Duke Energy supports first-ever youth orchestra program in Citrus County

Duke Energy Press Release:

Duke Energy supports first-ever youth orchestra program in Citrus County
Aug. 26, 2013

CITRUS COUNTY, FLA. -
Music is filling classrooms in Citrus County with the support of Duke Energy.

In the past two-and-a-half years, Duke Energy has contributed $5,000 to the Citrus Youth Educational Symphonic Orchestra (CYSEO), which teaches classical and symphonic music to children who otherwise may not have the opportunity.

"Without Duke Energy, there would be no Citrus Youth Educational Symphonic Orchestra," said Board President Harold Seckinger. "One must be present and visually experience the concentration and competition between students … to understand how involved these students are in learning music."

The partnership originated in 2011 with a letter of request from Seckinger to then-Progress Energy CEO Vinny Dolan asking for support to build a dream of "music for youth" in Citrus County. Dolan shared the request with the region's district manager, Amy Mangan, who helped create the inaugural CYESO board of directors and the project's first corporate sponsorship.

"I am delighted to work for a company like Duke Energy that is literally bringing music to the youth of Citrus County through our ongoing support of the Citrus Youth Symphony," said Mangan.

Today, the program's two instructors teach 19 students beginning music and 10 students to play in an ensemble of strings and flutes. The goal is to expand to a concert orchestra. A total of 36 students are enrolled for the fall term and enrollment in the program is expected to double within the next year. The growing demand for the program is also creating a need for additional teachers.

Citrus Youth Educational Symphonic Orchestra, Inc.

Citrus Youth Educational Symphonic Orchestra, Inc. is a not-for-profit providing a program dedicated to teaching classical and symphonic music to children ages 5 to 19 and admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded to students enrolled in its program. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions, policies, assistance or other CYESO-administered programs. The Citrus YES Orchestra is focused on the learning of music for the development of intellect and character in children. For more information on CYESO visit www.cyeso.org and to view photos that may be published, visit Flickr.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), provides electricity and related services to approximately 1.7 million customers in Florida. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., and serves a territory encompassing more than 20,000 square miles including the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater as well as the Central Florida area surrounding Orlando. Duke Energy Florida is pursuing a balanced approach to meeting the future energy needs of the region. That balance includes increased energy-efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity system.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at www.duke-energy.com.

Contact: Sterling Ivey
Office: 727.820.4722 | 24-Hour: 800.559.3853

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