89 Teen Musicians Selected for Carnegie Hall's NYO2 in Summer 2023

Carnegie Hall has announced the names of the 89 young musicians selected from across the country for NYO2, an intensive summer orchestral training program for outstanding American instrumentalists, ages 14-17. The members of NYO2 2023-coming from 30 US states plus Puerto Rico-have been recognized by Carnegie Hall as exceptionally talented musicians who not only embody a very high level of artistry, but also come from a wide range of backgrounds including communities that have often been underserved by and underrepresented in the field. Ten musicians are returning to NYO2 from previous seasons. In addition, 35 musicians who previously took part in NYO2 have been accepted to the 2023 edition of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA) this summer.

See below or click here for the names, instruments, and hometowns of the members of NYO2 2023.

After performing at Carnegie Hall on Saturday, July 15, 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 and take part in cross-cultural youth exchange activities, serving as musical ambassadors for their country. Conductor Joseph Young, who previously was NYO2's resident conductor for five years, leads the ensemble with violinist Jennifer Koh joining as guest soloist. 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.

"We are thrilled to congratulate the remarkable teen musicians who will come together as NYO2 this summer as the ensemble embarks on its first-ever international residency," said Clive Gillinson, Carnegie Hall's Executive and Artistic Director. "These excellent young players will have the opportunity to share their talents with audiences at Carnegie Hall and in the Dominican Republic where they will serve as musical ambassadors for their country. It's also exciting to us that Joseph Young joins this year as guest conductor after many years playing a major role in mentoring and preparing these bright young musicians for their concerts."

The NYO2 program begins in early July with an intensive two-week training residency at Purchase College, State University of New York, located just north of New York City. 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 to prepare its 2023 program. The faculty will oversee rehearsals during the orchestra's residency in Purchase, also working with the musicians in master classes and sectionals, in preparation for the culminating concerts in New York and the Dominican Republic.

Tickets for NYO2's concert at Carnegie Hall will go on sale to the general public on Monday, April 24. Tickets can be purchased at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, or at carnegiehall.org. Discounted student tickets are available online for verified Student Insiders only - all other youth tickets must be purchased at the box office or over the phone.

NYO2 2023 Orchestra Roster

+ Prior NYO2 member

Alabama
Cuewon Kim, Viola (Vestavia Hills) +

Arizona
Daniel Kang, Orchestral Keyboard (Laveen)
Campbell Stewart, Timpani & Percussion (Tucson)

California
Cara Xu, Flute (Arcadia)
Jesse Hu, Oboe (Diamond Bar)
Benjamin Jiang, Cello (Elk Grove)
Jonathan Yuen, Timpani & Percussion (Fremont) +
Natalie Kwok, Cello (Fullerton) +
Jiyu Lee, Violin (Fullerton)
Paul Gong, Bass (Irvine)
Noah La Porte, Bass (Pasadena)
Euisun Hong, Violin (Pleasanton)
Brianna Baek, Violin (San Diego)
Kayla Lee, Violin (San Jose)
Sarang Narasimhan, Violin (Saratoga)
Andrea Chavez, Bass (Seaside)
Kara Wong, Viola (Tustin)
Josephine Velez, Cello (Yorba Linda)

Connecticut
Katherine Mombo, Violin (Southbury)
Grace Yoon, Bassoon (Wallingford)

Delaware
Daniel Qi, Violin (Wilmington)

Florida
Nelson Keakopa, Trumpet (Jacksonville)
TJ Shistle, Trombone (Jacksonville) +
Luke Valian Malobay, Timpani & Percussion (Jacksonville)
Nathan Goldin, Horn (Jupiter) +
Jordan Wilson, Horn (Lake Worth)
Archangel Luniw, Violin (Melbourne)
Alexandra Perez, Viola (Miami)
Leila Warren, Violin (Ponte Vedra Beach)
Eva Taurina, Viola (Sanford)
Leah Flynn, Violin (Sanford)

Georgia
Ian Lilly, Trombone (Acworth)
Irene Tang, Horn (Atlanta)
Angelina Lu, Violin (Atlanta)
Faith Meshida, Violin (Dacula)
Eugenie Lim, Violin (Kennesaw)
Christian Phanhthourath, Cello (Marietta)
Sasha Tarassenko, Flute (Norcross)

Hawaii
Seva Swan, Violin (Mililani)

Illinois
Wan Williams, Timpani & Percussion (Chicago)

Indiana
Braden Riley, Violin (Evansville)

Kansas
Christine Miller, Violin (Emporia)

Massachusetts
Caleb Graupera, Cello (Weston)

Maryland
James Jiyu Obasiolu, Cello (Columbia)
Luke Zegowitz, Oboe (Crofton)
Olivia Cai, Violin (Ellicott City)
Samuel Lee, Bassoon (Laurel)
Katherine Eunbee Song, Viola (Potomac)

Maine
Benjamin Rosenthal, Violin (Damariscotta)

Michigan
Anna Lee, Violin (Ann Arbor)

Minnesota
Christian Garner, Trumpet (Minnetonka)

Missouri
Caden Helmer, Alto & Tenor Saxophone (Blue Springs) +

Nebraska
Pauline Lee, Violin (Omaha)

New Jersey
Isabelle Son, Viola (Cresskill)
Margaret Eidel, Horn (Toms River)

New York
Irene Lee, Oboe (Great Neck)
Annie Yu, Viola (Great Neck)
Indio Duran, Bass (Hillburn)
Sua Choi, Cello (Jericho)
Jonathan D. So, Viola (Manlius)
Eileen Li, Timpani & Percussion (New York)
Ennya Liang, Viola (New York)
Santiago Del Curto, Clarinet (Queens) +
Liana D. Logan, Bass (Queens)
Yuuki Donnelly, Violin (Rocky Point)
Melody Shen, Flute (Scarsdale)
James (Jihao) Liu, Tuba (Scarsdale)
Christopher LeDoux, Trumpet (Staten Island) +
Ian Chung, Viola (Vestal)

Ohio
Vivian Chang, Violin (Mason)
Emily Lipper, Trumpet (Oregon)
Travis Phillips, Bass (Pepper Pike)

Oklahoma
Kelsey Waters, Clarinet (Mustang)
Kathy Liu, Cello (Stillwater)
Stephan Zhang, Violin (Stillwater)

Oregon
Ryan Jun, Violin (Beaverton)
Luke D'Silva, Viola (Portland) +

Pennsylvania
Sophia Jho, Harp (Pittsburgh) +

Puerto Rico
Angélica María Gómez Rosado, Viola (Arecibo)
Dylan Alvira Correa, Horn (Carolina)

South Carolina
Cadence Shevy, Violin (Rock Hill)

Tennessee
Oscar Edgardo Ruiz, Cello (Bartlett)

Texas
Luis Rangel, Clarinet (Brownsville)
Marco Longoria, Bass (Heath)
Leah Wu, Bassoon (Katy)
Jun Park, Violin (Wichita Falls)

Utah
Meg McMurtrey, Violin (Eagle Mountain)

Virginia
Justin Smith, Bass Trombone (Vienna)

Wyoming
Evan Whipple, Violin (Casper)

About NYO2

Created by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute in summer 2016, NYO2 brings together outstanding young American instrumentalists ages 14-17 for a summer orchestral training program that includes a residency and an exciting concert at Carnegie Hall. Running in conjunction with the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America's (NYO-USA's) summer residency at Purchase College, State University of New York (SUNY), NYO2 offers an opportunity for younger participants to play alongside exceptionally talented peers and learn from a world-class faculty. With a focus on actively recruiting talented young players from across the country, the program aims to expand the pool of young musicians equipped with the tools to succeed at the highest level, particularly those who come from communities that have been underserved by and underrepresented in the classical music field.

NYO2 has been celebrated for "technical mastery, musicianship and panache to rival anyone" (New York Classical Review) in its performances. Over the past six years, NYO2 has performed in concert with The Philadelphia Orchestra and has been in residency with the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, in addition to annual performances at Carnegie Hall. Stellar conductors and soloists from across the globe have collaborated with the ensemble including Mei-Ann Chen, Aaron Diehl, Giancarlo Guerrero, Gabriela Montero, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Gil Shaham, and Esperanza Spalding. The orchestra has also taken part in digital video projects, including world-premiere performance of Molly Joyce's Side by Side.

NYO2 is one of Carnegie Hall's three acclaimed national youth orchestras which also include NYO-USA for outstanding classical musicians (ages 16-19), celebrating its tenth anniversary season this summer, and NYO Jazz for the nation's finest jazz instrumentalists (ages 16-19). Each of these prestigious national programs-free to all participants-is dedicated to the proposition that talented young musicians thrive when given the opportunity to expand their musical, social, and cultural horizons and share their artistry with audiences around the globe. Over the last decade, well over a thousand young musicians have performed in the Hall's three national youth ensembles, creating a unique musical community, spotlighting musical excellence found across the United States and transforming countless lives.

To learn more, visit carnegiehall.org/nyo2.