The Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra, featuring young musicians from Rifle to Aspen, is gearing up to spread holiday cheer through a series of concerts this December. The group, which meets weekly to practice, is excited to showcase its talent for the community.

“We have three main concerts—one at the Silt Library, another at the Basalt Library, and one at the Third Street Center in Carbondale,” co-music director Ross Kribbs said. “We’re hoping to make it a singalong.”

The orchestra began about 13 years ago with just eight or nine students in Aspen, Kribbs said. Now, it is based in Carbondale and includes 85 students from across the valley.

“Most of our players are string musicians—violin, viola, bass, and cello—but we also have some woodwinds like clarinet and brass instruments, including a French horn and a tuba,” Kribbs said. “We’re open to adding kids who play non-string instruments.”

Participants range in age from six to high schoolers and are divided into three levels: preliminary, sinfonia, and camerata. For the holidays, however, the groups often combine to perform together.

“Our lineup includes ‘Jingle Bell Rock,’ some Hanukkah pieces, and other classic holiday music,” Kribbs said. “It’s fun to deploy the kids to different spots and share the holiday spirit throughout the valley.”

In addition to their main concerts, the orchestra will play at the Launchpad in Carbondale and provide background music at a coffee shop in New Castle.

“The holidays are a great opportunity for our students to revisit music they’ve played before, which helps them refine their skills,” Kribbs said. “It’s also meaningful for our older students to perform these pieces more professionally.”

The Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra fills a gap in local schools, where advanced string programs are rare, Kribbs said.

“We run alongside private string lesson programs and offer scholarships so no one is turned away because of money,” he said. “About half of our students are on some form of scholarship.”

The orchestra follows the school calendar with performances in the fall, winter, and spring. Their largest winter event, previously held at the Basalt Library, has moved to Carbondale due to the growing size of the group.

“For the Silt and Basalt library concerts, we’ll have around 25 to 30 kids performing. The Carbondale concert will feature about 50,” Kribbs said.

The concerts are free and open to the public, and Kribbs emphasized the importance of keeping holiday traditions alive through music.

“One thing we’ve realized is that kids don’t have as many opportunities to sing Christmas carols anymore,” he said. “We’re excited to bring classic tunes to the community and provide a festive, joyful space to celebrate the season.”