Named in honor of Jane H. Kesson (1926-2017), a generous Philadelphia Orchestra patron and music educator of over 45 years, the J.H.K. School Concerts program equips classroom teachers and students with curriculum guides and resources to prepare them for interactive in-person Philadelphia Orchestra concert experiences in Marian Anderson Hall of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Students leave with fundamental musical vocabulary and an appreciation for orchestral music.
This program is generously funded by the Billy Joel Fund for Music Education. Established in 2008, with an extraordinary donation from legendary singer-songwriter Billy Joel, the Billy Joel Fund for Music Education is earmarked to support and augment music education in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP). The Fund subsidizes tickets and transportation, allowing School District of Philadelphia schools to receive up to 80 tickets and bus transportation (up to 2 buses) to attend a J.H.K. School Concert each year. Eligibility for the sponsored tickets and busing is limited to elementary schools within the School District of Philadelphia only.
We invite and encourage all regional schools to attend as well! Tickets for non-SDP schools are $8 per person, with no immediate cost, and registrants will be invoiced prior to the performance date.