LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. – On March 24, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., the annual Candlelight Orchestra Concert took place in the LAHS Performing Arts Center. The Los Alamitos High School Orchestra, including the LAHS Chamber Orchestra, String Orchestra and Griffin String Quartet, performed at this concert. The LAHS Chamber Orchestra has recently attended the Viola Chamber Orchestra Festival and won.
The special guest performer was Karolina Protesnko (also known as Karolina Rose), an Instagram influencer and YouTuber who is famous for being a violin prodigy. She was born in Ukraine but now performs contemporary pop songs in the United States.
LAHS String Orchestra maestro Mr. Padilla expressed his excitement for Protesnko’s performance.
“I saw Karolina in concert. I was amazed by her technique and musicality at 15,” said Padilla.
Many parents who attended the performance also expressed their favorite parts of the concert.
“I love to see my daughter perform. That is my favorite part. I like seeing all the studios,” said orchestra parent John Huynh.
The concert began with the LAHS String Orchestra performing a delightful set that hummed a beautiful melody. In their first song, “Falling Water,” their instruments were meant to mimic the real sounds of water.
Following their performance, Olivia Choi played a cello solo accompanied by her mother on the piano, performing “Cello Sonata in D Minor Op.49 Mvt. 2 Allegro.” It was a heart-warming moment to see the mother-daughter duo share their love for music on stage.
After a brief intermission, the four-student Griffin String Quartet carried out a beautiful performance with the violin, viola and bass. Cheers from the audience erupted as their tune encapsulated raw emotion.
“This was by far my favorite candlelight concert because of the quartet. (We rehearsed so many hours for that one piece!) And Karolina was so so awesome and we were super lucky to have her!” said LAHS Griffin String Quartet principal player Claire Claypool.
Finally, the LAHS Chamber Orchestra performed seven arrangements. They started with “Farandole” by Georges Bizet. Then, they performed “Winter from The Four Seasons” by Antonio Vivalido with special guest Karolina Protsenko. They finally ended with four arrangements by “Suite for String” by John Rutter.
Then the concert ended with another special performance by Karolina Protsenko. The LAHS Chamber Orchestra cheered Protsenko on by waving candle lights in the background of her violin solo. She performed the song “So Easy To Fall in Love” by pop artist Olivia Dean on the violin.
“The song I picked is ‘So Easy to Fall in Love’. I picked this song because I love that song so much, I really hope you enjoy it. Every single time I play a pop song, I take a blank canvas and then I color it,” said Protesnko on stage before performing the song.
Overall, the Candlelight Concert was beautiful in both the setup of the stage and the orchestra’s vivid, touching and memorable arrangements. Make sure to attend future Orchestra events such as the All District Orchestra Concert and End of Year Concert. You can find more information about these events on their Instagram @losal.orchestra.
