Amber Vanags, Leaning Tree Community School Teacher Danielle Vanags, Laurence Yerex, Willow McAuliffe, CGG Arts Marketing Engagement Officer Alexis Zahner and Lucy Murdoch.

The Australian Chamber Orchestra has partnered with the Queens Park Theatre and Leaning Tree Community School to present the Music & Art Program.

The Leaning Tree School is the first school in Western Australia to ever be part of this global initiative and are the first school nationally to come on board the 2015 program with students from Kindergarten through to grade six participating in the global classroom initiative.

Established in 2012, the Music & Art program is designed for primary school students, with a focus on helping them to realise their creative potential and hone in on their learning in these areas.

Students will cover a number of units that incorporate elements of visual art and musical works.

The students also benefit from gaining collaborative skills that they are able to develop through participating in group projects using web-based applications.

Students will have access to the ‘global classroom’ via the latest Polycom technology through the Queens Park Theatre’s Auditorium.

City of Greater Geraldton Director of Creative Communities, Andrea Selvey, said it was very exciting for the program to be brought to Geraldton in 2015. “The program has had much acclaim and we look forward to our local students being involved,” she said. “To be able to partner with the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) is such an amazing opportunity.”

American acclaimed musician, teacher, artist and violinist, Sharon Roffman, facilitates the Music & Art lessons via video conferencing, offering fun and engaging classes designed to expose students to her busy international performing life, including conversations with other musicians and glimpses of back stage preparations before concerts in European and American venues.

Leaning Tree Community School Education Manager, Lara Sampson, said the program was a unique opportunity her students. “This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to engage with professional musicians from the ACO and to use the excellent facilities at the QPT,” she said. “The program will enhance Leaning Tree’s arts imbedded curriculum and will further extend our student’s love of music and art.”

To complement the Music & Art lessons, the ACO Inspire Quartet will visit Leaning Tree Community School in June 2015, offering students the opportunity to experience a live performance by musicians from one of the finest chamber orchestras in the world.

Other local primary schools interested in the program are invited to contact the City Arts Marketing Engagement Officer, Alexis Zahner, on 9956 6649 to find out more about exciting opportunities in 2016.

ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

Founded in 1975, the Australian Chamber Orchestra is recognised as one of the finest chamber orchestras in the world. It is renowned for the integrity and excellence of its programming, and the loyalty and enthusiasm of its audiences.

A dedicated troupe of diverse musicians, the ACO performs all over the world, from red-dust regional centres of Australia to New York night clubs, from Australian capital cities to the world’s most prestigious concert halls, including Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, London’s Southbank Centre and Vienna’s Musikverein.

The ACO’s dedication and musicianship has created warm relationships with such celebrated soloists as Emmanuel Pahud, Steven Isserlis, Dawn Upshaw, Imogen Cooper, Christian Lindberg, Joseph Tawadros, Melvyn Tan and Pieter Wispelwey. The ACO is renowned for collaborating with artists from diverse genres, including Jonny Greenwood, Tim Freedman, Neil Finn, Katie Noonan, Paul Capsis, Danny Spooner and Barry Humphries, and visual artists Michael Leunig, Bill Henson, Shaun Tan and Jon Frank.

In 2005 the ACO inaugurated a National Education Program including a mentoring program for Australia’s best young string players and education workshops for audiences throughout Australia.