Mini Maestros
A concert series made for kids ages 2–8 and the grown-ups who bring them.
Four concerts, four families of instruments, 45 minutes each.
Hey kids! You and your favorite grown-up are invited.
Mini Maestros is designed for children ages 2–8 and the adults who bring them. Each of the four concerts is 45 minutes long, built around a different family of orchestra instruments, and designed by Early Childhood Learning experts to get kids moving, singing, and listening — not sitting still.
The first three concerts introduce the strings, the brass, and the percussion. Educator and emcee Shay Ryan of Kiddos and Kin explains what the instruments are and how they work, while costumed Symphony Tacoma musicians show off each one through songs that get kids singing, dancing, marching, and clapping along.
The season finale is Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf — the story of a boy, his animal friends, and the wolf that comes through the garden gate. Every character is played by a different instrument, so by the end kids can hear the difference between a flute and an oboe on their own. This one brings in the full orchestra and a narrator, and pulls together everything from the first three concerts.
Every concert starts with an instrument petting zoo an hour before the music. Kids get to hold the instruments and try to make a sound, with musicians right there to help.
The 2027 concerts
All four concerts are Sundays at 2:30 pm at Schneebeck Concert Hall, with the instrument petting zoo starting at 1:30 pm.
The Great Things-A- Machine
Sunday, January 10, 2027
Jungle Jams
Sunday, February 7, 2027
Plan your visit
1:30 pm - Doors open and the instrument petting zoo begins
2:30 pm - Concert starts
~3:15 pm - You’re back out the door
Tickets
Single tickets are $12 for youth and $15 for adults, box office fees included.
A Mini Maestros subscription is $35 for youth and $45 for adults — all four concerts for less than the price of three. One adult and one child save $28 over buying single tickets.
Wiggling is expected. Talking to the stage is encouraged.
Come as you are — jeans and sneakers are the norm, and no one here has to sit still or stay quiet. If your child needs a break, you can step out and come back at any time.
Wild, Wacky World of Percussion
Sunday, March 7, 2027
Questions We Often Get
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Yes. Two is the youngest age the series is built for, and the music, the length, and the room are all planned with that in mind. Babes in arms are welcome at Schneebeck too, we just ask that you reserve a $0 infant ticket so we know how many people are in the hall.
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Then they’re behaving exactly like everyone else’s. You can step out and come back at any time, and no one will mind.
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Whatever you already have on. Jeans and sneakers are the norm.
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An hour before each concert, we set out instruments where volunteers and musicians help kids hold them and try to make a sound. It’s free with your ticket and it’s the reason most families come early.
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No. The whole series is an introduction. Shay Ryan explains every instrument and idea as it comes up, for kids and grown-ups alike.
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Yes. Schneebeck has stroller space and a zero-step entrance at Union & 14th.
The name “Mini Maestros” is used by kind permission of Major Maestro Pty Ltd.
Peter and the Wolf
Sunday, April 18, 2027