The Amherst Symphony Orchestra will introduce young audiences to each instrument in the orchestra through its performance of Benjamin Britten’s “A Young Person’s Guide to the Audience.” Photo by Jim Smerecak. Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com I n the gray depths of winter, the Amherst Symphony Orchestra is planning a concert to reinvigorate adults, while reaching out to children.

The Amherst Symphony Orchestra will present “A Family Afternoon with the Symphony” on Sunday, Feb. 12, at Amherst Middle School, 55 Kings Highway, Snyder. The event is more than just a concert, though — it will be an entire afternoon of musical fun.

Starting at 1:15 p.m., Mc- Clellan’s Music House, Monaco’s Violin Shop and Buffalo Drum Outlet will collaborate to offer an expanded “instrument petting zoo,” which will be set up in the school’s gym.

Attendees will have a chance to pluck strings, bang on drums and find out for themselves whether making music on a flute is as easy as just blowing into it. When families are done exploring the petting zoo, they are invited to bring food with them to eat in the cafeteria before the pre-concert event.

Ziemba, a Christopher East graduate of Williamsville High School and the Eastman School of Music, is bringing his jazz trio to perform with the Orchestra. Amherst Symphony The pre-concert starts at 2:15 p.m. and features the jazz trio of Williamsville East alumnus Christopher Ziemba. Ziemba’s first performance with the Amherst Symphony Orchestra was in 1994, at the age of 8. Music director Joseph Wincenc invited him to perform his original composition, “Waltz of the Butterflies.” Ziemba is a pianist and a graduate of the Eastman School of Music. He has been a musician for most of his life and has been a guest on the “Late Show with David Letterman.” He has numerous performance credits and recently won the 2011 Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition. He is currently in The Juilliard School’s postgraduate artist diploma program in jazz studies.

Bassist John Tate and drummer Kevin McDonald round out his trio and are being flown in from New York City expressly for the Amherst Symphony Orchestra’s pre-concert.

“I hope many people will come and listen to certainly a different kind of concert from [the usual],” said orchestra manager Joan Fishburn.

The trio will also perform with the orchestra in the regular concert, which begins at 3 p.m. The first piece the orchestra is performing is the Duke Ellington “Portrait,” arranged by Jeff Tyzik. The piece is a medley of some of Ellington’s most iconic pieces, including “Caravan,” “Sophisticated Lady” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing (if it Ain’t got That Swing).”

Also on the program are Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2,” the “Crown Imperial March” by Sir William Walton, and the intermezzo from the opera “Jewels of the Madonna” by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari.

The program will conclude with Benjamin Britten’s “A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.” Dominic Cortese, president of Cortese Brothers Construction Co. and Williamsville Wall of Fame honoree, will narrate this portion of the program.

The piece was written in 1946 and based on a theme by the 17th-century English composer Henry Purcell. As each section of the orchestra plays the theme, the narrator explains the instrument to the audience.

“Each family of the orchestra has a chance to demonstrate and educate,” Fishburn said. “[Cortese] is energetic. He’s got a very upbeat speaking voice.” Fishburn states that the entire event will conclude by 5 p.m.

The Amherst Symphony Orchestra is hoping that the concert will spark a passion for music among young attendees. To further stoke their interest, Friends of the Amherst Symphony member Susan Arrigo will present a display in the lobby that includes further resources for musical learning.

“Hands-on activities, the opportunity to hear jazz played by Juilliard School scholarship performers, and the orchestra’s performance of some of the great orchestra literature are sure to make this another memorable Amherst

Symphony concert,” said conductor Steve

Thomas.

The concert and all of the surrounding events are presented free of charge. A shuttle from the high school to the middle school will begin running at 1:45 p.m. For more information, visit www.amherstsymphony.com.