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1 THREE ORCHESTRAS

Students aged 5 - 19 play in three-tiered string orchestras: Toccata, Sinfonietta and Vivace. Plus an Early Strings Training Program for students just beginning.

 

2 CHAMBER MUSIC

30% of our students are also in chamber music ensembles—trios or quartets—many including piano, and are coached weekly.

 

3 LOW STUDENT TO TEACHER RATIO

6:1 faculty to student ratio in our orchestras and 3:1 in our chamber music ensembles.

 

4 VARIED PERFORMANCES

2 student orchestral concerts, 2 student chamber music concerts and the faculty and guest artist benefit concert (The Artistry of Strings) are presented annually.

 

5 MULTI-DISCIPLINES

Biennially, the original work for string orchestra, Story-Telling with Strings Attached is presented. Students write a story, compose music and illustrate the story, creating an original multimedia work.

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6 EXTENDED REACH

26 different area schools are represented across an average annual enrollment of 70 students.

 

7 TOP TIER TRAINING

Graduates have moved on from Santa Barbara Strings to further their musical studies at Juilliard and the Royal Conservatory of Music.

 

8 ACTIVE IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY

Yearly performances at the Gracie Fisher Foundation Benefit Concert, the Poetry Out Loud county-wide student poetry competition. Throughout the year they can be found playing at retirement homes, local elementary schools, and the Santa Barbara Farmer's Market.

9 STRONG GUIDANCE

Our Artistic Advisory Board includes Pulitzer Prize winners, Tchaikovsky Competition winners, and MacArthur Genius Award winners, in addition to phenomenal teaching-artists.

 

10 FOUNDED IN 2010

Santa Barbara Strings is celebrating its 15 year anniversary!

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