Classical Kids

Speaking to the House Subcommittee on Select Education in 1977, the composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein said that children should take their musical education as naturally as food and with as much pleasure as a baseball game. Whether or not exposing kids to classical music actually benefits their brains—well, the research is murky, but Bernstein’s point still stands: We don’t need science to enjoy food or baseball. In that spirit, here’s a playlist designed as a children's introduction to the wide, beautiful world of classical music, from the classical era to the contemporary. We regularly update this collection with new pieces. If you hear something you like, add it to your library.