Classical Kids Fair

WQXR is heading to Brooklyn Children’s Museum for the Classical Kids Fair!

Bring your family for a fun-filled day of music and movement featuring:

🎵 Live performances by Brooklyn Conservatory of Music‘s Brownstone Brass, Spanish-English music duo Musiquita, and Dancers of the Met Opera Ballet.

🎨 Interactive workshops including composition with the New York Philharmonic‘s Very Young Composers Program, dance with Met Opera ballet members, and sing-alongs with Brooklyn Conservatory of Music teaching artists.

🎻 Meet the instruments where children can see, touch, and try various musical instruments.

🎙️ Special WNYC/Radiolab collab with Terrestrials – a family-friendly, occasionally musical podcast all about nature. Join them for musical activities and dance lessons about how bees communicate through sound.

🐝 And speaking of bees: Explore the science of bee communication in our Nature’s Engineers STEM makerspace where families can build their own buzzing devices and learn how bees use buzzing sound waves to communicate with each other.

Join us to listen, look, and play alongside talented musicians and performers in this celebration of classical music for kids and families!

Schedule

Meet the Instruments: Musical Discovery

11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Get hands-on with real musical instruments in this drop-in exploration with Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. See, touch, and try percussion, violins, and ukuleles as teaching artists guide you through making your first sounds.

Dance with Dancers of the Met

11:15 am – 11:45 am, 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Step into spring with teaching artist Ayaka Kamei Cento! Explore creative expression through dance at this fun movement workshop inspired by the changing seasons.

Musiquita: Bilingual Musical Adventure

11:30 am – 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Join Musiquita for a vibrant performance blending classical masterpieces and original kid-friendly songs in Spanish and English. Experience Bach, Vivaldi, Debussy, Mozart, and Dvorak in a fun, accessible format.

Sing-Along with Brooklyn Conservatory of Music

12:00 pm – 12:30 pm, 1:45 pm – 2:15 pm

Raise your voice and discover the rich traditions of Black American music in this interactive workshop. From jazz to R&B to hip hop, sing along as BKCM teaching artists guide you through songs that highlight how Black artists have creatively reimagined popular stories and children’s songs.

Dancers of the Met Performance

12:15 pm – 12:45 pm, 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Experience the artistry of classical ballet with professional dancers from the Met Opera Ballet. Watch original choreography at this family-friendly performance that highlights movement and expression through dance.

Honeybee Songs with Radiolab’s Terrestrials

12:45 pm – 1:15 pm, 1:45 pm – 2:15 pm, 2:45 pm – 3:15 pm

Discover how bees communicate through sound and movement with WNYC/Radiolab’s “Terrestrials” podcast team. Learn the “Waggle Waggle” dance and create a beeswax candle. Once you’re done, visit Nature’s Engineers to explore bee communication more in the BCM’s STEM makerspace.

Brownstone Brass: Classical Hits and Kid Favorites

1:45 pm – 2:15 pm, 3:15 pm – 3:45 pm

Hear the NYC-based Brownstone Brass quintet perform classical music and beloved children’s tunes. From traditional orchestral pieces to fan favorites like “Baby Shark” and “Paw Patrol,” this performance will have everyone dancing and singing along in no time.

Compose with New York Philharmonic

2:45 pm – 3:15 pm, 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm

Create music in this hands-on workshop led by NY Phil teaching artists. Learn music fundamentals like pitch, rhythm, and dynamics, then perform an original collaborative composition using percussion instruments.