Artwork by Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) elementary- and middle-school students will be featured in a video shown during the Alexandria Symphony Orchestras (ASOs) annual Childrens Festival concert this Sunday, June 8, at Schlesinger Concert Hall, Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria Campus, 3001 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria.

Not simply a concert, the Childrens Festival is the culmination of a cross-curricular educational initiative that brings music into area classrooms through a specially designed music and arts curriculum created by ASO Music Director Kim Allen Kluge and ACPS faculty member Mindy King (music) and retired ACPS faculty member Ev Paul (art).

The event begins at 2 p.m. with interactive art stations, limbo and pirate costume contests and dance activities. Children also can play real symphonic instruments at the instrument petting zoo. At 3 p.m., the ASO, with a special appearance by Dancensations Dance Center, will present selections from the first two Pirates of the Caribbean movies, The Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Mans Chest. Both movies have set box office records, with Dead Mans Chest earning the title of third highest grossing movie of all time. A backdrop to the orchestra features a videography comprised of artwork created by Alexandria students participating in the curriculum project.

The event also serves as the culmination of a new Mentoring Program, where area high-school string players have interacted throughout the semester with ASO Principal String Players. This program is made possible solely due to grant funding from the Alexandria Commission for the Arts.  Students have engaged in private lessons, master classes and group coaching with ASO musicians and will play side-by-side with them during the concert.

General Admission is $5. Call 703-548-0885 or visit www.alexsym.org for tickets.