The OrchKids 15-Year Celebration Concert was an unforgettable night thanks to the hard work of our students, teachers, and staff, and support from the entire OrchKids community! We celebrated 15 years with our first dedicated concert at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on May 17. Over 250 students from all seven OrchKids sites performed for a packed hall that was filled with family members, school principals and teachers, OrchKids partners, donors, and more. Audience members enjoyed a pre-concert video that reflected all of the wonderful memories from the first 15 years of OrchKids programming, which can be viewed here. Our youngest students opened the concert with a song that they composed themselves during our Collective Composition week called "When I Am 15.” We were then honored to have Brandon Scott, Mayor of Baltimore, welcome the audience before electrifying performances by all of the OrchKids ensembles: Latin Ensemble, Concert Winds, Symphonic Winds, Brass Band, Concert Strings, and Symphonic Strings. Three Marin Alsop Citizenship Awards were given to students who exemplify qualities of BSO Music Director Laureate and OrchKids Founder, Marin Alsop, including leadership, kindness, commitment, and service. The awardees were Madison Vincent, Ilide Iheme, and Ashley Gonzalez.
The Hello Song Ensemble performing their original composition "When I Am 15."
2023 Marin Alsop Citizenship Award Winners
Cellos performing in the concert finale.
Closing out this spectacular night was Brian Prechtl’s arrangement of “One Day” which brought together all 250 students, Pre-K through 12th grade, on stage and in the boxes. Conducted by Jonathon Heyward, BSO Music Director Designate, this final, unifying piece left performers and audience members alike with goosebumps and tears in their eyes. The OrchKids community showed up and showed out to support our students who sang and played their hearts out for this incredibly memorable and inspirational night.