At the Centaurus Orchestra’s winter concert, the program of 76 students run by Heather Murphy performed many classical songs and modern melodies. The event was held on February 13,  at 7:00 pm and is one of three concerts conducted by the orchestra each year.

The Centaurus orchestra is made up of three different groups. The chamber orchestra is a mixture of sophomores, juniors, and seniors, and they play the most advanced pieces. Their most notable performance was “October”, written by Eric Whitacre and arranged by Paul Lavender. The group will perform this piece again at regionals. This performance featured Sydney Barday, Josie Clement, Joey Ernst, and Abby Mirsky. “October” is a chillingly beautiful song that practically transports the audience back to the crisp air and falling leaves that define October.

Four of the 12 BVSD students who qualified for Colorado All-State were Centaurus orchestra members. The event was held at Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins from February 1st-3rd, 2023. Violinist Sydney Barday performed with the symphony orchestra, while violinist Josy Clement, violist Felicity Watson, and bassist Lucy Mchugh all performed with the philharmonic orchestra. 

The string orchestra comprises freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who audition for this mid-level section. The third song they performed—done by ensemble 2—was a string rendition of the iconic 80s song “Take on Me, ” originally performed by the band A-Ha! This piece featured Austin Bray, Morgan Kirk, Greta Lillstrom, Christopher Link, and Vanessa Sanchez. This was a fun and easily recognizable piece that generated a positive response from the audience.

The concert orchestra is made up of freshmen students. One of the most notable performances by this group was a song played by the first ensemble, “Duel of the Fates”, written by John Williams for the critically acclaimed 2015 film “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. This performance featured Ben Edwards, Van Iwersen, Kaliyah Schimpf, Liam Spencer, and Will Zezula. 

The Centaurus orchestra is working diligently towards regionals, which will take place at Fairview High School on March 8th, 2023.