Inter-Elementary Music Festival
Bushnell Center for Performing Arts
Hartford
May 27, 2026
When you hear that an artist has been practicing their craft for their entire life, do you ever wonder where did such talent get its start?
It was probably at an event like the Inter-Elementary Music Festival, a celebration of the musically gifted elementary school students of the West Hartford public school system held at the Bushnell in Hartford.
Students in fourth and fifth grades audition to participate in band, orchestra or chorus. After weekly rehearsals to prepare, the students spend a day touring the district before the concert in Hartford.
The concert began before the formal show did, as the Beaux Strings from King Philip Middle School performed right outside the entrance to the Bushnell. Classical music is great outdoor music; parents as well as passersby stopped to watch the kids. They maintained their professionalism and skill throughout, despite the embarrassing cheers from family and the occasional gust that sent them chasing after their sheet music.
Classical concerts are fun in part because of the music’s surprising ubiquity. Orchestral music is a deeply intertwined part of our lives, from the old Shoprite can-can commercial to the sweeping scores of the John Williams movies that many of us grew up with.
Each concert is an opportunity to not only relive great moments brought back to life by music, but also to learn. I had no idea that at least three of the most used classical music passages of all time come from the same song, the overture to the Barber of Seville.
The elementary students weren’t going to allow the older kids to outdo them. The concert proper kicked off inside the Mortensen Hall with the elementary school band. The orchestra and mezzanine were packed with proud parents waving signs and holding flowers to give to the performers.
These are not your typical 10 year olds blaring wildly into a trumpet. These kids had control over their style and expression at such young ages. Whether it was the contemplative, melodic song Midnight Sky from “Midnight Suite” or the punchy, upbeat march On Guard!, the students acquitted themselves to the music like seasoned veterans.
The student chorus was equally impressive. Despite being up in the balcony, the students’ voices were crystal clear. It was so cute to hear their tiny voices singing The Wiz, and didn’t make me feel old at all to hear children singing songs from a movie I grew up with. The Inter-Elementary Orchestra took on challenging pieces and performing far beyond their years.
INSERT ORCHESTRA
Speaking of the can-can song, I can now proudly shed my philistine shackles and report that the song’s actual name is "Orpheus in the Underworld finale."
All the musicians we enjoy got their start somewhere. Competitions like the Inter-Elementary Music Festival don’t just determine winners and losers. They build a community of artists who learn and grow together while challenging each other to be even better. Keep your eye out for the classical scene in Connecticut, because there are some superstars coming.
