Shira Samuels-Shragg, conductor

Sensory-friendly concerts are designed for people on the autistic spectrum or who have any other sensory sensitivity and their families.
Modifications for these concerts include relaxed house rules, reduced volume and altered lighting levels, sensory support equipment, and trained on-site volunteers. The program is also chosen with an energy profile in mind so that we start and end with calm and quiet music.

All Accommodations:
Visual supports during the performance, modified lighting and house rules to accommodate the need for movement, softened onset of music slowly building to higher energy towards the middle of the program, weighted blankets, fidgets, and an online cache of video models in addition to printable visuals.

Event program:
JOHN WILLIAMS – Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter
MASON BATES Philharmonia Fantastique
JOHN WILLIAMS Raiders March from Indiana Jones
EDWARD ELGAR Nimrod, from the Enigma Variations
Hear all pieces in advance through the Spotify playlist attached to this page.

Philharmonia Fantastique is a 25-minute concerto for orchestra & animated film that follows a magical Sprite on a musical journey through the orchestra’s instruments. By the film’s end, the families of the orchestra overcome their differences to demonstrate “unity from diversity” in a spectacular finale. Philharmonia Fantastique was written by Mason Bates and co-created with multi Academy Award-winning Gary Rydstrom and Academy Award-nominated animation director Jim Capobianco.