The Charles County Youth Orchestra will present its annual Spring Concert on Sunday, May 17 at 3 p.m. at Thomas Stone High School in Waldorf.
The free, family-friendly event is open to the public and will feature a varied program performed by the orchestra’s four ensembles: the Charles County Youth Orchestra under the direction of Osman Kivrak, Encore Band led by Takako Mato, Encore Strings conducted by Teri Lazar, and Prelude Strings directed by Gabrielle Stanback Satterthwaite. A reception will follow the performance.
The main orchestra’s program includes Haydn’s final symphony, Symphony No. 104, the Karelia Suite by Jean Sibelius, and the Cello Concerto by Edward Elgar with 2025 CCYO Concerto Competition winner Madeline Londres as soloist. Encore Strings will perform “Summer” by Vivaldi and Waltz No. 2 by Shostakovich. Encore Band will showcase its flute section with Flutopia by David Shaffer. The two ensembles will join together for the Peer Gynt Suite by Edvard Grieg. Prelude Strings will perform three works by Baltimore composer Brian Balmages. The concert will conclude with a rousing rendition of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” featuring all four ensembles.
The Charles County Youth Orchestra serves students from Prince George’s, St. Mary’s, Calvert, Anne Arundel and Charles counties. This past season, the ensembles performed at venues including the Maryland Veterans Museum, Port Tobacco Courthouse, Alice Ferguson Foundation, Clark Senior Center, Mattawoman Arts Center, Kris Kringle at the Fairgrounds, Indian Head Village Green, Bel Alton High School and Christ Church in La Plata. The groups also participated in two masterclasses with renowned teachers Marion Baker and Claudia Chudacoff.
Recently, CCYO has been spotlighted in an online film by the Charles County Arts Alliance and featured on WTOP radio. Two CCYO string quartets were finalists in the prestigious Washington Performing Arts Society Misbin Chamber Music Competition in Washington, D.C.
The orchestra has a busy summer planned with two orchestral concerts: ArtsFest on June 13 and its annual Independence Day/Alumni Reunion Concert on July 3. The CCYO Chamber Music Festival returns with four concerts on July 18, 19, 25 and 26 at Christ Church in La Plata. Students ages 10-18 are invited to sign up for the Chamber Music Festival at https://www.charlescountyyouthorchestra.org/chamber-music-festival.
The Charles County Youth Orchestra is sponsored in part by grants from the Charles County Charitable Trust, the Charles County Arts Alliance, the Maryland State Arts Council and donations from generous individuals.
