News & Press

The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts finely-tuned project, MusicQuest, wholly funded by Classic FM Music Makers, draws to a close with finale concerts across the UK.

Thousands of children across the UK have will experience the power of live orchestral music at the end of January as MusicQuest, a project brought to life by The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts (formerly Arts & Kids) and wholly funded by Classic FM Music Makers, culminates in a series of celebratory finale workshops and concerts.  

Working with Yamaha Music UK, Classic FM, the Philharmonia Orchestra and Naxos, MusicQuest is a three-year project that seeks to introduce a new generation to the power of live classical music. Between 23rd January and 1st February members of the Philharmonia Orchestra will meet and perform to 5,000 pupils at five venues across the UK; The Orchard Theatre in Dartford, Warwick Arts Centre, Blackpool Ice Arena, Venue Cymru North Wales and Perth Concert Hall.  

Children involved in the project will meet musicians from the Philharmonia Orchestra in a ‘hands on’ workshop before the concert. Each workshop gives pupils a chance to try an instrument and learn different percussion rhythms with a professional musician – who they wil later see perform onstage. The finales kick-off at the Orchard Theatre Dartford on 23rd January 2008. 

The finale concerts mark the end of the five month project which began in October 2007. MusicQuest has enabled 5000 children, aged between 7-11 years old, who have had limited access to performances, instruments and music lessons, to gain greater experience and understanding of classical and orchestral music.  

MusicQuest aims to dispel the myth that classical music is elitist and does little to engage young people, and promote it as exciting and accessible to children of all ages and backgrounds.  The project encourages children to listen and play classical music for pleasure and endorse the value of classical music in the day to day practise of teachers. 

The Prince of Wales, founder and President of Arts & Kids said: “There is no reason why classical music shouldn’t be part of everyone’s life. The tradition, the stories and the emotional power of classical music are available and accessible to everyone. This is the idea behind my MusicQuest, my Foundation’s three-year project to give thousands of children a chance to discover why and how classical music is important both in itself and for its ability to change how we think, feel and act.” 

Darren Henley, Managing Director, Classic FM said: “Classical music can be enjoyed by everybody, regardless of age, class or geographical location. That’s why we are delighted to be working with The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts to bring MusicQuest to young people right across the UK.” 

Mike Ketley, Senior Director, Yamaha said “A quality music experience has the unique capacity to spark a natural latent thirst for more involvement. The aspirations of MusicQuest are identical to our own core value at Yamaha which is to enrich people’s lives through music”

For further information, or if you’d like to attend any of the concerts, please contact us on 020 3326 2230.