The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), founded in 1891, is arguably one of the greatest orchestras in the world. There are many who long for tickets to see a performance by such an esteemed group of musicians. So imagine our surprise to find that our very own students were about to get a performance of their own by this world-class group.

Through an outreach program offered by Artis—Naples, the CSO was in town to perform a concert at the Artis venue. CCPS and Artis—Naples collaborate on a number of projects to offer arts integration to students in Collier and this was no exception.

Thanks to our valued partnership, Artis—Naples was able to bring a select group of musicians from the CSO to perform for music students from Immokalee Middle School and Immokalee High School. The group has performed numerous educational outreach concerts across the country during their tours, and we were honored to welcome them to Immokalee High School.

During the CSO performance, the expressions on some of the students’ faces showed pure awe. One lucky middle school student was even offered to join the musicians on stage—a moment I’m sure he’ll remember forever.

Perusing the instruments on stage, there was one that caught everyone’s eye—a typewriter! The typewriter provided a fun novelty piece to entertain the students. One of the composers used the typewriter as a percussion instrument to supplement the melodic phrases happening with the other musicians. When the percussionist typed on the keys, it emulated a percussive sound which added to the piece. Again, a memorable moment that our students will not soon forget.

“These exceptional experiences are so vital for our students,” shares Skip Pardee, CCPS Coordinator of Fine Arts. “By exposing them to performances like these, we help deliver a world-class arts education to our students. We are so grateful to Artis—Naples for facilitating this partnership with the CSO!”