The Mann, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Project 440 and the School District of Philadelphia put together third-annual All City Orchestra Summer Academy for Philadelphia students, returning live on The Mann’s Fairmount Park Campus

WHAT: After more than a year of virtual learning and separation from peers and mentors, Philadelphia orchestral students will join together again for a summer of healing and in-person music performance education with the third-annual All City Orchestra Summer Academy (ACOSA), presented by the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Project 440 and the School District of Philadelphia.

ACOSA is a free two-week program for sixth to 12th graders in the School District of Philadelphia, with this year’s program held July 19 to 30 live at Mann’s Fairmount Park campus. The first week will be designated for strings players, and the second week will be designated for winds, brass and percussion players. During both weeks, students will engage in master classes with The Philadelphia Orchestra; composition classes with Network for New Music; movement classes with Project 440; and workshops with WRTI Radio, which will include performances from Astral Artists. Harp students will engage in lessons from teaching artists of The Lyra Society.

Nearly 90 students have been accepted into the program and will engage in chamber group rehearsals along with the aforementioned classes, in preparation for intimate performances at the conclusion of both weeks in the TD Pavilion at the Mann. The rehearsals will be led by Joseph Conyers, the director of the All City Orchestra, executive director of Project 440, and acting associate principal bass at The Philadelphia Orchestra; and Don Liuzzi, principal timpani of The Philadelphia Orchestra. The groups will also be coached by teachers of the School District of Philadelphia. 

“The Mann is grateful to give our talented young musicians in Philadelphia the opportunity to join together in person again and experience the power of joy and healing in music after an exhausting pandemic,” says Naomi Gonzalez, vice president of education and community engagement at The Mann. “All of our partners of All City Orchestra Summer Academy are thrilled to deliver their classic music and life skills training this year with a small twist to ensure a safe and intimate experience for our students.” 

WHEN: PHOTO/VIDEO/INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES

Monday, July 19, 2021
10:45-11:45 a.m. – The first day of the 2021 All City Orchestra Summer Academy features a composition class for strings players hosted by Network for New Music.

1:00-1:50 p.m. – Strings students will engage in a “Mindfulness & Movement for Musicians” class to improve their posture and body movement, hosted by Project 440.

Wednesday, July 21, 2021
9:30-10:25 a.m. – Violin students will participate in a masterclass with Juliette Kang, first associate concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra.

1:00-1:50 p.m. – Students will participate in a production workshop with WRTI Radio, featuring a performance from Astral Artists. 

Thursday, July 22, 2021
10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – Right before lunch, students will watch The Philadelphia Orchestra rehearse in the TD Pavilion. 

Friday, July 23, 2021
9:30-10:25 a.m. – Cello students will participate in a master class with Yumi Kendall, assistant principal cello The Philadelphia Orchestra.

1:00-1:50 p.m. – Strings students will put on a performance in their various chamber groups for each other to culminate the first week of the 2021 All City Orchestra Summer Academy.

Monday, July 26, 2021
10:45-11:45 a.m. – The second week of the 2021 All City Orchestra Summer Academy begins, featuring a composition class for winds, brass and percussion players hosted by Network for New Music.

1:00-1:50 p.m. – Winds, brass and percussion students will engage in a “Mindfulness & Movement for Musicians” class to improve their posture and body movement, hosted by Project 440.

Tuesday, July 27, 2021
1:00-1:50 p.m. – Students will engage in a production workshop with WRTI Radio, featuring a performance from Astral Artists.

Wednesday, July 28, 2021
9:30-10:25 a.m. – Woodwind students will participate in a masterclass with flutist Olivia Staton and clarinetist Socrates Villegas of The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Friday, July 30, 2021
9:00-10:25 a.m. – Percussion students will participate in a master class with Angela Zator Nelson, associate principal timpani and percussionist of The Philadelphia Orchestra.

1:00-1:50 p.m. – Winds, brass and percussion students will put on a performance in their various chamber groups for each other to culminate the second and final week of the 2021 All City Orchestra Summer Academy.

WHERE: TD Pavilion at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts 
5201 Parkside Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131

About the Mann
As one of the foremost outdoor music centers in the country, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, a leading non-profit organization, has a historical legacy of artistic excellence as a world-class entertainment destination presenting premier artists, now in association with Live Nation Entertainment. Each summer season, renowned symphony orchestras, iconic rock stars and the latest touring artists in indie rock, hip hop, R&B and pop take the stage here. The Mann is the summer home of The Philadelphia Orchestra and has presented critically acclaimed performers in every decade since the 1930s. Located in the heart of Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, the Mann hosts more than 200,000 visitors annually. Signature concert experiences are surrounded by Philadelphia’s stunning skyline and include seats beneath the Mann’s acoustically acclaimed TD Pavilion; picnics, blankets and music under the stars on its Great Lawn or at the top of the hill at the Skyline Stage; and dining in Crescendo, the venue’s spectacular tented restaurant.  In addition, the Mann’s Education & Community Engagement Program reaches tens of thousands of young people annually through free programming and educational initiatives as well as its virtual Mann Music Room.  For more information, visit www.manncenter.org.

About The Philadelphia Orchestra
Founded in 1900, The Philadelphia Orchestra is one of the world’s preeminent orchestras. Through extraordinary performances, innovative programming, and robust educational and community initiatives, the Orchestra strives to share the transformative power of music with the widest possible audience, and to create joy, connection, and excitement through music in the Philadelphia region, across the country, and around the world. For almost a decade, the Orchestra has been on strong financial footing, achieving balanced budgets each year and raising hundreds of millions of dollars with an endowment of $240 million. At the close of 2019, it had its strongest fundraising year ever, and during the pandemic attracted over 2,500 new donors. The Philadelphia Orchestra originally performed at the Academy of Music, a National Historic Landmark, and in 2001 moved its performances to its permanent home at the Kimmel Center’s state-of-the-art Verizon Hall. The Philadelphia Orchestra also performs annually at Carnegie Hall and during summer residencies at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga, New York; the Bravo! Vail Festival in Vail, Colorado; and its summer home at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Orchestra's music director is Yannick Nézet-Séguin. For more information on The Philadelphia Orchestra, please visit www.philorch.org.

About Project 440
Project 440 engages, educates and inspires young musicians, providing them with the career and life skills they need to develop into tomorrow's civic-minded, entrepreneurial leaders. Project 440 refers to the 440Hz "tuning A" of an orchestra - thus, just as the oboe leads an orchestra with the 440 Hz pitch, Project 440 students are learning to be 21st Century leaders. Programmatically, P440 has developed a comprehensive curriculum which uses music as a tool to teach young people the life skills they need to thrive regardless of the career path they choose. For more information on Project 440, visit www.project440.org. 

About The School District of Philadelphia
The School District of Philadelphia is the eighth largest school district in the nation, by enrollment. Located in a historic and culturally rich setting, we are a racially and ethnically diverse community committed to education. We are students, parents, teachers, staff, and community members; we are the School District of Philadelphia. Together we are building, creating, and supporting the next generation of leaders in Philadelphia.

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