Classical Music Series Begins at 5 Schools

A group of 35 classical musicians performed for students at Belvedere Middle School Monday morning, kicking off a series of performances that will be given at five Los Angeles public schools during the next two weeks.

The Zipper Orchestra, sponsored by the Colburn School of Performing Arts, gives free concerts at schools twice a year as part of a 27-year-old effort to foster appreciation for classical music.

“The philosophy is to give to youngsters who otherwise wouldn’t have an orchestra experience an up-close experience with the music,” said Toby Mayman, Colburn’s executive director.

The orchestra was founded by the late Herbert Zipper, a conductor who organized secret concerts in a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust. After the war, Zipper dedicated his life to bringing music programs to inner-city schools.