On Friday, April 25, the Boyer College of Music and Dance’s Music Preparatory and Enrichment Program will begin the 19th annual Festival of Young Musicians — a week of concerts presented by small ensembles from the Center for Gifted Young Musicians.

A highlight of the festival is the April 29 gala concert at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m., features performances by Music Prep’s Youth Chamber Orchestra and Children’s Choir, under the direction of Luis Biava and Stephen Caldwell.

At the gala concert, Music Prep will honor Nancy Hess with its sixth annual Inspiration Award. Hess, a Temple alumna, was the director of Music Prep from 1981 until her retirement in 2003. She created the Early Childhood Music Foundations program for pre-school children and the Center for Gifted Young Musicians, and she initiated the Festival of Young Musicians.

In addition to the gala, five concerts will be held on Main Campus from April 25 through May 3. The Main Campus concerts are free and open to the public. Tickets for the April 29 gala concert are available for $10 from the Kimmel Center box office, 215-893-1999, or www.kimmelcenter.org. For a complete listing of the concerts, visit www.temple.edu/boyer/musicprep.