Youth Engagement – Foreword from Contributing Author Suzanne Perrino

What a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other. In this guide, you will find a wide spectrum of programming, ways of interacting authentically with youth, and words of hope and gratitude from young people who are finding ways to express themselves freely and find belonging in safe and creative spaces.

The concert hall is now only one resource among many for music learning. From virtual platforms to physical spaces in shelters, museums, and tribal reservations, to the rich engagement of teaching artists, this larger ecosystem encompasses a vast network of providers and partners. So the question looms—what should the role of professional orchestras become in the lives of young people?

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States, it seems an ideal time to reflect both internally and externally. How will we incorporate youth in our celebrations? What music will we perform, what artists will we engage, and what stories will we tell? What voices will we seek out and how will we balance emerging and legacy artists and composers? How will we embrace of, by, and for the people, including our youth?

Suzanne Perrino
Senior Vice President, Learning and Engagement, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra