"an innovative and welcome educational force for three decades"

- Barrymore Laurence Scherer, The Wall Street Journal

Although best known for its high-profile artistic activities, such as its annual Carnegie Hall Series, the Orchestra of St. Luke's has long been an advocate for Arts Education.

For 34 years, Orchestra of St. Luke's has established an innovative and far-reaching Arts Education Program for New York City Public School students, particularly those most underserved. Today, St. Luke's reaches more than 20,000 students every year through a combination of free performances, in-school partnerships, and music coaching. 90% of the programs audiences are inner-city students. Over 95% are African-American and Hispanic, and 68% are eligible for free or reduced lunch programs. Arts Education also targets children with special needs as well as those with limited English proficiency.

While instrumental music remains central to its educational activities, St. Luke's continues to explore innovative collaboration as a way to improve the quality of its programs. Students encounter connections to other arts disciplines including dance, visual art, opera, choral music, and digital media. Each year, Orchestra of St. Luke's works closely with visual artists, dancers, choreographers, animators, and digital artists to produce creative activities and performances that integrate musical experiences with other art forms.

Orchestra of St. Luke's Arts Education Program consists of three primary elements:

● Free Performances

● School Partnerships

● Music Coaching

Since the inception of this program in 1976, the Orchestra of St. Luke's has introduced over one million students to the beauty and power of the performing arts. We are delighted to share our part of New York City's artistic and cultural richness with young New Yorkers of diverse cultural, economic, and linguistic backgrounds, from schools and neighborhoods across the city.