TEEN INSTRUMENTALISTS FROM ACROSS AMERICA CONVENE VIRTUALLY
IN JULY FOR NYO-USA, NYO2, AND NYO JAZZ,
WITH 200+ TALENTED YOUNG MUSICIANS TRAINING AND COLLABORATING
WITH ESTEEMED PROFESSIONAL CLASSICAL AND JAZZ ARTISTS
From July 6-17, Carnegie Hall’s Three National Youth Ensembles
Engage In Wide Range of Musical Experiences Online
Including Masterclasses, Joint Music-Making Activities,
Career Building Workshops, and More
NYO Performances from Previous Seasons Featured On New Online Series,
Learn with Carnegie Hall, and on medici.tv During Weekend of July 10 
Throughout the two-week online residency, these talented classical and jazz musicians (ages 14-19) will engage with a stellar faculty made up of leading players from America’s top professional orchestras and top jazz masters. During the residency, there will be opportunities for a wide array of virtual musical experiences, including private lessons and master classes, listening sessions, and mentoring.
Under the direction of Orchestra Director James Ross and Resident Conductor Joseph Young, NYO-USA and NYO2 will explore musical masterworks, including Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances. Artistic Director and Bandleader Sean Jones will lead NYO Jazz in preparation for the virtual world premiere of a new work, Fête dans la Tête, by John Beasley, commissioned especially for NYO Jazz, as well as Thad Jones’s Cherry Juice. All three ensembles will record virtual performance video projects during the residency, directed by Emmy Award-winner Habib Azar, to be released later this summer.
In addition, the young musicians will have the opportunity to take part in a range of sessions with special guests, including a digital workshop with four-time Grammy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer Jacob Collier; a panel discussion on gender in jazz; an improvisation workshop with interactive performer Nick Demeris;a movement workshop with dancer Terese Capucilli from The Juilliard School; and an exploration of new music with celebrated composer Sean Shepherd. As part of the inspiring NYO community, the players will also have the chance to engage with the Fellows of New World Symphony and peer advisory activities with NYO program alumni, participating in workshops on essential music skills and career building, gaining insight into the life of a professional musician.
“We are always inspired by the amazing musicianship, creativity, enthusiasm, and ingenuity of our national youth ensembles,” said Clive Gillinson, Executive and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall. “Although we wish we could all be together in person this summer, we are excited to host this virtual community offering everyone the opportunity to collaborate and engage with one another from home, learning from and engaging with a world-class faculty.”
“At a time when young musicians around the country have been at home, seeking meaningful ways to continue to learn and make music with others, we are happy to be offering high-quality virtual training and performance opportunities that have become a hallmark of our national youth ensembles,” said Sarah Johnson, Chief Education Officer and Director of Weill Music Institute. “We know how valuable it is for young people to stay connected with their peers, especially during these challenging times, and NYO is a fantastic way for them to continue their musical discovery, elevate their playing, and connect with one another.”
All 200+ members of the 2020 national youth ensembles were selected through a highly-competitive audition process. The musician rosters for the NYO-USA, NYO2, and NYO Jazz, including names and hometowns, are available on Carnegie Hall’s website.
The 2020 NYO faculty is comprised of principal players from twenty leading American orchestras and esteemed jazz artists, each dedicated to training the next generation of musicians. As part of their two-week online residency, each NYO player will have the opportunity to have two private lessons with these top professional musicians. Lists of faculty members for NYO-USA, NYO2, and NYO Jazz are also available online.
For Audiences at Home: NYO-USA, NYO2, and NYO Jazz Online
Highlights of past performances by the National Youth Orchestra of the USA, NYO2, and NYO Jazz are in the spotlight for a special episode of the new online series, Learn with Carnegie Hall, now available for free on-demand viewing. National Youth Ensembles: Where Are They Now? includes popular archival content from past tours and concerts, previews what the latest group of talented NYO musicians will be up to this summer; and visits with alumni of all three national youth ensembles to learn more about how their NYO experiences helped to shape who they are today. Learn with Carnegie Hall shares stories from a wide range of programming spearheaded by the Hall’s Weill Music Institute and Ensemble Connect. Free episodes are available to stream weekly via carnegiehall.org/learn and the Hall’s Facebook and YouTube channels and can also be streamed on-demand following the webcast date.
Beginning on Friday, July 10, a special online program featuring excerpts from concerts around the world by the Carnegie Hall’s national youth ensembles will be put back online as part of the new weekly series Carnegie Hall Fridays, presented in partnership with medici.tv. This special musical event will be streamed from both the medici.tv platform and carnegiehall.org and made available for audiences worldwide, free of charge, throughout the weekend. The program will remain available to watch on-demand for 72 hours from Friday, 9:00 a.m. CET (Paris time) to Monday, 9:00 a.m. CET.
About Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Ensembles
Each summer, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute brings together extraordinary teen classical and jazz musicians from across the country to form its highly-acclaimed national youth ensembles. Following a highly selective audition process and two-week training residency at Purchase College, State University of New York with faculty made up of principal players from top professional orchestras and leading jazz masters, these remarkable teenagers perform at Carnegie Hall and embark on tours to some of the great music capitals around the world, serving as dynamic music ambassadors.
Since launching the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (ages 16-19) in 2013, Carnegie Hall has built on the program’s success by introducing two additional ensembles. These include NYO2, a sister ensemble for younger teens (ages 14-17) 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 the program’s inception in 2013, the ensembles have performed in leading concert halls in 15 countries around the world, thrilling audiences across Europe, North America, South America, and Asia, collaborating with internationally-renowned conductors and guest soloists.
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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, and Nicola and Beatrice Bulgari.
Global Ambassadors: Hope and Robert F. Smith, and Maggie and Richard Tsai.
Major funding has been provided by The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The Carl Jacobs Foundation, JMCMRJ Sorrell Foundation, and Joyce and George Wein Foundation, Inc.
Additional funding has been provided by Sarah Arison, The Jack Benny Family Foundation, Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, and Mary Anne Huntsman Morgan and The Huntsman Foundation.
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: Hope and Robert F. Smith, and Maggie and Richard Tsai.
Leadership support for NYO2 is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Major support for NYO2 is provided by Sarah Billinghurst Solomon and Howard Solomon, and Joyce and George Wein Foundation, Inc.
Founder Patron: Beatrice Santo Domingo.
With additional funding provided by Ardian US Foundation, Sarah Arison, and Ernst & Young LLP.
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: Hope and Robert F. Smith, and Maggie and Richard Tsai.
Major support has been provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and Clive and Anya Gillinson, Sarah Billinghurst Solomon and Howard Solomon, and Joyce and George Wein Foundation, Inc.
Additional support has been provided by Sarah Arison, and Bank of America.
***** Learn more about NYO-USA, NYO2, and NYO Jazz.
Like NYO-USA and NYO2 on Facebook.
Like NYO Jazz on Facebook.
Follow NYO-USA, NYO2, and NYO Jazz on Instagram.
Follow on Twitter at #NYOUSA, #NYO2, and #NYOJazz.
See more on YouTube.
Image at top of release by © Todd Rosenberg
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