Students of Goulburn High and The Crescent schools attended the ‘Meet the Music’ concert in Canberra at Llewellyn Hall, which was hosted at the Australian National University and the National Gallery of Australia.

The concert was led by chief conductor and Canberra Symphony Orchestra artistic director Nicholas Milton AM.

Mr Milton said the concert program was close to his heart, and focused on Symphony No. 7 in D minor by Antonin Dvořák. 

“The Canberra Symphony Orchestra’s education and community and regional engagement programs, which includes ActewAGL’s Meet the Music, are particularly close to my heart,” he said.

“Watching the impact of when our musicians perform for young children, people with Parkinson’s or for students with disabilities has changed my ideas and thoughts about what an orchestra means to its community.”  

Relieving principal at The Crescent School, Kathryn Lang, said music was a great way to break down barriers.

“Music therapy assists all of our students, in individual and unique ways, to break down the barrier called disability,”  Ms Lang said.

“It is very difficult to put into words the enormous benefit music therapy has made to all our students.

“It is seeing the students with severe intellectual and physical disabilities smile, laugh, interact and express themselves.”

No educational trip to Canberra is complete without visiting other national cultural institutions. Following the concert, Mr Milton led Goulburn High School students on a private tour of the National Gallery of Australia.

It was made possible through partnerships between the CSO, ActewAGL, and the National Gallery of Australia.

"Goulburn’s an important part of our community,” ActewAGL’s Paul Walshe said.