Charles County Youth Orchestra’s Secret Garden concerts in the beautiful Meditation Garden of Christ Church (112 Charles Street, across from the courthouse) this summer will be held on three consecutive Saturdays, July 16, 23, and 30 at 8:00 p.m.
The concerts will include performances by student ensembles who are participants at this year’s CCYO Chamber Music Festival as well as the directors of CCYO and guest artists. Works by great composers Mozart, Beethoven, J. S. Bach, Bartok, and Handel are among the beautiful pieces to be performed. These family friendly concerts are free and open to public.
This spring two CCYO string quartets, participants in CCYO’s previous Chamber Music Festivals, were finalists in the prestigious Washington Performing Arts Society Misbin Chamber Music Competition in Washington, DC. And recently CCYO has been spotlighted in an online film by the Charles County Arts Alliance and featured on WTOP radio.
According to Dr. Osman Kivrak, Director of CCYO, “Participating in CCYO and chamber music helps students develop good working habits: teamwork, social skills, discipline and perseverance while having fun performing great works of composers from all around the world.”
CCYO would like to thank the Rotary Club of Charles County for their generous donation to support CCYO’s 2022 Chamber Music Festival.
“We are delighted to be a part of these concerts by the Charles County Youth Orchestra,” said Rev. Dr. Kate Heichler, Christ Church’s pastor. “The arts and the outdoors are essential to the health and wellbeing of the next generation, and we are proud to support CCYO. We are particularly happy to invite the public to discover the serenity and beauty of our Meditation Garden on Church Street – so few people even know it’s there, that we decided to call these performances the Secret Garden Concerts.”
Auditions for CCYO’s 2022-2023 season will be held in September. Information can be found at: https://www.charlescountyyouthorchestra.org/auditions
Even during the pandemic CCYO and its ensembles were very busy presenting numerous online and in person outdoor concerts and activities such as Chamber Music Festivals, Masterclasses, and Concerto Competitions.
CCYO is one of the largest youth organizations in Southern Maryland, providing music education and performance opportunities for talented young musicians ages 8 to 18 in Charles, Prince George’s, St. Mary’s, and Calvert counties.
The Charles County Youth Orchestra is sponsored in part by grants from the Charles County Arts Alliance, the Maryland State Arts Council, the Rotary Club of Charles County, MD, the Charles County Charitable Trust and the Knights of Columbus of Accokeek, MD. Other major contributors include Potters Violins, Gailes Violin Shop, and the Neighborhood Creative Arts Center of La Plata as well as generous donations from individuals.
