Classical music is not unfamiliar to most people. The fateful notes of Beethoven’s Fifth, Elgar’s triumphant Pomp and Circumstance marches and the majesty of Mendelssohn’s ‘Wedding March’ from A Midsummer Night’s Dream - all these classical pieces are heard so frequently that some may not even recognize them to be so.

But the beauty of all this music can only be brought to life by a symphony orchestra. Though the orchestra seems to be a random group of musicians playing different instruments, it has a long history and has evolved through the centuries to what it now is.

On this site you can learn about the orchestra and its instruments, its history, and play interactive games and quizzes. Enjoy!

(Teachers wishing to use information from this site in the classroom may want to take a look at our teachers’ resource for ideas and printable notes and worksheets. If graphics do not display properly or take too long to load, you may want to try the text-only version.)