Youth Orchestra Brings Holiday Music and Civic Life to Trinidad

On Thursday afternoon, Ziccardi Strings Youth Orchestra presented a one hour program of familiar holiday favorites at the Mt. Carmel Wellness and Community Center Chapel, 911 Robinson Ave. Led by Samantha Montoya, the youth ensemble offered a community oriented concert aimed at families and residents of Trinidad and Las Animas County. The event used the chapel space as a local cultural venue and drew community members to a public gathering focused on music and seasonal tradition.

The concert highlighted the contributions of young musicians to the county cultural calendar, offering performance opportunities that are important for music education and youth development. Programs such as this provide practical experience for students and create accessible cultural programming for families who may not otherwise travel to larger regional centers for similar events. The relatively brief, one hour format made the program approachable for a wide audience, including older residents and families with young children.

Beyond entertainment, the event underscored the broader civic functions of community centers. The Mt. Carmel Wellness and Community Center Chapel served as more than a performance space, acting as a site where social ties are reinforced and local institutions demonstrate capacity to organize public events. For local officials and voters, such programming highlights choices about public investment in arts education, facility maintenance, and community services. Sustaining youth arts opportunities often depends on a mix of volunteer leadership, nonprofit support, and municipal or private funding, issues that surface in local budgeting and civic decision making.

For residents seeking information about similar events or future performances, organizers can be reached at 719 845 4838. As communities evaluate priorities in upcoming local meetings and elections, the visibility of youth led cultural events will likely inform discussions about quality of life, youth services, and how public spaces are programmed to serve residents across generations.