The Blue Ridge Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Ronald D. Clearfield, will present its annual Concerts for Children at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 16. The concerts will be in UNC Asheville’s Lipinsky Auditorium. Asheville Ballet director Ann Dunn is joining in the performance, and Sherill Barber, of WLOS-TV, is return- ing to narrate Peter and the Wolf. These performances are always magical, musical, and educational experiences and have become a family tradition in the region.

The concerts will be performed in two sections. The first part will introduce the four families of instruments that make up the modern orchestra: the string family (violin, viola, cello, and bass), the woodwind family (flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon), the brass family (trumpet, French horn, trombone, and tuba), and the percussion family (timpani, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, bells, triangle, and tambourine).

Each instrument is demonstrated individually, then together with the other instruments in its family, playing a musical excerpt illustrating the sound of each family of instruments. Then all the instruments play together, combining all of the families of instruments, to create the full orchestral sound.

The second section consists of a performance of the classic story of Peter and the Wolf, with music by Serge Prokofiev. This narrated story further demonstrates the instruments and families of instruments, which musically play the roles of the characters in the story—Peter, the grandfather, the cat, the duck, the bird, and the Wolf. The dancers enhance the total performance not only by exposing the students to ballet, but by illustrating the story as it is told, creating a visual experience as well.

The hour-long performance is geared toward children from kindergarten through the sixth grade, with the educational focus of introducing young people to the symphony orchestra

Tickets are $5 and are available by calling 828.650.0948. Seats go quickly, so call early for reservations. For information, visit blueridgeorchestra.org.