photos by Jared Boyd

On Monday night, the Durango Youth Symphony, led by Conductor Mikylah Myers McTeer, performed an impressive array of music from Brahms to Tchaikovsky. But perhaps more impressive were the musicians, some as young as 12. But dont let their age fool you, these performers were wise beyond their years, with a few who preferred to read Plato for pre-show relaxation. As for the music, it could have been mistaken for the Vienna Philharmonic. Before the performance, back stage was filled with neatly dressed youth tuning their instruments and joking about life outside the concert hall. The Durango Dance Center also preformed an eloquent number to accompany the performance of Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Flowers" from the "Nutcracker Suite."