CCYO Announces Two Holiday Concerts

CHARLES COUNTY, Md. – The Charles County Youth Orchestra (CCYO), directed by Dr. Osman Kivrak, will perform two holiday concerts this December. The first one is Saturday, December 2 at 1:00 p.m. at the Port Tobacco Courthouse and the second is on Saturday, December 9 at 5:00 p.m. at the Kris Kringle Market at the Charles County Fairgrounds in La Plata. The program will include holiday favorites as well as popular classical composers such as Handel and Pachelbel. CCYO’s performance at the Kris Kringle Market will be followed by fireworks at 6:00 p.m. Both concerts are free but there is a $5 charge (free for 10 and under) to enter Kris Kringle at the Fairgrounds. 

Mid-year auditions for all CCYO ensembles will be held January 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Christ Church, La Plata. Information about auditions can be found at: https://www.charlescountyyouthorchestra.org/auditions 

CCYO presents two large concerts and numerous smaller concerts each year, a two-week Chamber Music Festival, a Concerto Competition Concert as well as masterclasses and sectionals for students in all four of CCYO’s ensembles. This past season CCYO ensembles have performed at the Port Tobacco Courthouse, Alice Ferguson Foundation, Nanjemoy Community Center, Kris Kringle at the Fairgrounds, Indian Head Village Green and at Christ Church, La Plata where they performed a very successful concert to raise funds for victims of the Turkey-Syria Earthquake.

Recently, CCYO has been spotlighted in an online film by the Charles County Arts Alliance and has been featured on WTOP radio. Also, two CCYO String Quartets were finalists in the prestigious Washington Performing Arts Society Misbin Chamber Music Competition in Washington, D.C. 

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 Charles County Charitable Trust, the Maryland State Arts Council, the Rotary Club of Charles County, MD, 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.