Nearly 300 orchestra students from Lincoln and Emerson Middle Schools experienced the magic of live symphonic music on a recent field trip to downtown Chicago to attend the Sounding Together concert presented by the world-renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO).
Accompanied by approximately 30 parent and staff chaperones, students filled Orchestra Hall with excitement as they listened to professional musicians perform works by composers such as Mikhail Glinka, Jaques Offenbach, George Whitefield Chadwick, Charles Gounod, Antonín Dvořák, and Edvard Grieg. The Sounding Together program highlights the power of collaboration through music, offering young audiences an engaging, educational, and inspiring concert experience.
In preparation for the trip, students explored the featured works and composers through class discussions and listening activities led by orchestra teachers. They reflected on musical themes, historical context, and personal reactions, deepening their connection to the performance they later experienced live.
Following the concert, the group enjoyed lunch together at Portillo’s, giving students and chaperones the chance to share their favorite moments from the performance and celebrate a day filled with music, learning, and community.