Free holiday concert

Home for the Holidays

Every December, MVSO and the Dayton Masonic Center present Home for the Holidays, our annual holiday concert, always free of charge to the greater Dayton community. It's our way of bringing everyone together for the Christmas season.

Dancers from Gem City Ballet join the orchestra each year, along with guest vocalists and musicians. Santa flies in every year to greet the audience, then welcomes children to Santa's Workshop on the main level for a visit and a free family photo.

This year: Sunday, December 13, 2026, at 3:00 and 7:00 PM, Dayton Masonic Center. Admission is free and all seats are reserved. Free ticket reservations open soon.

Free string lessons · with For Love of Children

MVSO HeartStrings

Launched in September 2026, HeartStrings offers free, high-quality string lessons to children in the Dayton area. It's a partnership with For Love of Children (FLOC), an all-volunteer nonprofit serving children in need across southwestern Ohio.

Students meet at FLOC on Tuesdays for a 45-minute group class with violin, viola, cello and bass, plus guided time for individual practice. Each student uses an instrument, book and music stand at no cost. The instruments come from MVSO's instrument loan program, and the HeartStrings program is supported in part through the generosity of The Dayton Foundation and The Iddings Foundation.

HeartStrings students may also attend most MVSO concerts and Saturday Youth Strings sessions free of charge. Classes are led by Denise Carter, MVSO's Director of Education & Community Programs.

Learn more on FLOC's HeartStrings page, or email education@mvso.org to ask about joining.

Musical theater for adults 55+ · with Dayton Metro Library

Broadway Senior

MVSO is bringing Broadway Senior to Dayton in partnership with the Dayton Metro Library. Developed by Music Theatre International, Broadway Senior adapts popular Broadway musicals into 60-minute shows for performers 55 and older.

No experience is needed. It's recreational theater: scripts can stay in hand, staging fits each cast's abilities, and the rehearsals and friendships matter as much as the final performance for family and friends.

Productions begin in early 2027, with several shows now in development. To hear about sign-ups first, email education@mvso.org or join our email list.

Get Involved

Want to bring a program to your school, library or community group, or help with one of ours? Email education@mvso.org or call 937-530-0515.

Looking for youth ensembles? Visit our Youth Orchestras page. Want to lend a hand at concerts? Visit our Volunteer page.