Engaging Young Audiences in Classical Music

At Platypus Theatre we’re creating the next generation of classical music lovers. In partnership with visionary orchestras and chamber groups, we give young audiences the opportunity to explore music on a deeper level. Youth embark on meaningful, musical expeditions through our engaging storytelling and thoughtfully selected musical excerpts. Our storylines are not limited to one composer, but rather weave together works by composers from various time periods, featuring different orchestral instruments, elements of music, and musical genres.

Our Mission is to tell a good story, and make music the central character of that story. Platypus Theatre is dedicated to presenting classical music to young  audiences through theatrical performances in an intelligent, entertaining and  participatory way. Music and storylines are woven together with colorful masks, puppets and costumes to draw the audience in and create an engaging and significant musical experience for each listener. 

What we do are family and education concerts. And we do them very well. After 25 years of working with orchestras, Platypus Theatre is the leader in offering high quality, fully produced, turnkey concerts for any classical music family series. We know what works for orchestras and how to entertain your audiences. We also excel with chamber groups and in smaller venues. Our programs are adaptable to meet the specific production requirements of any hall and come fully packaged, requiring almost no effort on the part of the presenter. Above all, ticket buyers and their children rave about our shows!

After hundreds of performances for thousands of school classes, we’ve perfected the recipe for education concert success. Each program is tailor-made to suit a young audience’s attention span, interest level and curricular needs. Students learn about musical themes such as the instruments of the orchestra, the basic musical elements of rhythm, melody and harmony, how music has evolved over the centuries and much more. Our study guides are thoughtfully written by educators, and lead teachers through music and cross-curricular connections to extend the learning well beyond the concert experience. The curriculum goals and outcomes are customized for each province or state. Workshops and DVDs are also available.