Centenary Youth Orchestra presents spring concert on April 21
Centenary’s Hurley School of Music is pleased to announce the date for the Centenary Youth Orchestra (CYO) Spring Concert. The performance, called “Flash! Bang!” will be Monday, April 21, 2025 in Anderson Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
“Our theme for the concert,” says CYO conductor, Dan Santelices “refers to pieces we are playing that will be utilizing percussion instruments in a splashy, unexpected ways. The concert itself is jam-packed with variety!”
The concert will feature winners of the CYO Concerto Competition: Darick Harris, Ivy Joseph, and Parker Hoffman.
Harris, a senior at Haughton High School, will perform the final movement (allegro vivace) from Aram Khachaturyan’s “Flute Concerto in D-minor;” Joseph, a junior at Caddo Magnet High School will play the second movement (adagio) from Max Bruch’s “Violin Concerto No. 1 in G-minor” and Hoffman, a sophomore at Caddo Magnet High School will perform the second movement (adagio molto espressivo) from the “Viola Concerto in C-Minor” by Henri Casadesus and Johann Christian Bach. Both Joseph and Hoffman are pupils of the Centenary Suzuki School.
Centenary Soprano Nina Guerrero ’26 won the Hurley Vocal Competition and will sing George Frideric Handel’s aria “Lascia ch'io pianga” and George Gershwin’s “My Man's Gone” from the opera, Porgy and Bess. Nina was last heard with the CYO in Spring 2024 as the vocal soloist in “Pear Blossom Rain”, which had been orchestrated for full orchestra and voice by Centenary ’25 composer, Gene Angelo Nucal.
“For me, our concert theme also anticipates the audience reaction of ‘Wow!’ after hearing the skillful and expressive ability levels of each of these winners,” said Santelices. “In a way, they are ‘flashes.’ It’s such a privilege to have these young people in the orchestra and/or attending the college for a short time. Many of them go on, whether in music or not, to do great things.”
The CYO will perform the Sabre Dance from Khatchaturyan’s ballet Gayane, the premier of Centenary ’25 composition student Dominick Benedetto’s “Pizz Blitz” for strings, xylophone and triangle; Mike Post and Pete Carpenter’s theme from the 80’s television show The A-Team; the theme from the 2025 movie F1 (Formula 1) written by Brian Tyler, as well as movements from Tschaikovsky’s Swan Lake on the program.
“The concert will include honoring all of our Centenary and senior high school members,” said Santelices. “It is the most emotional part for me to recognize their dedication and musical contributions to the CYO. We celebrate their impending graduations—moving on to the next chapter in their lives and thank them publicly.”
The CYO provides college-level playing experiences for advanced instrumentalists ages 13 and above. CYO members perform repertoire for strings, woodwinds, and brass in both chamber and large-scale orchestral settings. The CYO founded its Concerto Competition in 2019 to further encourage CYO members in their pursuit of excellence in the field of music. For more information about the CYO, visit centenary.edu/cyo.