We congratulate our Executive Director, Kiran Shelat, for her accomplishment as a finalist for San Diego Magazine's Celebrating Women Awards in the Nonprofit Visionary Category! Her dedication and leadership make our impactful programming possible. Winners announced on 11/16!

A HOLIDAY CLASSIC FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. THE NUTCRACKER | December 16 - 23, 2021 San Diego Civic Theatre WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA FROM THE SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY Golden State Ballet presents THE NUTCRACKER at the Civic Theatre. Dazzling scenery and costumes set the stage for Jared Nelson’s brilliant choreography telling the beloved holiday tale of Clara and her Nutcracker Prince, all danced to live music from musicians of the renowned San Diego Symphony, playing Tchaikovsky’s classic score. Classics 4 Kids' Artistic Director, Dana Zimbric, will conduct the symphony in 5 shows! TICKETS

I am very excited to begin my 18th season with Classics 4 Kids! After all we have been through, in 2021 it is clear that arts education has never been needed more. Our children, teachers, and families have suffered a great deal of loss, but programs like C4K's help heal and inspire our community. This season will be special - we will continue our amazing virtual programs while planning a safe return to live, in-person concerts. Special thanks to our amazing C4K staff team, board, musicians, partners, and donors for your continued commitment! Together we will make this one of our [...]

Thank you to everyone who submitted their beautiful artwork! We loved seeing how much our students love music. Judges: Dana Zimbric, C4K Artistic Director Marc Duggan, C4K Advisory Board This Art Contest honors Marc Duggan, who served on the Classics 4 Kids Board of Directors for 10 years. He continues to support Classics 4 Kids as an Advisory Board Member. He is passionate about both the visual and performing arts, and we honor his longstanding patronage of the arts!

STEAM week runs from April 24th to May 2nd in San Diego, and the week is meant to increase opportunities for students to interact with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. Classics 4 Kids is joining the STEAM week celebrations through our focus on the flute from David Savage, one of C4K’s music instructors. This FREE video is designed for students in grades 3-6.   David has musical experience of over 40 years and loves to share the science behind instruments. In his video, David explains the mechanisms of the flute and plays a variety of pieces, which include Syrinx by [...]

Professional Opera 4 Kids Vocalists Victoria Roberston & Bernardo Bermudez offer FREE themed Virtual Meet & Greets this April-May. Limited Availability for Title 1 Schools ONLY This program features: An interactive, educational opera performance via your preferred virtual platform Q&A session with the Special Guest Artist Social-Emotional Learning concepts Diverse music selections Each 25-minute program is tailored to the grade level of the students in attendance. Our virtual format works well in your hybrid classroom... just project your Zoom onto the wall to enjoy a virtual guest speaker! REGISTER

Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is one of the most recognizable pieces of music in human history. The music was composed from 1720 to 1723 and consists of four violin concerti, which all contain three movements following the order of fast-slow-fast. Each of the concerti (Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter) are distinct in their representations of the seasons and perfectly illustrate the Baroque period in which it was composed. In fact, many music experts consider Four Seasons to be one of the most daring compositions of the era, and point to this boldness as one of the many reasons why the composition [...]

Classics 4 Kids (C4K) and Advocates For Classical Music (AFCM) began their relationship in 2005 when the Education Vice President, Aveline von Ehrenberg, was approached by C4K for docents. Ever since this interaction, the partnership has blossomed into years of rewarding work and strong, mutual support.  AFCM is led by President Ron Bierman, and they strive to encourage young musicians and “build future audiences for classical music in San Diego through support of music education and appreciation.” The group was founded in 1996 and has remained very passionate about exposing classical music to younger generations who otherwise may not have known [...]

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 [...]