Orchestras around the world, particularly in the UK and North America, have long been using animateurs or teaching artists to act as a bridge between orchestras and their young audiences. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the practice of having a skilled musician, rather than an MC, facilitate audience experience is relatively new. The recent appointment by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) of a full-time animateur demonstrates a commitment to supporting young audiences to experience orchestral music. Although concerts for children led by animateurs are common practice internationally, academic research in this area is relatively scarce. Existing literature tends to focus on the experience of adults, either as musicians, teachers, or organisational leaders, leaving children’s perspectives unheard. This paper presentation reports on a research collaboration with the NZSO’s Education team to explore children’s experiences of a workshop and concert led by the animateur.The aim of this research was to gain children’s perspectives on their experience attending an in-school workshop and an orchestra concert and to assess whether this was enhanced through the facilitation of the animateur. The study was designed using the strength-based principles of Appreciative Inquiry, allowing the work of the animateur to be evaluated with rigour, whilst maintaining respect for the work and the individual.Data was collected at an ethnically diverse primary school with a low socio-economic demographic in a regional city in NZ. As the researcher, I observed the workshop and accompanied the children on their trip to the concert. Focus groups were held with two groups of children (n=12) in Years 5 and 6 (9- to 11-year-olds) about a week after the concert experience, and semi-structured interviews were held with their teacher and the animateur. Thematic and narrative analysis were used to develop an understanding of the children’s experience through four different perspectives - that of the animateur, the teacher, the researcher, and the children themselves.Findings show that the concert made a strong impression on the children and that the animateur enhanced the experience, making it more than “music just playing.” Surprisingly, in a venue and cultural context that was entirely unfamiliar, rather than being alienated, the children were able to make connections that validated and upheld their own cultural knowledge. I argue that attending this live orchestral concert allowed the children to engage in social and cultural meaning-making that supported their sense of belonging in the wider cultural community, fostering inclusive cultural engagement.