Arts

Pianist Christopher O’Riley, the host of the NPR music program “From the Top,” will perform Saturday, March 23, at Northwestern State University as part of its Louisiana Piano Series International. O’Riley is finishing up a three-year residency at LSU School of Music. Northwestern State associate professor of music Christine Burczyk Allen said the series brings in big artists, and it just so happens that this one wasn’t too far away.

Rapides Youth Orchestra is on a roll. The students are preparing to play concerts at Carnegie Hall and the White House in December. But before then, they’ll compete in the Crescent City Classic National Orchestra Competition on March 23. Later this month, they’ll perform the National Anthem at a New Orleans Hornets game. Classical guitarist John De Chiaro teaches string instruments at three public schools in Alexandria. He says it’s easy to spot the kids who will stick with music. It’s not their raw talent that stands out; rather, it's their accountability.