Carnegie Hall

(NEW YORK, NY; July 10, 2024)—This August, NYO2—one of Carnegie Hall’s three national youth ensembles made up of extraordinary teen instrumentalists from across the United States—travels south for the ensemble’s first ever performance and educational activities in Dallas, Texas, led by conductor Teddy Abrams, Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra.

Before NYO2’s departure, the young musicians will train with top professional players from leading American orchestras in an intensive two-week residency at Purchase College, State University of New York (SUNY) and perform as a part of World Orchestra Week (WOW!)—a historic, week-long summer concert festival celebrating international youth orchestras from five continents. NYO2 kicks off WOW! on Thursday, August 1 at 7:00 PM, the first of seven consecutive concerts performed by high-level youth ensembles on Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, all of which will be broadcast by WQXR for listeners around the world.

For the performances in New York City and Dallas, NYO2’s program includes Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, and Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite, as well as KINSFOLKNEM—a Carnegie Hall co-commissioned new work by Emmy Award–winning composer Jasmine Barnes—the former Head of Compositional Studies and Jazz Voice Studies at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas and a current Dallas resident. Her new wind concertante celebrates family and extended family gathering, featuring themes of gospel idioms and the sound world of a Black cookout. Principal players from leading US orchestras including flutist Demarre McGill, oboist Titus Underwood, clarinetist Anthony McGill, and bassoonist Andrew Brady join NYO2 as guest soloists.

Following their Carnegie Hall appearance, NYO2 will travel to Dallas, Texas where they will perform at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center on Tuesday, August 6 at 7:30 PM. During their visit to Dallas, NYO2 musicians will also have the opportunity to musically collaborate with young local string players at a special side-by-side event on Wednesday, August 7.

“We are delighted that NYO2 will be performing at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s beautiful Meyerson Symphony Center under the baton of Teddy Abrams,” said Clive Gillinson, Carnegie Hall’s Executive and Artistic Director. “These superb young musicians will have the remarkable experience of playing at two of the world’s leading stages within just one week, connecting with their peers in Dallas and engaging with local music lovers. We’re certain that they will return home inspired to further develop their playing and to give back to their communities through music. This is a life-changing opportunity for all of them and we wish them all a truly memorable time.”

The 89 members of this year's NYO2 ensemble—ages 14–17, hailing from 29 US states—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. Twenty-four musicians are returning to NYO2 from past seasons; 30 prior members of NYO2 have been accepted to Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA) this summer. Click here for the full list of NYO2 musicians, including photos, fun facts, and a national map.

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 summer residency of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA) 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.

Since its inaugural season, NYO2 has captivated audiences around the world through annual performances at Carnegie Hall; three summers of residencies and performances in Miami Beach in partnership with the New World Symphony; vibrant digital video projects and performances streamed worldwide; and most recently, its first international residency and performances, presented by Fundación Sinfonía in the Dominican Republic in July 2023. Over the past eight years, NYO2 has worked with renowned faculty, guest artists, and conductors that include Mei-Ann Chen, Giancarlo Guerrero, Jennifer Koh, Gabriela Montero, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Gil Shaham, Esperanza Spalding, and Joseph Young. Described as “… not only a laudable educational project, but highly enjoyable and a lot of fun ... these teenagers had the technical mastery, musicianship, and panache to rival anyone” (New York Classical Review), NYO2 has performed at the New World Center in Miami, the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia; Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito in Santo Domingo, Gran Teatro del Cibao in Santiago, and Carnegie Hall.

NYO2 is one of Carnegie Hall’s three acclaimed national youth ensembles, which also include NYO-USA for outstanding classical musicians ages 16–19, which celebrated its 10th anniversary season last 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.

To learn more about NYO2, visit carnegiehall.org/NYO2.

Click here to see a full list of this summer’s faculty, as well as bios for the guest conductor and soloists. For high-resolution photos of NYO2, Teddy Abrams, and the guest soloists for editorial use only, click here. (photo credit required)

NYO2 – Summer 2024 Performances
Thursday, August 1 at 7:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall
New York, New York

Tuesday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center,
Dallas, Texas

NYO2
Teddy Abrams, Conductor
Demarre McGill, Flute
Titus Underwood, Oboe
Anthony McGill, Clarinet
Andrew Brady, Bassoon

BERNSTEIN Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
JASMINE BARNES KINSFOLKNEM (World Premiere, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall)
TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
STRAVINSKY The Firebird Suite (1919 version)

 

What the Press Have Said About NYO2
“It was inspiring to watch the young musicians of NYO2 in their Carnegie Hall debut … they vibrantly demonstrated a bright future for classical music.” — Musical America

“It was not only a laudable educational project, but highly enjoyable and a lot of fun ... these teenagers had the technical mastery, musicianship and panache to rival anyone.” — New York Classical Review

“At turns tender and bombastic, lyrical and frenetic, it had both the exuberance of youth and the resonance of deep musical maturity. And, they nailed it.” — Feast of Music

“If this level of talent results from tossing the net far and wide, musically the US is in fine shape.” — Seen and Heard International

What Past Participants Have Said About NYO2
“NYO2 has been such an eye-opening experience! From meeting musicians across the country to playing with world-renowned conductors, it is truly an honor to play with some of the best young musicians in the country. I have learned so many essential techniques that will drastically improve my playing abilities in the future. I am forever grateful for my mentors and peers that continue to guide and push me to the fullest of my abilities.”— Tendekai Mawokomatanda, Bass (Atlanta, GA)

“Not only has NYO2 changed me as a musician, but it has transformed me as a person as well. From all of the friends I have made around the country, to the staff, faculty… I have never felt more inspired and motivated.” — Jaycee Cardoso, Violin (Huntington Station, NY)

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Like NYO-USA and NYO2 on Facebook.
Follow NYO-USA, NYO2, and NYO Jazz on Instagram.
Watch NYO-USA, NYO2, and NYO Jazz on YouTube.

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World Orchestra Week Lead Donors: Hope and Robert F. Smith, Michael ByungJu Kim and Kyung Ah Park.

Major funding has been provided by Ronald E. Blaylock and Petra Pope.

NYO2 Lead Donors: Hope and Robert F. Smith, The Kovner Foundation, and Beatrice Santo Domingo.

Public support for NYO2 is provided by Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand through the U.S. Department of Education.

Global Ambassadors: Michael ByungJu Kim and Kyung Ah Park, Hope and Robert F. Smith, and Maggie and Richard Tsai.

Leadership support for NYO2 is provided by the Estate of Joan Eliasoph, and Mellon Foundation.

Major support for NYO2 is provided by Veronica Atkins, Mercedes T. Bass, Ronald E. Blaylock and Petra Pope, Clive and Anya Gillinson, Beth and Joshua Nash, The Pershing Square Foundation, Melanie and Jean E. Salata, and Sarah Billinghurst Solomon and Howard Solomon.

United Airlines®, Airline Partner to the National Youth Ensembles.

Founder Patron: Beatrice Santo Domingo.

With additional funding provided by Alphadyne Foundation, Sarah Arison, Ernst & Young LLP, Stella and Robert Jones, Martha and Robert Lipp, the Morton H. Meyerson Family Foundation, and David S. Winter.

 

Ticket Information

Carnegie Hall
Tickets for NYO2’s Carnegie Hall concert—ranging from $25-55—are available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, carnegiehall.org. Each Carnegie Hall ticket is subject to a $9 convenience fee. Tickets $25 and under are subject to a $3 convenience fee.

For more information on Carnegie Hall discount ticket programs, including those for students, Notables members, and Bank of America customers, visit carnegiehall.org/discounts. Artists, programs, dates, and prices are subject to change.

Dallas, Texas
Click here for more information on tickets to NYO2’s performance at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Texas (August 6).

 

Photo by: Chris Lee