Local Nonprofits Perform for Thousands of Elementary Students at Historic Balboa Theatre   After a two-year hiatus, local nonprofit Classics 4 Kids is presenting their award-winning music education programs for thousands of elementary students from throughout San Diego County to enjoy. “Journey Into Jazz” takes place on May 24-25, 2022, and will feature live music from the 17-member Classics Philharmonic Orchestra accompanied by six talented high school jazz artists from the Young Lions Jazz Conservatory. “I am so thrilled to be returning to the stage since our last performance in March, 2020”, remarked Dana Zimbric, Artistic Director and Conductor of Classics [...]

Classics 4 Kids' Musician Meet & Greet program was covered by the Coronado Eagle & Journal after reaching over 700 elementary students at Coronado Village Elementary School. Read the full article.

A reflection on the sweet surprise that cemented a lifetime of music between an old instrument and an orchestra-less conductor. By Dana Zimbric Piano saved my life. Well, one specific piano saved my life… her name is Hershey. First, her backstory: Hershey was born in Holland, Michigan around 1926, created by piano maker Bush & Lane. She is a grand piano made of beautiful wood, and has been rebuilt at least once since her birth. She came into my life in 1990, when I was a twelve-year-old aspiring musician. My parents purchased her from The Piano Shop in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The lifesaving began [...]

In a 2016 report conducted by the League of American Orchestras, it was found fewer than 2% of musicians in American orchestras are black. This lack of representation has been prevalent in the classical music realm for a long time, however, black classical musicians are finally beginning to find a voice in their community.   One such example is Bartholomew Poyser, a community ambassador and artist-in-residence at Canada’s famed Symphony Nova Scotia, who held a concert with the Maritime Bhangra Group to illustrate the diverse styles of classical music. The concert was a huge success that lended Poyser more power and [...]

Dr. Indre Viskontas, a trained operatic soprano turned director, neuroscientist, and communicator who is on faculty at SFCM and is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of San Francisco recently issued a report which highlights some critical findings. Her research demonstrated that music education keeps students involved in school and provides that key sense of belonging, which, in turn, can help break poverty cycles while improving GPAs and graduation rates. Click HERE to read the full article.