Songpa District to Hold "Orchestra Visiting Schools" Performances at 13 Schools

Songpa District in Seoul (Mayor Seo Kang Seok) will operate the "2025 Orchestra Visiting Schools" program, in which the district's symphony orchestra will tour a total of 13 elementary, middle, high, and special schools within the district over two months, this month and in November.

On the 8th, at Ilsin Girls' Commercial High School, an orchestra visiting the school was held. In the photo, Seok Sang Seo, Mayor of Songpa District. Provided by Songpa District.

This program, which began in 2023 and is now in its third year, was designed to provide students who have limited access to artistic performances with the opportunity to experience high-quality orchestra concerts directly at their schools. This year, the number of beneficiary schools has been significantly expanded to 13, compared to 7 in the first year and 8 last year. Approximately 4,900 students are expected to experience the performances annually.

This year, in addition to string instruments, the program has become more diverse with the inclusion of wind instruments such as flute, oboe, trumpet, as well as drums. Songpa District has prepared customized performances for each school through on-site inspections in advance, and will present not only traditional classical orchestral music but also popular pieces from movie and animation soundtracks favored by students.

There will also be interactive segments where students can conduct on stage themselves or collaborate in performances with the orchestra. Various collaborative stages have been arranged, including a recorder ensemble from Wirye Elementary School, a joint performance with the student orchestra from Baemyeong Middle School, and a pre-show ensemble by a ten-member group from Jam-il Elementary School. The final performance of the first half of the year will be held on the 22nd at Korea Yukyoung School. In the second half, performances will continue at seven schools, including Jamhyeon Elementary School.

Seo Kang Seok, Mayor of Songpa District, stated, "Culture and art are what distinguish humans from animals," and added, "We will actively support students in Songpa District, where there are many children and adolescents, so that they can experience a wide range of artistic activities."