America's Finest Teen Instrumentalists Form Carnegie Hall's Three National Youth Ensembles This July

This July, Carnegie Hall will bring together more than 200 of the finest teen musicians from across the country to perform as part of its three acclaimed national youth ensembles: 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. In total, 212 musicians will take part in this year's program, representing 40 US states plus Puerto Rico. This summer marks the first time since 2019 that the ensembles will perform at Carnegie Hall and embark on performance tours.

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.

On July 16, the musicians will arrive at Purchase College, SUNY from across the country to begin their training residency. NYO-USA and NYO2 musicians will work with leading players from America's top professional orchestras, and NYO Jazz players 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, chamber music, and other seminars on essential music skills. During the residency, there will be opportunities for exchange activities among the three ensembles, giving classical and jazz instrumentalists the chance to collaborate and learn from each other.

"We are thrilled to bring top-quality musicians of NYO-USA, NYO2, and NYO Jazz together again for an extraordinary summer of music-making," said Clive Gillinson, Carnegie Hall's Executive and Artistic Director. "This summer is especially meaningful as it's the first time since 2019 that the ensembles will perform at Carnegie Hall and embark on tours across the United States and the world, acting as musical ambassadors for our country. The musicians featured in the three ensembles remind us of the incredible musical talent in the USA, coming from almost every part of the country. They are not only superb players but also fine citizens of the world, dedicated to connecting with people across cultures."

New music has always been a key component of the national youth ensembles. This summer, two new works written by NYO-USA's 2022 apprentice composers Yuri Lee and Taki Salameh will be performed during the residency. 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 Jazz will play a diverse program including a new work by Brooklyn-based composer and Secret Society bandleader Darcy James Argue (commissioned by Carnegie Hall); a piece inspired by the life and work of activist Ida B. Wells by bassist Endea Owens; and a new arrangement of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "Lift Every Voice and Sing" by John Clayton, as they share this uniquely American music on tour across the country. Additional repertoire highlights this summer include NYO-USA performing Mahler's Symphony No. 5 and Elgar's Cello Concerto and NYO2 performing Jessie Montgomery's Soul Force, Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances, and Gershwin's Piano Concerto.

On June 24, NYO Jazz will release its first full-length studio album, We're Still Here, featuring Artistic Director and bandleader/trumpeter Sean Jones and special guest Melissa Aldana on tenor saxophone, plus an appearance by trombonist Wycliffe Gordon. We're Still Here features four new works written for the band since its inception, a range of classic and contemporary charts that are hallmarks of its live concerts, and works exploring themes that include social justice, resilience, and the power of music to spark joy. The album was recorded during the ensemble's summer 2021 training residency at Purchase College, SUNY, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. A summer that began with the disappointment of a year without touring evolved into the opportunity to create this 97-minute showcase of the incredible artistry and enormous versatility of this ensemble, a recording reaching audiences around the world just as the ensemble resumes touring this summer 2022.

Upcoming Summer 2022 Performances

All three ensembles take the Carnegie Hall stage in the span of five days, starting with NYO Jazz led by Artistic Director and Bandleader Sean Jones and featuring Grammy Award-nominated vocalist Jazzmeia Horn on Thursday, July 28 at 8:00 p.m., followed by NYO-USA with Daniel Harding and cellist Alisa Weilerstein on Friday, July 29 at 8:00 p.m., and concluding with NYO2 conducted by Mei-Ann Chen and featuring pianist Aaron Diehl on Monday, August 1 at 8:00 p.m.

Following NYO-USA's Carnegie Hall performance, the orchestra returns to Europe, making debuts at the Ravello Festival and the Lucerne Festival, as well as returning to the Young Euro Classic Festival in Berlin and the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. NYO Jazz will tour the United States for the first time, joined by vocalist Jazzmeia Horn, with performances in Cleveland, Chautauqua, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Detroit, Madison, and Washington, D.C. NYO2 returns to Miami Beach, Florida through a continued partnership with the New World Symphony, America's Orchestral Academy (NWS) for a five-day residency, including a performance at the New World Center with pianist Aaron Diehl. 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 2022 Details

This summer's NYO-USA is comprised of 109 members-ages 16-19 and hailing from 34 US states-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 29 musicians from previous seasons as well as 33 musicians who gained experience through NYO2. Click here for a full list of musicians, including hometowns.

In preparation for its array of performance activities in the New York area and abroad, 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. James Ross, music director of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, returns to lead the NYO-USA faculty for a tenth consecutive year. Other all-star faculty joining include violinist Elisa Barston (Seattle Symphony), oboist Titus Underwood (Nashville Symphony), trumpeter Esteban Batallán (Chicago Symphony Orchestra), and many more. Click here for a complete list of NYO-USA guest artists and faculty.

Conductor Daniel Harding and NYO-USA take center stage at Carnegie Hall for the orchestra's annual concert in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage on Friday, July 29 at 8:00 p.m. The program will include Mahler's Symphony No. 5, and Elgar's Cello Concerto featuring renowned cellist Alisa Weilerstein.

The orchestra then departs to Europe for debut performances as part of Italy's Ravello Festival (August 7) and Switzerland's Lucerne Festival (August 10). NYO-USA also returns to the Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam (August 2)-where their performance in 2016 was heralded as "downright fantastic" (de Folkskrant)-and kicks off the Young Euro Classic series at Konzerthaus Berlin (August 5). This summer marks the first time NYO-USA will be able to perform at the Hall and tour internationally since 2019.

NYO2-Summer 2022 Details

The 81 members of NYO2 2019-ages 14-17 and coming from 27 US 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. Fourteen musicians will be returning to NYO2 from past seasons, and 33 prior members of NYO2 have been accepted for NYO-USA this summer. Click here for the full list of NYO2 musicians, including hometowns..

Joseph Young, Music Director of the Berkeley Symphony and Artistic Director of Ensembles at the Peabody Institute, returns as NYO2's resident conductor, and the students will also have the opportunity to work with James Ross and leading players from professional orchestras across the country. Click here for a full list of NYO2 guest artists and faculty.

For the third time, the musicians of NYO2 will travel to Miami Beach for a five-day residency made possible through a continued partnership with the New World Symphony, America's Orchestral Academy (NWS). As part of their training, NYO2 players will work with NWS Fellows leading up to a performance at the New World Center led by conductor Mei-Ann Chen on Saturday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m. The program includes Jessie Montgomery's Soul Force, Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances, and Gershwin's Piano Concerto, featuring pianist Aaron Diehl as soloist. The New World Center concert will be livestreamed for audiences everywhere.

Following their Miami residency, the NYO2 musicians return to New York for a culminating performance at Carnegie Hall on Monday, August 1 at 8:00 p.m.

NYO Jazz-Summer 2022 Details

NYO Jazz returns in 2022 for its fifth year, following the June 24 release of its first-ever album, We're Still Here, this summer. The 22 members of NYO Jazz 2022-ages 16-19 and hailing from around the country-have 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.

Led by Artistic Director and Bandleader Sean Jones, NYO Jazz players will have the opportunity to work with some of America's top jazz artists as part of in-depth training workshops, including bassist Luques Curtis, trumpeter Tanya Darby, trombonist Marshall Gilkes, drummer Allison Miller, pianist Shamie Royston, saxophonist Lauren Sevian, 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 Thursday, July 28 at 8:00 p.m., led by Jones and featuring Grammy Award-nominated vocalist Jazzmeia Horn for a program to include new works by Darcy James Argue (commissioned by Carnegie Hall) and Endea Owens; a new arrangement of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "Lift Every Voice and Sing" by John Clayton; selections from Ms. Horn's new Grammy Award-nominated album Dear Love; as well as big band classics by Bob Brookmeyer, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, and Mary Lou Williams.

Following their New York appearance, NYO Jazz will embark on its first-ever US tour, with performances at: Cleveland, OH on July 30 (Tri-C Metro Auditorium); Chautauqua, NY on August 1 (Chautauqua Amphitheater); Pittsburgh, PA on August 2 (The August Wilson African American Cultural Center); Chicago, IL on August 4 (Navy Pier, Lake Stage in Polk Bros Park); Detroit, MI on August 5 (Orchestra Hall, The Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center); Madison, WI on August 7 (Wisconsin Union Theater); and Washington, D.C. on August 9 (The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts).

Carnegie Hall PERFORMANCE LISTINGS:

Thursday, July 28 at 8:00 p.m.

Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
NYO JAZZ
Sean Jones, Artistic Director, Bandleader, and Trumpet

with Special Guest
Jazzmeia Horn, Vocalist

Program to include works by Bob Brookmeyer, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, and Mary Lou Williams, new works by Darcy James Argue (commissioned by Carnegie Hall) and Endea Owens, a new arrangement by John Clayton, and selections from Jazzmeia Horn's Grammy Award-nominated album Dear Love.

Tickets: $20-$40
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Friday, July 29 at 8:00 p.m.

Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Daniel Harding, Conductor
Alisa Weilerstein, Cello

ELGAR Cello Concerto in E Minor
G. MAHLER Symphony No. 5

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

Tickets: $20-$60
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Monday, August 1 at 8:00 p.m.

Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
NYO2
Mei-Ann Chen, Conductor
Aaron Diehl, Piano

with
Fellows of the New World Symphony, America's Orchestral Academy

JESSIE MONTGOMERY Soul Force
GERSHWIN Piano Concerto in F
RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances

Tickets: $20-$40