way to keep great music alive is to share it generously with the next generation.