With support from the California Arts Council, the Santa Barbara Symphony will provide hands-on music education for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders in 3 programs: BRAVO!, Goleta String Workshop and Hope Violins. In collaboration with 3 school districts, these after- and before-school programs utilize a comprehensive sequential curriculum developed by Symphony education staff. A majority of schools served are Title 1 or Title 1 Targeted. For 2018-19, the programs will serve 540 unduplicated students.
Founded in 1953, the Symphony is widely considered a cultural cornerstone of the community. As Santa Barbara’s only full-scale professional orchestra, it presents a regular season of concerts that span the symphonic musical repertoire. In addition, the Symphony provides superlative music education programs for students in grades K-12 from 85 schools across the county. Programs regularly serve over 10,000 students each year in all our programs and events—reflecting a 70% growth rate over the past 3 years. The Symphony’s music education programs are designed to provide equitable access to quality arts learning opportunities and are grounded in the belief that the arts are essential to the social, emotional, and intellectual development of every child.

