The Orchestra was founded in 2008 to welcome very young violinists and cellists enrolled in their second year of instrumental study at the School. Since 2015, pianists have also joined the ensemble, thanks to the “Giovani Pianisti in Orchestra” project led by pianist Katja Todorow. More recently, the harp has also been added.
The Orchestra’s fundamental aim is to develop three areas of competence in children: musical/instrumental, personal and social interaction skills. The Orchestra therefore serves as a laboratory: pieces are explored through singing, gestures, rhythm and memorisation, and these elements are subsequently applied to the instrument. The repertoire, selected and adapted by the teachers, draws on some of the best-known instrumental teaching methods for children. An important part of the work focuses on acquiring simple rhythms and bowing techniques through the study of scales, which always takes place in a group and using a variety of techniques. Regular group teaching complements and supports the individual instrumental programme, while sharing the experience of playing in the Orchestra enriches the expressive language associated with it.
Course structure
Participation in the Orchestra Piccolissimi Musici is also open to students from outside the School, for string instruments only (violin and cello), subject to availability of places and a preliminary meeting with the teachers.
The course is intended for children approximately between 5 and 10 years old.