Education

Should you plan to go on an adventurous expedition, you will need a compass in order not to get lost. That rule applies not only to a trip into the wilderness, but also to a trip to the Elbphilharmonie Concerts. Our special »Elbphilharmonie Compass« will show you what is on offer for every age group: take you pick from concerts for children with international artists, a percussion workshop, personal encounters with the stars of the classical music scene, an encounter with the crazy Doc Sound and his Sound Agents, beautiful string music for babies, the »ElbCommunity«, and much more!

The »Compass« is put together by the education team of the Elbphilharmonie, and their work is at the core of the programme, because dealing with music is not only fun, it is also a learning experience. That's why the »Compass« wants to bring children, teenagers and young adults into contact with artists and with music.

Elfi
Baby Concerts in the various city quarters. (For parents with children ages 0–1, and for pregnant women.)
With the baby-concert series »Elfi«, the Elbphilharmonie presents music for parents and their babies in the Hamburg areas of Barmbek, Sasel, Wilhelmsburg, and Wandsbek. »Elfi« offers classical music in a relaxed atmosphere. In the course of a 45 minute concert – with the chamber orchestra Ensemble Resonanz – an atmosphere is created in which babies as well as their young parents can feel comfortable. There will be mostly classical music on the menu, but also minimalist music with its pronounced drive. We ensure that there will be baby changing facilities and a play area for children.

Of Lambs and Lads
Five concerts for children (from age 4) on Sunday mornings, in the Small Hall (Kleiner Saal) of the Laeiszhalle, with enchanting music and theatrical elements from around the whole world. The five groups who perform use all kinds of means to fascinate the young audience: participation, characters to identify with, exciting staging and communication completely without words. The productions display the full variety of modern music programming for children.

Sound Museum
Test the classical instruments.
The Sound Museum offers children and teenagers ages 4–14 the chance to learn more about the instruments of the orchestra and actually to play them themselves. The various groups, constituted by age levels, can get to know a range of instruments in a playful way, through stories and extensive explanations. (german site)

Doc Sound in Action
Children's concerts in various city quarters
In a series of three concerts given in different quarters of Hamburg and a final concert at the Laeiszhalle, Elbphilharmonie Compass aims to get children ages 6–12 interested in classical music by means of the adventures of Doc Sound, a strange scientist. Prior to each concert, Doc Sound cruises through Hamburg, together with participating school classes (his so called »sound agents«) to »collect« sounds that the children will hear again in the concerts. The musical pieces containing these sounds will be performed by the Ensemble Resonanz, the Trio d'anches, the brass players from the Hamburg Philharmonics, and the Hamburg Symphonic Orchestra.

The Music of Tomorrow
Concert visits and encounters with artists for school groups (grade 6–12).
Through the programme »ZukunftsMusik« (Music of tomorrow) the Laeiszhalle and Elbphilharmonie Hamburg – together with the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg Foundation and the Körber-Foundation – bring together world famous musicians with students from Hamburg. These encounters, in the form of discussion groups and workshops prior to the concert, aim to give teenagers a greater understanding of music and musicians. The tickets for the concerts are partly sponsored by the above mentioned foundation. (german site)

BeatObsession
A percussion workshop in cooperation with local youth clubs and/or companies and their apprentices and trainees. Rhythm starts with a heartbeat and accompanies us through everyday life. Cutlery hits crockery, fingers drum on a steering wheel, fists knock on doors. Together with local youth clubs and passionate percussionists Elbphilharmonie Kompass organises workshops which end with a concert presentation at the Laeiszhalle Hamburg. The project can also take place at companies as an encouragement for their young apprentices and trainees. (german site)

Connected: Orchestra 3.0
A creative project in connection to concerts, for ages 15 and above.
They create a new generation of sound culture: The Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, the National Youth Orchestra of Germany, and Junge Deutsche Philharmonie – three of the best young musician orchestras in Europe played in the Laeiszhalle. We invited school groups and students to engage in these concerts in various ways: by designing the set up for the lighting, by writing text for the programme, by giving pre-concert talks, by creating an exhibition etc. The public experienced a new »total work of art« – created by young European musicians together with youngsters from Hamburg. (german site)

Connected: re-rite. Be the orchestra!
»re-rite. Be The Orchestra!« is a multimedia and interactive installation that makes the visitor a part of the »Sacre« orchestra. »The Rite of Spring«, as the piece is named in English, has here been rewritten. Now »re-rite« comes to Hamburg – and of all places, the building construction site of the Elbphilharmonie. The climax, however, is the arrival of Salonen and the Philharmonia Orchestra, who perform the piece live at the Laeiszhalle.

ElbNews
The writing studio of the Elbphilharmonie (ages 16–20).
In co-operation with SZENE Hamburg
ElbNews is aimed at young adults and is put together by people of the same age. We want to give teenagers an insight into the daily work of an internationally active concert venue.
Editorial meetings are held twice a month either at the SZENE or in the Laeiszhalle, under the guidance of a professional journalist. There, the next edition is planned and put together, the last edition is discussed, and there are writing workshops as well as courses on layout/graphic design. The aim is to have journalists, artistic directors, marketing experts and newspaper people talk to the school writing team on a monthly basis. The ElbNews appear from the autumn of 2010 onwards every three months, as a print edition in SZENE Hamburg. (german site)

ElbCommunity
The platform for fans of classical music (ages 16–27).
The ElbCommunity is a central platform where teenagers and young adults interested in classical music can meet and exchange information, visit Elbphilharmonie Concerts (at reduced rates) together, chat to concert organisers and artists and participate in exclusive events. These include visiting rehearsals, »meet the artists«, workshops, special pre-concert talks, guided tours etc. The ElbCommunity started in the autumn of 2010, and you can find up-to-date information via Facebook. (german site)

Family
Where to go with the entire family?
Elbphilharmonie Compass offer numerous possibilities to experience music with the whole family. For the little ones, there are the Baby Concerts Elfi: classical music for pregnant women and adults with babies ages 0–1. Warm string sounds, memorable melodies, pleasant tempi and levels of loudness – that's the music that already works its special magic on babies.
In the Sound Museum parents can go on a discovery expedition together with their children and learn more about the instruments from the world of classical music. During these events for families you get to know all the instruments of the orchestra – in a close encounter. (german site)
On Sundays families can experience wonderful and enchanting concerts in the small hall. At a family-friendly time (11 am) Of Lambs and Lads offers five productions of children's concerts with music from Jazz and folk to classical music. The children's concert series Doc Sound in Action is aimed at children ages 8–12 and their families. The concerts are built around the central character of Doc Sound, a strange collector of sounds and noises. The concerts take place in the Hamburg quarters Jenfeld, Mummelmannsberg, Stellingen, Wilhelmsburg and Altona.
»re-rite. Be the orchestra!« is a multimedia and interactive installation that makes the visitor a part of the »Sacre« orchestra. Families can discover the inner workings of an orchestra and view the musicians up-close from the dozen large video screens. »The Rite of Spring«, as the piece is named in English, has here been rewritten. Now »re-rite« comes to Hamburg – and of all places, to the construction site of the Elbphilharmonie.

School
Information for teachers.
Elbphilharmonie Compass offers schools various possibilities for co-operation. Our main goal is to support the creativity of students, whether it be in the form of the initiative »ZukunftsMusik« (i.e. Music of Tomorrow) which allows children and teenagers to participate in workshops and discussions with famous artists, or the creative and inclusive project »Organ for kids«, the multimedia and interactive installation »re-rite« or through our children's our children's concert series entitled Doc Sound in Action. In the context of the latter series, students tour Hamburg with Doc Sound in search of unheard of noises, and they will participate in a final concert at the Laeiszhalle.

The Art of Music Education 2012
From January 25–27 2010 the Elbphilharmonie Concerts organized, for the third time, the international symposium »The Art of Music Education«, together with the Körber-Foundation in Hamburg and the European Concert Hall Organisation.