For Educators
Committed to engaging and educating local youth of the Spartanburg community through music, the Spartanburg Philharmonic has developed educational opportunities and promotes an appreciation for music of the classical, bluegrass, and jazz genres.
We are always open to new ideas and ways to support you and your students each year.
Our Education Manager: Hannah Simpson, hannah@spartanburgphilharmonic.org
Music Educator of the Year Award
The Spartanburg Philharmonic is proud to announce the establishment of the Music Educator of the Year Award, which is dedicated to honoring outstanding music educators in Spartanburg County. This prestigious award celebrates the exceptional dedication, creativity, and passion of local music teachers who inspire and cultivate a love of music in their students.
Announcement: March 2025
Nominations will reopen in Summer 2025
The Moons
A Creative Collaboration Contest
The Spartanburg Philharmonic will be premiering a new orchestral work by Composer-in-Residence Dr. Peter B. Kay on April 26, 2025, based on moons from our solar system. We are searching for student creative writing submissions to be featured alongside the piece and read from the stage during the premiere performance. Five students (one selection per moon) will be chosen.
Submission Deadline: November 19, 2024
Announcement Date: November 25, 2024
Link Up
For more than 30 years, Link Up, a program of Carnegie Hall's Weil Institute, has paired orchestras with youth in grades 3-5 at schools in their local communities to explore orchestral repertoire and fundamental musical skills, including creative work and composition, through a hands-on music curriculum.
Link Up addresses the urgent need for music instruction and resources by providing a free, high quality curriculum that teachers can implement, along with classroom materials, online video and audio resources, and the professional development and support necessary to make the program an engaging experience for youth.
The Spartanburg Philharmonic is one of more than 100 national and international organizations chosen for this program. Since 2003, Carnegie Hall has partnered with professional, community, and university orchestras across the US and around the world to support their existing education programs and strengthen their partnerships with local schools. In the 2017-18 season, Link Up is partnering with sites in the US, as well as in Canada, Spain, Kenya, and Japan, to serve more than 400,000 youth and teachers globally.
The Spartanburg Philharmonic utilizes Link Up to provide music curriculum to all 4th graders in Spartanburg County. This means over 4,000 youth join us in Twichell Auditorium each Spring for a participatory concert like no other! Click the button below for more information about Link Up.
The 2024 -25 Link Up Concert will be held on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at Twichell Auditorium. Interested in your music students participating? Contact: hannah@spartanburgphilharmonic.org
Spartanburg Philharmonic Youth Orchestra
The Spartanburg Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (SPYO) is where talented young musicians expand their symphonic knowledge and participate in high-quality performances with dynamic conductors. SPYO was founded in 2019 to bring together the best young players from across the Upstate as a core education program of the Spartanburg Philharmonic.
We provide a place where musically inclined students learn to master their instruments and collaborate with others to produce three high-quality performances each year.
Working with the SPYO challenges talented young musicians to grasp difficult repertoires and perform at a higher level than what is possible in their school orchestras.
Symphony Ensemble
LEVEL: Full Symphony Orchestra
INSTRUMENTS: Flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, percussion, and strings (violin, viola, cello, and bass)
AGE: Grades 8-12
REHEARSALS: Sundays from 1:30-3:30 pm
Prelude Ensemble
LEVEL: Intermediate String Ensemble
INSTRUMENTS: Violin, viola, cello, and bass
AGE: Grades 6-9
REHEARSALS: Sundays from 4:00-5:30 pm
Music Sandwiched In
The "Music Sandwiched In" program features 22 free concerts each year held in the Barrett Room of the Spartanburg County Downtown Library. This 25+ year partnership enriches the lives of the intergenerational population of attendees. Over its span, thousands of individuals have enjoyed many genres of music including jazz, bluegrass, classical, and rock. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunch to enjoy the concert or to purchase a lunch on site.
Time: 12:15pm - 1:00pm
Concerts are approximately 45 minutes in length
Check the schedule for performances and locations.
Attend a Philharmonic Concert
Bring your students to experience live music at a Spartanburg Philharmonic concert! We can help you organize a class trip to the Philharmonic with group pricing and seating.
Zimmerli - Classical Music series
Full orchestra concerts
Saturday evening performances
Twichell Auditorium, Converse University
Espresso - Chamber Music series
1 hour concerts
Friday late afternoon performances
Chapman Cultural Center
Youth Orchestra
Sunday afternoon performances
Twichell Auditorium, Converse University
Bus Parking is available.
Contact: hannah@spartanburgphilharmonic.org
Open Rehearsals
Introduce your youth to the professional rehearsal process with this behind-the-scenes experience. Youth will get the unique opportunity to watch the music unfold as they see guest artists up close and hear comments from the conductor.
Recommended Grades: 9-12
Dates: Please contact for specific date availability
Times: TBD, depending on rehearsal schedule
Location(s): Twichell Auditorium at the Zimmerli Performance Center
Duration: Approximately 2.5 hours
Cost: $0 per student – reservations must be made 3 weeks in advance of requested rehearsal observation. Limit 60 people total (including chaperones).
To book your open rehearsal,
call: 864-948-9020 or email: hannah@spartanburgphilharmonic.org.
Classroom Visits from the Philharmonic
Bring the Spartanburg Philharmonic to your classroom!
Types of Classroom Visits we offer:
Guest Conductor - John Young Shik Concklin
Link Up Support - pre and/or post Link Up concert
Guest Musicians - students meet professional musicians, hear them play, and ask questions.
Instrumental Sectional Help - hire a Philharmonic musician to work with a specific section of your ensemble.
Music Careers - hear from Philharmonic staff and/or musicians about what it means to work in the world of professional music.
We are always open to new ideas and how to best support your music students each year.
Contact our Education Manager Hannah Simpson: hannah@spartanburgphilharmonic.org, (864) 612-5018 to set up your visit.