HeartStrings® In Schools
by Casey Oelkers, Director of Development
Did you know that HeartStrings® is in schools? In addition to senior living and healthcare facilities, every year the MSO’s award-winning, interactive, music therapy-informed program is presented at one elementary school location! During the 2025-2026 season of HeartStrings, we’re partnering with Prairie View Elementary School in Oregon. The Rhapsodie Quartet’s most recent visit was full of holiday-themed fun – they began by asking a group of 1st and 2nd graders to stomp the snow off their boots and shiver along to Winter from Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” and ended with a sing-along caroling session.
The MSO is proud to present HeartStrings at no cost to our partner locations. The entire cost of the program (nearly $77,000 annually) is underwritten by our generous program sponsors, donors to the MSO’s annual fund, and contributions from the Madison Symphony Orchestra League (MSOL). Thank you for making HeartStrings a program for all ages!
2025-2026 marks the 20th anniversary season of HeartStrings. In honor of the occasion, the Rhapsodie Quartet has expanded from 10 to 12 partner locations this year. Every month between September and May, the Rhapsodie Quartet visits all participating HeartStrings partner locations once for a themed, interactive session. That’s a total of 108 HeartStrings sessions! Monthly themes include “Around the World,” “Invitation to Dance,” “Holidays,” “Carnival of the Animals,” and more. The Quartet members, all of whom are MSO musicians, keep spirits high and audience members engaged, whether they are five or ninety-five.
Since 2006, HeartStrings has embodied the MSO’s mission to educate and entertain people of all ages by bringing live, classical music directly to audiences who encounter barriers to experiencing classical music. The program is designed according to American Music Therapy Association standards. Sessions focus on the concepts of rhythm, active music-making, movement, singing, and purposeful listening. Laurie Farnan, HeartStrings consultant and music therapist, aids in music selection based on the session theme, familiarity of the music to the audience, and concepts to be covered in the session. HeartStrings helps address the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals with disabilities, long-term illnesses, rehabilitation/assisted-living needs, and dementia. The program reaches over 3,000 music lovers in the Madison area every year.
This life-changing program would not be possible without support from our HeartStrings sponsors, donors to the MSO’s annual fund, and contributions from the MSOL. For more information about HeartStrings and our program sponsors, visit https://www.madisonsymphony.org/heartstrings. If you are interested in becoming a HeartStrings sponsor, please contact the MSO’s Development Department at 608-257-3734.