UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed.
Back in October, the San Antonio Symphony invited my family and one of my readers’ families to attend a Halloween Family Concert, as discussed in this earlier post. This month, the Symphony is teaming up with the San Antonio Mastersingers for another family concert: Holiday Magic—A Family Holiday Celebration, on Sunday, December 22, 2013. My family is looking forward to it, and the Symphony is once again generously offering a family pack of four tickets for me to give away. To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment: What is your favorite Christmas carol or holiday song? At the end of the day on Thursday, December 19, I will randomly select one of the comments as the winner; the Symphony will notify the winner by email on Friday, December 20, and your four-pack of tickets will be waiting for you at the concert on Sunday.
This fall, I made it a goal to introduce my kids (F.T., age 6, and G.N., age 3) to live classical music. In addition to the Halloween concert, we also attended the Nutcracker (described in this earlier post, and here’s F.T.’s review). Young children will never be on 100 percent perfect behavior. But, at the Symphony’s family-oriented events (Family Concerts are designed for kids ages 4 to 11), you know you will not be the only one. And, you might be surprised by how your kids will rise to the occasion. As I was discussing the other day with Veronica Rouse of Seven Lovely Things, the only way to get your kids used to hearing live classical music is to just do it.
Veronica and I had the same experience: our kids were really wiggly in the minutes leading up to the concert. Then, Associate Conductor Akiko Fujimoto took the podium, the music started, and our wiggly kids were still, with the same open-mouthed look of awe on their faces. The beauty of the music, and the power and versatility of the orchestra, reaches listeners of all ages and experience levels.
The Holiday Magic concert is from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 22, 2013 at Laurie Auditorium at Trinity University (map). Fujimoto will be conducting the Symphony, and Dr. John Silantien will be directing the San Antonio Mastersingers. Come to the lobby an hour early, at 1:30 p.m., for the instrument petting zoo: musicians will help your kids try instruments like violins, cellos, etc. There will be kids’ activities, including quizzes and craft stations. Learn more about music education from partners like Musical Arts Center of San Antonio. And, take a selfie with mascot Count Bassie.
Here are some photos from the Instrument Petting Zoo and other activities:
Individual tickets are $16 for adults and $8 for children. Order online at sasymphony.org, call the Symphony box office at (210) 554-1010, go through Ticketmaster, or buy tickets at the door. There’s one more Family Concert this season, Peter and the Wolf, on April 13, 2014, also at Laurie Auditorium.
On Friday and Saturday, December 20-21, the Symphony is teaming up with the Mastersingers, the Trinity University Handbell Ensemble, and narrator John Clare to offer two Holiday Pops concerts, both at 8 p.m. at the Majestic Theatre. The sing-along sounds like a lot of fun. The Holiday Pops concerts are sponsored by the Macy’s Foundation. UPDATE: “San Antonio Mastersingers, Symphony Celebrate Holiday Season”, Jack Morgan, Texas Public Radio, December 18, 2013.
You may also want to mark your calendars for the DISCOVER series concerts, which are designed for introducing classical music to new audiences. (Fujimoto says they were intended as music appreciation classes for adults, but she sees a lot of young families in the audience, too. It helps that they are in the afternoon, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.) The program opens with musical samples and explanations by Music Director Sebastian Lang-Lessing and includes a full-length performance of a classic orchestral piece. A large video screen above the orchestra shows close-ups of the conductor and the musicians. The Symphony is planning two more DISCOVER concerts at the Majestic Theatre this season:
- February 9, 2014: DISCOVER “New World” Symphony
- May 11, 2014: DISCOVER Schubert “The Great”
If you would you like to enter the giveaway for a four-pack of tickets to the San Antonio Symphony concert Holiday Magic—A Family Holiday Celebration, please leave a comment: What is your favorite Christmas carol or holiday song? The winner will be notified on Friday, December 20, and the tickets will be waiting for you at the concert on Sunday, December 22. Good luck!
Disclosure: The San Antonio Symphony gave me tickets for my family to use at the concert, and four tickets to give away.
