Arts

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.

Shreveport is paying tribute to its native son Van Cliburn, the legendary pianist died Feb. 27 at his Fort Worth home. His early career was nurtured by the Shreveport Symphony community, and he never forgot that, according to Lester Senter Wilson. She’s been executive director of the Wideman International Piano Competition in Shreveport for 30 years. She said Cliburn played five times with the Shreveport Symphony, including a performance in 1972 when he celebrated the orchestra’s 25th anniversary. People packed the hall.