America's Finest Teen Instrumentalists Come Together in July to Form Carnegie Hall’s Three Acclaimed National Youth Ensembles with More Than 200

(NEW YORK, NY; June 1, 2023)—This July, Carnegie Hall celebrates ten years since the launch of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America and the establishment of its acclaimed national youth ensembles, which invite America’s top teen instrumentalists to come together for free intensive training and performances with the world’s finest artists at Carnegie Hall and around the globe.

More than 200 of the finest teen musicians from across the country will gather this summer to perform as part of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), NYO2, and NYO Jazz. All three ensembles will take part in an intensive training residency at Purchase College, State University of New York (SUNY) before performing at Carnegie Hall and embarking on tours across the country and around the world, serving as America’s dynamic musical ambassadors. For the first time, the second half of NYO Jazz’s residency (July 17–24) will take place in Carnegie Hall’s Resnick Education Wing. In total, 220 musicians will take part in this year’s program, representing 39 states plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.
 

Photo: Fadi Kheir

Since launching NYO-USA in 2013, Carnegie Hall has built on the program’s success by introducing two additional ensembles–NYO2, a sister orchestra for younger musicians, in 2016, and NYO Jazz in 2018. Each of these highly-selective programs—free to all participants—is dedicated to the proposition that talented young musicians thrive when they have the opportunity to expand their musical, social, and cultural horizons and share their artistry with audiences around the globe. Since 2013, more than 1,200 musicians have taken part in the program.

On July 1, NYO-USA and NYO2 musicians from across the US will arrive at Purchase College, SUNY to begin their two-week training residency. NYO Jazz players arrive one week later on July 8. NYO-USA and NYO2 musicians will work with leading players from America’s top professional orchestras, and NYO Jazz will work with a stellar faculty comprised of some of the finest jazz artists on the scene today as they prepare for their annual Carnegie Hall performances and tours.

In addition to full ensemble rehearsals, the young musicians will take part in sectional rehearsals, master classes, private lessons, and more. During this summer’s residency, alums from the last decade will gather in New York on July 8 for a reunion weekend, taking part in celebratory events in New York City and at Purchase College, SUNY. They will make music together, share insights into their personal and professional journeys, reconnect, and more.

New music has always been a key component of the national youth ensembles. This summer, NYO-USA will perform the world premiere of Giants of Light, a new work written for the ensemble by Valerie Coleman (commissioned by Carnegie Hall) alongside other robust repertoire. NYO Jazz will play a diverse program including “The 29ers,” a new work by artistic director, bandleader, and trumpeter Sean Jones (commissioned by Carnegie Hall) and arrangements from Terri Lynne Carrington’s project “New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets by Women Composers,” as they share this uniquely American music on tour across Europe. In addition, two new works written by NYO-USA’s 2023 apprentice composers Lucy Chen and Lili Masoudi-Namazi will be performed by the orchestra during the summer 2023 residency. Short brass and percussion fanfares written by the apprentice composers will be featured in pre-concert performances in select North American tour stops. The young composers will work with celebrated American composer Sean Shepherd, who was commissioned to write a new work, Magiya, for NYO-USA’s inaugural season in 2013, and serves as the composition program director and mentor/coach to the apprentices.
 

NYO at 10: By the Numbers

Since 2013:

• 1,274 young musicians have participated in the national youth ensembles
• Ensembles have toured to 17 countries on 4 continents
• 18 world premieres
• 132,178 miles traveled
• 40 guest artists including Marin Alsop, Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Kurt Elling, Sir Antonio Pappano, Dianne Reeves, Gil Shaham, Esperanza Spalding, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Michael Tilson Thomas, Alisa Weilerstein, and more.
• 50 alums in professional orchestras or ensembles including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Symphony, the National Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, and more.
• 36 radio, web, and TV broadcasts, reaching music lovers around the world
   

Upcoming Summer 2023 Performances

All three ensembles take the Carnegie Hall stage, starting with the National Youth Orchestra of the USA, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis and violinist Gil Shaham on Friday, July 14 at 8:00 p.m., followed by NYO2 with Joseph Young and violinist Jennifer Koh on Saturday, July 15 at 8:00 p.m., and concluding with NYO Jazz led by artistic director and bandleader Sean Jones and featuring Grammy Award-winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater on Tuesday, July 25 at 8:00 p.m.

Following NYO-USA’s Carnegie Hall performance, the orchestra embarks on a North American tour with stops in Groton, MA; Joliette, Quebec; Nashville, TN; Dallas, TX; Jackson, WY; Stanford, CA; and San Diego, CA. NYO2 travels to the Dominican Republic for its first international residency and concerts. NYO Jazz returns to Europe with debut performances in St. Moritz, Wiesbaden, and Lucerne as well as return visits to Amsterdam, Berlin, and London. As part of their travel schedule, all three ensembles have the exciting opportunity to tour the cities in which they will be performing and engage with local musicians.

See below for more information about each ensemble’s residency and tour this summer:
 

National Youth Orchestra of the USA:
Summer 2023 Details

This summer’s NYO-USA is comprised of 108 members—ages 16–19 and hailing from 31 states plus Puerto Rico—who have been recognized by Carnegie Hall as being among the finest players in the country, following a comprehensive national audition process. This summer’s roster will feature 13 musicians from previous seasons as well as 35 musicians who gained experience through NYO2. Click here for a full list of musicians, including hometowns.
 

Photo: Chris Lee

In preparation for its array of performance activities in the New York area and across North America, NYO-USA will once again work with an impressive list of principal players from many of the nation’s top professional orchestras during its training residency. Sarah Ioannides, music director of Symphony Tacoma, joins NYO-USA as its resident conductor for the first time this summer. Other all-star faculty joining include violinist Ying Fu (National Symphony Orchestra), trombonist Kenneth Thompkins (Detroit Symphony Orchestra), harpist Jessica Zhou (Boston Symphony Orchestra), and many more. Click here for a complete list of NYO-USA guest artists and faculty.

Conductor Sir Andrew Davis and NYO-USA take center stage at Carnegie Hall for the orchestra’s annual concert in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage on Friday, July 14 at 8:00 p.m. The program will include the world premiere of Giants of Light by Valerie Coleman (commissioned by Carnegie Hall), Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, and Barber’s Violin Concerto featuring celebrated violinist Gil Shaham.

The orchestra embarks on a robust, seven-city North American tour this summer with debuts at the Groton Hill Music Center (July 13); the Festival de Lanaudière in Joliette, Quebec (July 16); the Nashville Symphony’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center (July 20); the Dallas Symphony’s Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center (July 22); the Frost Amphitheater as part of Stanford Live (July 26); and the Rady Shell in San Diego (July 28). NYO-USA also returns to the Grand Teton Music Festival (July 24), where the orchestra performed in its 2014 US tour.
 

NYO2: Summer 2023 Details

The 89 members of 2023 roster for NYO2—ages 14–17 and coming from 30 states plus Puerto Rico—have been recognized as exceptionally talented musicians who not only embody a very high level of artistry, but who also come from a wide range of backgrounds, representing a bright future for American orchestral music. Ten musicians will be returning to NYO2 from past seasons; in addition, 35 NYO2 musicians from previous years have been accepted to the National Youth Orchestra of the USA this summer. Click here for the full list of NYO2 musicians, including hometowns.
 

Photo: Fadi Kheir

James Ross, music director of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra in Virginia, returns for the tenth year as orchestra director and, for the first time, will work closely with NYO2 during its two-week Purchase residency to prepare the orchestra’s 2023 program. Other stellar NYO2 faculty includes violinist Amy Oshiro Morales (The Philadelphia Orchestra), trumpeter Tage Larson (Chicago Symphony Orchestra), percussionist Marc Damoulakis (The Cleveland Orchestra), and more. Click here for a full list of NYO2 guest artists and faculty.

Conductor Joseph Young—who served as NYO2’s resident conductor for five years—leads the ensemble in his Carnegie Hall debut with violinist Jennifer Koh joining as guest soloist. After performing at Carnegie Hall on Saturday, July 15 at 8:00 p.m., the NYO2 musicians will travel to the Dominican Republic for the ensemble’s first-ever international residency and concerts. NYO2 musicians will give two concerts presented by Fundación Sinfonía at the Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito in Santo Domingo (July 17) and the Gran Teatro del Cibao in Santiago (July 18). The program includes Bernstein’s “Three Dance Episodes” from On the Town; Sibelius’s Violin Concerto, with Koh as soloist; and selections from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet.

A recently published report from researchers at WolfBrown shares detailed findings following six years of studying NYO2. The report considers the practices put into place surrounding the launch and operations of this ensemble, which seeks to create an inclusive experience for young musicians rooted in musical excellence. Click here to read the report.

NYO Jazz: Summer 2023 Details

In its sixth year, the 2023 NYO Jazz band features 22 members—ages 16–19 and hailing from across the US—who have each been recognized by Carnegie Hall as being among the finest jazz players in the country following a comprehensive and highly selective audition process. Click here for the full list of NYO Jazz musicians, including hometowns.
 

Photo: Todd Rosenberg

Led by artistic director and bandleader Sean Jones, NYO Jazz players have the opportunity to work with some of America’s top jazz masters as part of in-depth training workshops in New York City, including saxophonist Sharel Cassity, drummer Quincy Davis, trumpeter Tatum Greenblatt, bassist Mimi Jones, trombonist Javier Nero, pianist Helen Sung, ensemble coach Reginald Thomas, and guitarist Dan Wilson. Click here for a full list of NYO Jazz faculty.

NYO Jazz performs at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, July 25 at 8:00 p.m., led by Sean Jones and featuring NEA Jazz Master and Grammy-winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater. Their summer 2023 program includes “The 29ers,” a new work by Jones (commissioned by Carnegie Hall); arrangements from Terri Lynne Carrington’s project “New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets by Women Composers”; as well as big band gems by Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and Roy Hargrove and contemporary pieces that explore jazz’s influence on hip-hop, R&B, and pop.

Following their New York appearance, NYO Jazz embarks on a two-week European tour, including return visits to the Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam (July 30) and the Young Euro Classic festival at the Konzerthaus Berlin (August 6). The band will make debut performances at the Festival da Jazz in St. Moritz (July 28), the BBC Proms in London (August 1), the Rheingau Musik Festival in Wiesbaden (August 4), and the Lucerne Festival (August 9).
 

CARNEGIE HALL PERFORMANCE LISTINGS:

Friday, July 14 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage

NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Sir Andrew Davis, Conductor
Gil Shaham, Violin

VALERIE COLEMAN Giants of Light (World Premiere, commissioned by Carnegie Hall)
BARBER Violin Concerto, Op. 14
BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique

Sponsored by United Airlines, Airline Partner to the National Youth Ensembles

Tickets: $20–$50
_________________________________________

Saturday, July 15 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage

NYO2
Joseph Young, Conductor
Jennifer Koh, Violin

BERNSTEIN Three Dance Episodes from On the Town
SIBELIUS Violin Concerto
PROKOFIEV Selections from Romeo and Juliet

Tickets: $20–$40
_________________________________________

Tuesday, July 25 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage

NYO JAZZ
Sean Jones, Artistic Director, Bandleader, and Trumpet

with Special Guest
Dee Dee Bridgewater, Vocals

Program to include timeless jazz standards; big-band gems by Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and Roy Hargrove; Carnegie Hall-commissioned music by Sean Jones; arrangements from Terri Lynne Carrington’s project “New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets by Women Composers”; and contemporary pieces that explore jazz’s influence on hip-hop, R&B, and pop.

Tickets: $20–$40
 

NYO-USA Supporters

Lead Donors: Hope and Robert F. Smith, Marina Kellen French and the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, The Kovner Foundation, Beatrice Santo Domingo.

Global Ambassadors: Michael ByungJu Kim and Kyung Ah Park, Hope and Robert F. Smith, and Maggie and Richard Tsai.

Major funding has been provided by Ronald E. Blaylock and Petra Pope, Lorraine Buch Fund for Young Artists, Estate of Joan Eliasoph, Clive and Anya Gillinson, The Carl Jacobs Foundation, Melanie and Jean E. Salata, JMCMRJ Sorrell Foundation, and United Airlines, Airline Partner to the National Youth Ensembles.

Additional funding has been provided by the Alphadyne Foundation, Sarah Arison, The Jack Benny Family Foundation, Mary Anne Huntsman Morgan and The Huntsman Foundation, IAC, Stella and Robert Jones, Martha and Robert Lipp, Beth and Joshua Nash, The Netherland-America Foundation, The Morton H. Meyerson Family Foundation, Linda Wachner, David S. Winter, and Judy Francis Zankel.

Founder Patrons: Blavatnik Family Foundation; Nicola and Beatrice Bulgari; The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation; Marina Kellen French and the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation; The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Family Foundation; Ronald O. Perelman; Robertson Foundation; Beatrice Santo Domingo; Hope and Robert F. Smith; Sarah Billinghurst Solomon and Howard Solomon; and Joan and Sanford I. Weill and the Weill Family Foundation.

NYO2 Supporters

Lead Donors: Hope and Robert F. Smith, Marina Kellen French and the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, The Kovner Foundation, and Beatrice Santo Domingo.

Global Ambassadors: Michael ByungJu Kim and Kyung Ah Park, Hope and Robert F. Smith, and Maggie and Richard Tsai.

Leadership support for NYO2 is provided by Clarissa Alcock Bronfman and Edgar Bronfman, Jr., Estate of Joan Eliasoph, and Mellon Foundation.

Major support for NYO2 is provided by Ronald E. Blaylock and Petra Pope, Clive and Anya Gillinson, Beth and Joshua Nash, Melanie and Jean E. Salata, and Sarah Billinghurst Solomon and Howard Solomon.

Founder Patron: Beatrice Santo Domingo.

With additional funding provided by Alphadyne Foundation, Sarah Arison, Ernst & Young LLP, Stella and Robert Jones, Martha and Robert Lipp, the Morton H. Meyerson Family Foundation, David S. Winter, and Judy Francis Zankel.

Public support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

NYO Jazz Supporters

Lead Donors: Hope and Robert F. Smith, Marina Kellen French and the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, The Kovner Foundation, and Beatrice Santo Domingo.

Global Ambassadors: Michael ByungJu Kim and Kyung Ah Park, Hope and Robert F. Smith, and Maggie and Richard Tsai.

Major support has been provided by Ronald E. Blaylock and Petra Pope, Clive and Anya Gillinson, Melanie and Jean E. Salata, Sarah Billinghurst Solomon and Howard Solomon, and Joyce and George Wein Foundation, Inc.

Additional support has been provided by the Alphadyne Foundation, Sarah Arison, Stella and Robert Jones, Martha and Robert Lipp, Beth and Joshua Nash, and David S. Winter.