(June 12, 2018; NEW YORK, NY)—This July, Carnegie Hall will bring together more than 200 of the finest young musicians from across the country to take part in its acclaimed trio of national youth ensembles: the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America(NYO-USA), NYO2, and NYO Jazz, a new group that makes its debut this summer, celebrating this uniquely American musical art form. All three ensembles will take part in an intensive training residency at Purchase College, State University of New York 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, the musicians of NYO-USA, NYO2, and NYO Jazz represent 36 US states plus Puerto Rico, reflecting both the highest level of musical talent as well as exceptional diversity found across the country. All three programs are free for all participants, ensuring that all aspiring young players who are accepted have the opportunity to take part.

On July 1, NYO-USA and NYO2 musicians will begin their residency at Purchase College, working with principal players from some of the country’s finest professional orchestras. In addition to full orchestra rehearsals, the young musicians will take part in master classes, private lessons, chamber music readings, and other seminars on essential music skills. There will also be opportunities for side-by-side rehearsals, mentorship, and exchange activities between both ensembles. On July 15, the inaugural members of NYO Jazz arrive, getting the opportunity to train with leading jazz players from across the country leading up to their debut concert at Carnegie Hall.

Youth orchestra musicians from the New York City area will have the opportunity to join the NYO experience on Saturday, July 7 at 2:00 p.m. through NYO in NYC, a massive side-by-side rehearsal and performance at 583 Park Avenue, a landmark building on New York City’s Upper East Side. Repertoire will include excerpts from Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 and Saint-Saëns’ “Organ” Symphony, as well as “America the Beautiful.” NYO-USA Orchestra Director James Ross and Resident Conductor Joseph Young will lead the combined forces in rehearsal before the mega-orchestra (made up of 200–300 musicians) gives a performance. (Participation is free, although registration is required.)

One week later, on Sunday, July 15 at 2:00 p.m., NYO-USA and NYO2 musicians will travel toCaramoor Center for Music and the Arts to take part in the 2nd Annual Chamber Feast. Twenty-seven chamber ensembles made up of NYO-USA and NYO2 players will perform for free throughout the Caramoor grounds leading up to the mainstage performances starting at 4:00 p.m.

All three ensembles then take the Carnegie Hall stage in the span of nine days, starting with NYO-USA led by Michael Tilson Thomas and featuring pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet on Thursday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m., followed by NYO2 with Carlos Miguel Prieto and violinist Gil Shaham on Tuesday, July 24 at 7:30 p.m., and NYO Jazz making their international debut in a special performance led bySean Jones and featuring vocalist Dianne Reeves and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon on Friday, July 27 at 8:00 p.m.

“We are thrilled to bring the musicians of NYO-USA and NYO2 together again for another extraordinary summer of music-making, and welcome NYO Jazz for the very first time,” said Clive Gillinson, Carnegie Hall’s Executive and Artistic Director. “We formed these three ensembles to shine a spotlight on the great depth of musical talent found across the United States, providing a unique opportunity for the finest young players to train and perform at the highest level, while also serving as cultural ambassadors for their country overseas and making meaningful connections with audiences around the world. We invite everyone to be inspired by these musicians’ exceptional playing, their spirit of learning and discovery, and their commitment to making a difference through the universal language of music.”

Following their Carnegie Hall performance, the members of NYO-USA will travel to Asia for performances in Beijing and Shanghai, as well as debut concerts in Taipei, Seoul, and Daejeon. NYO Jazz will head to Europe for the group’s inaugural tour, with concerts in Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Germany. And NYO2 will visit Miami Beach, Florida for the first time this summer, partnering with the New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy (NWS) for a six-day residency, including a performance at the New World Center.

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

National Youth Orchestra of the USA—Summer 2018 Details
The members of NYO-USA 2018—ages 16–19, and hailing from 28 US states plus Puerto Rico—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 36 musicians from previous seasons as well as 18 musicians who participated previously in 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 Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès in Spain, returns to lead the NYO-USA faculty for a sixth consecutive year.Click here for a complete list of NYO-USA guest artists and faculty.

Following an open dress rehearsal at Purchase College, SUNY, Michael Tilson Thomas and NYO-USA take center stage at Carnegie Hall for the orchestra’s annual concert in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage on Thursday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m. The program will include the world premiere ofBrass Tacks, a new work by composer Ted Hearne, specially commissioned by Carnegie Hall for NYO-USA, alongside Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2 and Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F Major with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet.

The orchestra then flies to Asia for a debut performance at the Taipei National Concert Hall (July 24), followed by Shanghai Symphony Hall (July 27), and a return to the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing (July 29). The tour then continues in South Korea, with concerts at Lotte Hall in Seoul (August 1), and the Daejeon Culture and Arts Center (August 3).

NYO2—Summer 2018 Details 
The members of NYO2 2018—ages 14–17, and coming from 24 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 future for American orchestral music that includes communities which have often been underserved by and underrepresented in the field. Twenty-two musicians will be returning to NYO2 from past seasons, and 18 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, Artistic Director of Ensembles at the Peabody Institute, will serve as NYO2’s resident conductor, and the students will also have the opportunity to work with James Ross, Ruth Reinhardt, Assistant Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and leading players from professional orchestras across the country. Click here for a full list of NYO2 guest artists and faculty.

For the first time, the musicians of NYO2 will travel to Miami Beach for a six-day residency following their time at Purchase College, made possible through a new partnership with the New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy (NWS), itself devoted to training the next generation of classical musicians through an experiential curriculum of hands-on training, live performance, and community engagement. As part of their training, NYO2 players will have the opportunity to work with NWS Fellows and alumni leading up to a performance at the New World Center, led by conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto on Saturday, July 21 at 8:30 p.m. The Miami community will be able to experience the performance for free as a WALLCAST® concert, NWS’ format in which performances inside the New World Center are projected outdoors on the 7,000-square-foot eastern façade of the building for viewing in adjacent SoundScape Park, which is equipped with over 160 Meyer Sound speakers for an immersive sound experience. During their time in Miami, the NYO2 members will also have opportunities to play and learn side-by-side with local young musicians from a summer camp run by the Greater Miami Youth Symphony.

Following their Miami residency, the NYO2 musicians return to New York for a culminating performance at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, July 24 at 7:30 p.m. in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, with a program to include Silvestre Revueltas’ Suite from Redes (arr. Erich Kleiber), Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, and Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1, featuring Gil Shaham.

NYO Jazz—Summer 2018 Details 
The 22 inaugural members of NYO Jazz—ages 16–19, and representing 16 US states—have been recognized by Carnegie Hall as being among the finest jazz players in the country following a comprehensive and highly competitive audition process. Click here for the full list of NYO Jazz musicians, including hometowns.

Led in their inaugural year by esteemed trumpeter and educator Sean Jones, NYO Jazz members will have the opportunity to work with some of America's top jazz artists during their residency, including drummer Obed Calvaire, trumpeter Etienne Charles, pianist Gerald Clayton, trombonistWycliffe Gordon, flutist and saxophonist Erica von Kleist, bassist Mimi Jones, guitarist Matthew Stevens, and ensemble coach Reggie Thomas. Click here for a full list of NYO Jazz faculty.

Following an open dress rehearsal at Purchase College, SUNY, NYO Jazz will make its Carnegie Hall debut in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage on Friday, July 27 at 8:00 p.m., led by Sean Jones and featuring special guests Dianne Reeves and Wycliffe Gordon. The program will range from big band standards to the first two Carnegie Hall-commissioned works for NYO Jazz, a new piece by saxophonist Miguel Zenón and a new arrangement from bassist John Clayton, as well as other arrangements of contemporary pieces that explore jazz's influence on hip-hop, R&B, and pop music.

Following their New York appearance, NYO Jazz will embark on its first-ever international tour, with stops in Europe's great music capitals, including debut performances with Sean Jones and Dianne Reeves at The Apex in Bury-St Edmunds (July 31), Cadogan Hall in London (August 1), Robeco SummerNights at the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam (August 2), the Edinburgh International Festival (August 5), the Kultursommer Nordhessen in Kassel, Germany (August 8), and the Young Euro Classic Festival at the Konzerthaus Berlin (August 10). 

CARNEGIE HALL PERFORMANCE LISTINGS:

Thursday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Michael Tilson Thomas, Conductor
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Piano

TED HEARNE Brass Tacks (World Premiere, commissioned by Carnegie Hall)
GERSHWIN Piano Concerto in F Major
SIBELIUS Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43

Tickets: $25–$65