The Philadelphia Orchestra Yannick Nézet-Séguin Music Director

Lions and tigers and ... pianists? Oh, my! Camille Saint-Saëns's Carnival of the Animals is a musical journey through the animal kingdom that's fun for all ages. Verizon Hall will be magically turned into a zoo through your child's imagination as animals are conjured up by the musicians of the Orchestra. Enhance your family's experience with Pre-Concert Adventures, free for all ticket holders, beginning one hour before the concert.

Professor Nigel Taproot, the affable and learned classical music aficionado, invites you to an original Really Inventive Stuff program for families celebrating Beethoven's 250th birthday, his remarkable age, and four famous notes. Featuring the music of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, with a playful peppering of fascinating facts and timely trivia. (Did you know Washington was president during Beethoven's lifetime? Roller skates were invented, too!) This enlightening performance is a splendid introduction to Beethoven's musical genius.