Waldorf, MD – The Charles County Youth Orchestra (CCYO) is set to captivate audiences with its annual Winter Concert on Sunday, January 14, at 3:00 p.m. The event, free and open to the public, will be held at Thomas Stone High School located at 3785 Leonardtown Rd, Waldorf, MD.
Under the skilled baton of conductors Dennis Murphy (Prelude Strings), Dr. Teri Lazar (Encore Strings), Takako Mato (Encore Band), and Dr. Osman Kivrak (Charles County Youth Orchestra), the concert promises an exhilarating program. The young musicians will perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s renowned Symphony No. 5, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Overture to the “Marriage of Figaro,” and Georg Goltermann’s Cello Concerto. Adding to the excitement, the CCYO Concerto Competition winner Zachary McKay will feature as a soloist. The concert is set to conclude with an all-ensemble performance of Beethoven’s jubilant “Ode to Joy.”
In preparation for this event, mid-year auditions will be conducted on Saturday, January 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Christ Church La Plata, located at 112 Charles St., La Plata. Those interested in participating can find more information and sign up at the CCYO website.
The CCYO, a beacon of cultural enrichment, has recently garnered attention through an online film produced by the Charles County Arts Alliance and has been featured on WTOP radio. The orchestra’s prestige is further underscored by the success of two CCYO String Quartets, which were finalists in the distinguished Washington Performing Arts Society Misbin Chamber Music Competition in Washington, D.C.
Annually, the CCYO presents two major concerts and several smaller ones. Additionally, it hosts a two-week Chamber Music Festival with two extra concerts, a Concerto Competition Concert, and offers masterclasses and sectional training for students in all four of its ensembles. Over the past year, the orchestra has performed at various prominent venues, including the Port Tobacco Courthouse, the Maryland Veterans Museum, and the Alice Ferguson Foundation.
CCYO, one of the largest youth organizations in Southern Maryland, plays a vital role in nurturing young musicians between the ages of 8 to 18 from Charles, Prince George’s, St. Mary’s, and Calvert counties. The organization’s efforts are supported in part by grants from the Charles County Arts Alliance, the Charles County Charitable Trust, the Maryland State Arts Council, and other local entities such as the Rotary Club of Charles County, MD, Christ Church Wayside, and the Knights of Columbus of Accokeek, MD. Additional support comes from Potters Violins, Gailes Violin Shop, the Neighborhood Creative Arts Center of La Plata, and generous individual donors.
This upcoming Winter Concert is not just a showcase of musical mastery by the young talents of Southern Maryland but also a testament to the thriving arts culture nurtured by the CCYO and its supporters. The community is invited to witness these young musicians bring to life the timeless works of Beethoven, Mozart, and Goltermann, marking another milestone in the orchestra’s rich history of musical excellence.
