Shauna Quill To Remain Executive Director Of The New York Youth Symphony

The New York Youth Symphony (NYYS) has announced that Shauna Quill will remain executive director of the organization and will not step down as previously announced. The NYYS Board of Trustees and Quill came to a mutual agreement that, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is in the best interest of the organization to maintain its current leadership.

Quill's quick reaction, institutional knowledge, and leadership allowed NYYS to smoothly shift its operations and curriculum to an online, remote model.

"I am grateful for our artistic and administrative teams who have partnered exceptionally well to adapt to an unusual and alternative mode of working," said Quill. "I look forward to leading our programs into next season and beyond."

On behalf of the NYYS Board of Trustees, Board President William Kapell said, "Shauna has led the NYYS staff through this unprecedented situation phenomenally. With our current team in place I know the NYYS mission to educate and inspire young musicians will continue to thrive."

All of NYYS's programs - Orchestra, Jazz, Chamber Music, Composition, Musical Theater Songwriting, and Conducting - have moved to online curriculum this spring, including seminars, practice and listening assignments, and masterclasses, to keep NYYS students musically active, engaged, and looking ahead to next season.

In a moving display of hope, community and resilience, 71 members of the NYYS Orchestra came together virtually from home isolation to perform a selection from Mahler's Symphony No. 1, "Titan." The video, which was edited by NYYS violinist Raina Tung, has been shared widely. It was also broadcast as part of an online benefit on April 21 by the Real Estate Council of Carnegie Hall and the YMWREA Foundation to raise funds for healthcare professionals at Mount Sinai Hospital. Watch the video: https://youtu.be/ezZosUYlvMo

The NYYS also launched a new social distancing, social media practice challenge for its students using the hashtag #PleaseDontStopTheMusic. Students are sending video of themselves taking various practice challenges issued by their program directors, which NYYS is sharing via social media. Follow NYYS on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to view the challenge results.

Under Quill's leadership since 2011, the NYYS has expanded its outreach into the community through artistic partnerships with organizations including the Harmony Program, Youth Orchestra of St. Luke's, Orpheus Ensemble, DeCoda and Harlem School for the Arts, among others; initiated the organization's first in-school residency in the South Bronx and created the new Musical Theater Songwriting program; embarked on its first-ever international tours to Argentina (2015), Brazil (2016), and Spain (2019); expanded the profile of the First Music commissioning program through a partnership with Interlochen Center for the Arts; and created Pipeline to Success, which includes over $50K in scholarships and fellowships to students from underserved communities. She spearheaded searches for artistic directors for the orchestra, jazz, musical theater, and First Music programs, bringing in award-winning artists to the organization. Quill also secured the NYYS's financial future by completing the organization's endowment campaign, spearheading the highest grossing special events in NYYS history, and obtaining first-time grants from organizations including the Ford Foundation and New York State Council on the Arts. During her tenure, she led marketing and public relations efforts which included performances on CBS Sunday Morning, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Public Theater's Public Works production of Odyssey in Central Park, and more.

The New York Youth Symphony educates and inspires young musicians through its Orchestra, Jazz, Chamber Music, Composition, Musical Theater Songwriting, Apprentice Conducting, and First Music commissioning programs. The 2019-2020 season has included four world premieres of new works commissioned through the First Music program, composed for the Orchestra and Jazz ensembles.

Founded in 1963, the NYYS is internationally recognized for its award-winning and innovative educational programs for talented young musicians. As the premier independent music education organization for ensemble training in the New York metropolitan area, the NYYS has provided over 6,000 music students unparalleled opportunities to perform at world-class venues including Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, National Sawdust, Joe's Pub, and TheTimesCenter, and to study with world-renowned artists. Beyond the instruction from accomplished musicians, students gain valuable life skills - commitment, discipline, focus, collaboration - and friendships that last a lifetime.

The NYYS is committed to partnering with traditionally underrepresented communities to create pathways for young people to find their way to music, and to a life in music. These community partnerships go beyond the stage to in-school residencies, free community concerts, and family involvement, and make music accessible to a wider and more diverse audience. The NYYS partners with organizations including the Harmony Program, Harlem School for the Arts, SongSpace, Maestra, the Youth Orchestra of St. Luke's, Interlochen Arts Academy, BMI and ASCAP. It offers fellowships to its current students and alumni/ae through the Vargas-Vetter/Ukena, Van Lier, and Orpheus Arts Management programs.

For more information, please visit www.nyys.org.