Fine Arts
The Fine Arts Department at Concordia offers a range of artistic outlets that are integrated into our students’ course of academic study. These courses are on a continuum designed to foster creativity, collaboration, and self-expression through performance and exhibition. As students progress through the grade levels, they learn fundamental techniques and further develop skills in the study of music, theatre and visual arts.
Nurturing Expression and Creativity
Beginning in early childhood, students are introduced to the joy of music and art as a vehicle for creative expression through our Specials Program, which includes daily sessions of Music & Movement and art. Elementary school students build on these foundational skills with dedicated music and visual art classes built into the curriculum.
As students continue to progress through middle and high school, they have greater opportunities and exposure to the arts, developing their talents and honing their skills in their chosen medium.
Our masterful fine arts faculty inspire and nurture students holistically, encouraging each child to hone their talents and whole-heartedly pursue their creative passions.
Music
Through our choral, band and strings ensembles, Concordia’s music program provides middle school and high school students tremendous opportunity to fine-tune their musical talents through master study and performance, through both curricular and co-curricular offerings. Music students also have the chance to collaborate with students and faculty from prominent schools around the world through auditioned
AMIS and APAC festivals.
Visual Arts
The visual arts program at Concordia enriches each student’s internal artistic expression and encourages creative thinking through the development of external technical skill, process and problem solving. Within a historical and cultural context, the curriculum provides a vocabulary and set of tools to enable each student to analyze and synthesize individual thought, perception, and passion and to share the outcome with the entire community.
Theatre Arts
Performance and production are intrinsic to our theatre program and provide remarkable opportunities for leadership, collaboration and creativity. Students learn to give and take direction, design imaginative sets and costumes, and inspire audiences through gesture, movement and speech. Multiple theatrical productions are staged throughout the school year, and high school drama students have the chance to participate in the annual APAC Theatre festival.
Fine Arts classes are an integral part of each and every student’s course of study at every grade level. Whether in music, theatre or art, these courses contribute to a truly holistic education.
David F. Rittmann Center for the Fine Arts
Affectionately named after Concordia’s second head of school, the building was dedicated to the Concordia community on December 4, 2007. The Rittmann features a 320-seat theater, courtyard, dressing rooms, scene shop, costume storage, choral, string, and band rehearsal rooms, 2D/3D computer graphics and photography studios, and a lobby/gallery area.
Designed as a center of creativity and enrichment, the Rittmann Center for the Fine Arts is the perfect learning environment for students and frequently houses school assemblies, special events, guest speakers and theatrical performances.
My time in Concordia Theatre was invaluable in giving me experience in professional-level productions. It taught me how to work through my craft efficiently and with a sense of play and exploration.”Kai An Chee, C ‘ 14, professional actor with Broadway touring company
Not only did choir offer me valuable lessons in musicianship, artistry, and collaboration, it also gave me a family to be a part of and provided opportunities to travel and learn outside of the classroom.Harper L, Concordia Fine Arts alumna, C’ 18
Fine Arts Festivals
Concordia Middle School Choir Director Darcy Hendricks explains some of the countless cognitive benefits of studying music, from an academic and creative perspective.
You may be asking yourself what a cast of centennial tweens could possibly get out of the music and disco attitude of Xanadu? Well, it turns out…quite a lot.
Early Childhood Art Specialist Stephanie Barenz-Wiegman shares how students have used zines in a cross-divisional artistic collaboration.

This high school Applied Design class has been exploring solutions to design problems around the form and function of everyday items like fabrics, papers, clothing, and furnishings.
Find out how fine arts build confidence and empathy and enhance a student’s motivation and engagement in the world around them.