Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) returns for another season of musical fun for the whole family with their Young People’s Concert Series! Come share the wonder of music with your little ones and encourage their love for the arts through a diverse range of music. Featuring four performances that are wildly different in terms of style and subject, you can make precious musical memories as a family!
A visit to the gorgeous Roy Thomson Hall for a matinée performance by the TSO is the perfect way to introduce your kids to the arts. Classical music is known to enhance our emotional development, creativity, and cognitive skills. Even better, these concerts are interactive and lots of fun for young listeners! Whether through Halloween-themed classical music and contemporary hits, a family-friendly musical murder mystery, an emotional Indigenous story featuring puppets and movement, or a boisterous program about the power of dance, the TSO supplies endless musical storytelling to keep audiences of all ages entertained.
Curated by Barrett Principal Education Conductor & Community Ambassador Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra believes that music can be a source of joy for everyone! Therefore, their Young People’s Concert Series has developed a family-friendly program especially intended for young audiences, creating a relaxed atmosphere. Here, kids can feel comfortable and positive, which in turn helps parents relax and enjoy the performance without the stress of trying to keep them perfectly still or quiet.
In addition, families can enjoy free activities in the Roy Thomson Hall lobby an hour before the show starts! The TSO aims to make classical music accessible and fun for families, so some concerts contain interactive pre-concert lobby activities held in the lobby of the concert hall. These activities include the Instrument Discovery Zone and Musical Playground, plus various extra segments, including casual performances, workshops and sing-alongs.
TSO Young People’s Concert Series — Event Schedule
Enrich your child’s love for the performing arts with concerts by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and their Young People’s Concerts, featuring a diverse range of classical music! These concerts bring audience members of all ages together to enjoy amazing symphonic concerts.
“Tricks, Treats ‘n’ Tunes”
Sunday, October 26, 2025, 1:30 PM & 4:00 PM
Relaxed Performance: October 26, 2025, 11:00 AM
Recommended for ages 4–10
Want to get silly and a little spooky for Halloween? Brace yourself for musical fun with an eerie theme at “Tricks, Treats ‘n’ Tunes”, where families are encouraged to come in costume! Join the TSO for a frightfully fantastic musical adventure, featuring classical pieces by Schubert, Grieg, Berlioz, and Dukas, along with contemporary showstoppers from Ghostbusters, Phantom of the Opera and Wicked. This program conjures up a bewitching afternoon of ghoulish grooves and bewitching beats!
Pre-Concert Lobby Activities
For this spooky edition of the pre-show activities, kids can try out musical instruments in the Instrument Discovery Zone and have fun at the Music Playground. Then, for those who like to get into the Halloween spirit through song, participate in an introductory singing workshop led by the Toronto Children’s Chorus! Young ghouls and goblins can join these special half-hour singing lessons taking place in the North Lobby at 12:50 PM – 1:20 PM for the 1:30 PM performance, and at 3:20 PM – 3:50 PM for the 4:00pm show.
Relaxed Performance
Created for audience comfort and inclusivity, each Relaxed Performance is held at 11:00 AM on performance days. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Relaxed Performances are designed for the Neurodiverse and Disability communities, and anyone who prefers a more relaxed concert setting. During the show, all audience members can move around, express themselves vocally or even leave the concert hall at any time.
“The Composer is Dead”
Sunday, November 16, 2025, 1:30 PM & 4:00 PM
Recommended for ages 8-12
Are your kids budding sleuths and would-be detectives? Then, enlist them to help find out who did the composer in! There are many suspects throughout the orchestra… was it the string section with their shifty bow strokes, or maybe it was the bombastic and treacherous trombones? Any instrument could have done it! Narrated by Arwen Humphreys from the hit CBC series Murdoch Mysteries, “The Composer Is Dead” is a hilarious whodunit for the whole family. Plus, it includes sneaky music by Nathaniel Stookey and jaw-dropping text by Lemony Snicket!
Pre-Concert Lobby Activities
For this show’s pre-concert lobby activities, families can have fun at the Music Playground and try out instruments at the Instrument Discovery Zone. Then, don’t miss a lively performance by the Rosebuds, Brampton’s Youth Orchestra. Performances take place in the North Lobby at 1:00 PM – 1:20 PM for the 1:30pm performance, and at 3:30 PM – 3:50 PM for the 4:00pm show.
“She Holds Up the Stars”
Sunday, April 19, 2026, 1:30 PM & 4:00 PM
Recommended for ages 8-12
Created in collaboration with Red Sky Performance, the TSO presents “She Holds Up the Stars”, a newly commissioned work based on the award-winning novel by Sandra Laronde. This performance is a groundbreaking production that blends Eliot Britton’s orchestral score with life-sized puppets, movement, storytelling, theatre and visual design for an awe-inspiring multimedia experience.
In this story, a young Indigenous girl returns to live on the Rez. There, she develops an unexpected bond with a wild horse who has been broken by a rancher and his son. Tensions rise around her, yet she is able to discover an inner strength that reshapes and strengthens her connection to land, home, and heart. In this way, she learns to navigate a world that is both beautiful and cruel.
“Let’s Dance”
Sunday, May 24, 2026, 1:30 PM & 4:00 PM
Relaxed Performance: May 24, 2026, 11:00 AM
Recommended for ages 4–10
Who’s ready to boogie?! With “Let’s Dance”, families can hear music from favourite genres that will keep everyone tapping their toes! From ballet to bhangra to breakdancing, this high-energy and interactive concert even features talented dancers who are bound to thrill audiences with their artistic displays of rhythm and athleticism. Let your spirits soar to every beat of every musical piece, and feel free to dance in your seat, too!
Pre-Concert Lobby Activities
Concertgoers also get to enjoy free activities an hour before the show, such as trying out instruments at the Instrument Discovery Zone and having fun at the Music Playground. A special treat for this performance is a workshop led by the Joy of Dance Centre, where your family can learn some dance moves! Check out these activities in the North Lobby at 1:00 PM – 1:20 PM for the 1:30pm performance, and at 3:30 PM – 3:50 PM for the 4:00pm show.
Relaxed Performance
The Young People’s Concerts Series also offers a Relaxed Performance of “Let’s Dance”, tailored for neuro-diverse audiences and the Disability community. This flexible environment is also ideal for anyone wishing for a more comfortable and inclusive setting. This is especially helpful for families with kids who have trouble sitting still, or anyone who prefers a more sensory-friendly experience.
Share the joys of music with your kids in a welcoming, family-friendly environment — Get your tickets today here!
Toronto Symphony Orchestra: Young People’s Concert Series
Date: October 26, 2025 — May 24, 2026
Time: 1:30 PM & 4:00 PM, Relaxed performances at 11:00 AM
Venue: Roy Thomson Hall
Address: 60 Simcoe Street, Toronto
Website: www.tso.ca
Take a seat at our list of Concerts & Shows in Toronto here!
