On February 10th and 11th, Philharmonic Kids 2026 filled the concert hall with more than music — it filled it with discovery. More than 4,700 students, teachers, and families from 12 districts and 36 homeschool groups attended a vibrant performance of Peter and the Wolf and Wolf Tracks, experiencing live orchestral music enhanced by narration, dance, and intergenerational collaboration.
At the center of the program, 73 youth musicians from the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony performed side by side with 54 professionals from the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, modeling mentorship and artistic excellence. Storytelling came alive through narrators Scott Levy and Chloe Lee of the Colorado Springs Conservatory, while six dancers from Ormao Dance Company added movement and visual expression to the stage.
For many students, it was their first live classical music experience. As one teacher shared, “They were fascinated by the entire performance… They have new possibilities and new questions to ask.” Another reflected that students felt a sense of belonging and described the concert as calming and special.
Philharmonic Kids 2026 was more than a performance — it was mentorship made visible and a powerful introduction to the arts for thousands of young listeners.
Thank you sponsors:
• Kristen Christy and Sean Lange
• Millennium Financial Group – Scott Miller
• Anonymous
• Arlen Feldman and Adriana Wood
• Lynn and Suzanne Claar
• Dr. Susan Rae Jensen Scholarship Award Fund
• Dr. and Mrs. James B. Miller
Eileen Nobles and Robert Odien
• Ed and Mary Osborne
• Lt. Col. (Ret) Eugene S. Harsh in loving memory of his wife Lois E. Harsh
• John and Karla Balk
• Lance and Brenda Miller
• Drs. Michael and Nga Turner
• Richard and Sandra Hilt Fund
• John and Helen Mauss
• Michael and Patricia Olsen
• El Pomar Foundation
• Nicole de Naray
• Doris Tavernier-McLeod
• Jim and Carol Montgomery
• Marion and John Meyer
• H. Chase Stone Charitable Trust
• Sally Sharpe in honor of John R King III
• Alice Marie in memory of David H. Thomas
• Constance E. Raub
• Dr. Robert Tinker and Ms. Mary Tinker-Bartz
• Marty Kelley
• Jim Lauer in memory of Ann Lauer
• William and Sarah George
• Glenn and Elizabeth Conklin
• Chris and Kathleen Lennon
• The H.A. & Mary K. Chapman Foundation
• Colorado Creative Industries
• Cathy and Bart Holaday
• Ken Montera and Theresa Stahura
• Pikes Peak National Bank
• Gail A. Rutherford
• The September 7th Fund, established by Ben and Raynelle Kuckel
• Ronald and Suzanne Snyder
• Luther T. McCauley Charitable Trust
