ORCHKIDS
More than a music lesson, OrchKids provides Baltimore’ s youth with equitable access to high-quality music education, fostering personal and artistic growth that builds a student’ s ability to thrive in a complex world.
In total, 2,000 + students( Pre-K – 12) engaged in nocost, in-school and after-school programming for 33 weeks during the academic year across 9 dedicated sites, drawing from more than 60 Baltimore City( and beyond) schools. In addition to weekly private lessons with an OrchKids Teaching Artist, 11 OrchKids students received coaching from BSO musicians across the year to support their musical growth. And thanks in part to a robust network of 15 partner organizations, we were able to provide our students with mental health, wellness, and enrichment resources.
Summer remained a time to keep OrchKids supported, learning, and making beautiful music. In total, 127 students participated in the third, threeweek summer session at Goucher College, while 37 were accepted to and attended external summer programs across the country including Interlochen, Blue Lake, Ravinia, Encore / Coda, and Peabody.
OrchKids also invested in two major elements of the program, transportation and instruments. To keep our students connected to daily programming and opportunities, we re-invested in buses, Ubers / Lyfts, and, when possible, parents and partners, to the tune of $ 130,000 in transportation fund for the academic year and summer. With help from a Congressionally Funded Community Project( CFCP) Grant and partners at Menchey Music, we secured a centrally located, climate-controlled storage facility for instruments, invested in an owned( not rented) percussion inventory including timpani, and secured 70 instruments and associated supplies to support future expansion.
On May 14, OrchKids students took over the Meyerhoff stage for the third annual Spring Celebration Concert. In addition to performances from all ensembles( string, wind, Latin, and brass band), a highlight of the night was the performance of“ Lift Every Voice and Sing” sung by an 8th grade cellist, accompanied by the Concert Winds. City Council President Zeke Cohen helped open the evening with special remarks and hundreds of high fives.
45 Performances Daily After-School
97 % Attendance
Enrolled in
33 % Program for 3 + Years
Alumni Employed
13 by OrchKids
2024-25 YEAR IN REVIEW 11