Bringing the World to London’s Classrooms Through Music

With support from the Sifton Family Foundation, London Symphonia is expanding its acclaimed Concerts in Schools program through a new initiative: Strings Around the World. Through this program, London Symphonia is fostering creativity, cultural appreciation, and a lifelong love of music.

As the region’s only professional orchestra offering a full season of performances, London Symphonia is committed to artistic excellence, music education, and community outreach. The Concerts in Schools program brings live classical music directly into classrooms, providing thousands of students with an inspiring and often first-time experience of a professional live performance.

This new string quintet joins the existing brass and wind ensembles, to offer interactive concerts designed to highlight the versatility of string instruments and celebrate musical traditions from across the globe, reflecting the rich cultural diversity of London community. Each one-hour performance features engaging demonstrations, live music, and a Q&A session, connecting students with the musicians and deepening their understanding of music and culture. London Symphonia has partnered with local high schools to host “hub” concerts, inviting nearby elementary students to take part.

Students journey through a world of sound with featured pieces like Aya Zain (a traditional Arabic song), the passionate La Cumparsita (Tango from Uruguay), the beloved Korean folk tune Gyeonggi Arirang, and a mesmerizing Raga from India. Students are also invited to actively participate—singing and moving to the spirited Sesere Eeye (a traditional Torres Strait Islander song), and joining in the rhythmic fun of Kye Kule, a lively Ghanaian call-and-response piece.

Feedback from schools has been overwhelmingly positive:

“Our school is incredibly diverse, and many of the musical selections reflect the cultures of our students. This would be an amazing experience — not only to see their heritage represented, but also to see live music, which many have never had the chance to experience.”