Clayton Van Dyke walked out of the auditorium at LaSells Stewart Center, and he was impressed. The Santiam Christian Elementary School fifth-grader started playing the trumpet less than a year ago, and Wednesday's performance by the Corvallis-OSU Symphony left him an inspired fledgling musician.

And for almost 20 years, that has been the idea.

Clayton was one of about 1,000 Benton County fourth- and fifth-graders who were treated to a 45-minute concert to mark the 19th year that the symphony has given a free concert to delight and inspire local elementary school students.

"It was really cool seeing them all work together like that," Clayton said. "You can tell they have to work really hard to play that well."

The Corvallis-OSU Symphony opens its 106th season tonight at 7:30 at LaSells Stewart Center.

Sally McBride, the past board member of the Corvallis-OSU Symphony and a retired Corvallis music teacher, said that the children's concert's goal is to give children a chance to hear classical music, performed live.

"Music is so vital," McBride said. "Yet it's often one of the first things that gets cut from schools. This is a way to make sure children are exposed to great music."

The Corvallis-OSU Symphony played five pieces during the concert, including the third movement of Sinfonia Concertante for flute and clarinet by Franz Danzi, and the third movement of the Concerto for violin and cello in A minor by Johannes Brahms.

Becki Borg, who teaches fifth grade at Santiam Christian, said the concert broadened the students' music appreciation.

"For some students, this may be their first time watching and hearing a symphony," Borg said. "I think anytime you can get children to listen to classics is good." The concert might inspire a student to want to learn how to play an instrument.

Of the five performances by the Corvallis-OSU Symphony, the students cheered loudest for the final piece - "Harry's Wondrous World" by John Williams. It was familiar to many of the students, as it is part of the soundtrack for the popular film "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

But that wasn't the only piece of music that the students found memorable. Clayton said his favorite piece was the third movement of the Concerto for accordion by Nikolai Chaikin, performed Wednesday by Alicia Baker, a 20-year old OSU student.

"I'd have to say that was my favorite," Clayton said. "It's the first time I've seen someone play the accordion ... I really liked it."

Raju Woodward can be reached at 758-9526 or raju.wood ward@lee.net