Carnegie Hall

(New York, NY, March 11, 2025)—Carnegie Hall today announced the names of the 96 outstanding young musicians selected from across the country for the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). The members of the 2025 orchestra—ages 16–19, hailing from 29 states plus the District of Columbia—have been recognized by Carnegie Hall as being among the finest players in the country following a comprehensive and highly selective audition process. This summer’s orchestra features 24 musicians who previously played with NYO-USA, as well as 29 musicians who gained experience through NYO2, a program for younger players ages 14–17. All three of Carnegie Hall’s national youth ensembles are offered free of charge, ensuring that all invited musicians have the opportunity to take part each summer.

See below or click here for the names, instruments, and hometowns of the members of the 2025 National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America.

This summer, NYO-USA musicians travel to New York in early July for an intensive two-week training residency at Purchase College, State University of New York (SUNY). World-renowned conductor Gianandrea Noseda leads NYO-USA at the orchestra’s annual Carnegie Hall concert (July 20), followed by a six-city Asian tour. This summer, the orchestra makes its debut in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan and returns to Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai, China joined by violinist Ray Chen; then completes its tour with a return engagement in Seoul, South Korea with soloist Clara-Jumi Kang. NYO-USA’s 2025 repertoire includes Carlos Simon’s Festive Fanfare and Overture (co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall), Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor, and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2.

Tickets for the Carnegie Hall concert will go on sale on April 9th to the general public. Tickets can be purchased at carnegiehall.org, by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, or at the Carnegie Hall Box Office. Discounted student tickets will be available online for verified Student Insiders only, as well as to any student with valid ID at the box office or over the phone.
 

“We’re proud to announce the remarkable young musicians who will join National Youth Orchestra of the USA for this upcoming summer,” said Clive Gillinson, Carnegie Hall’s Executive and Artistic Director. “The members of NYO-USA are among the finest young players in country. As they come together, they will have the opportunity to learn from leading orchestral musicians, inspire one another in a way that raises everyone's standards as they collaborate with world-renowned artists, and perform on some of the finest stages across Asia. Throughout their two-week tour, the members of NYO-USA will represent the best of America as both musical performers and cultural ambassadors.”

During NYO-USA’s intensive training residency in July at Purchase College, SUNY, the musicians will work with a faculty made up of principal players from some of the finest professional orchestras. The faculty oversees rehearsals during the orchestra’s residency in Purchase, also working with the musicians in master classes and sectionals, all leading up to the launch of NYO-USA’s annual tour. Having worked with NYO-USA since its inception, conductor James Ross returns as orchestra director, preparing the ensemble ahead of the arrival of its guest conductor. Two apprentice composers will also compose new works, working closely with celebrated American composer Sean Shepherd who serves as the composition program director and mentor/coach to the apprentices.

NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
2025 Orchestra Roster

* Prior NYO-USA member
+ Prior NYO2 member

Arizona
Elenor Rushall, Violin (Flagstaff)
Jacqueline Rodenbeck, Violin (Tucson)

Arkansas
Macy Brummal, Viola (Rogers)+

British Columbia
Justin Ha, Violin (Vancouver)

California
Lydia Kang, Clarinet (Corona)
Sophia Zhou, Flute (Diamond Bar)
Benjamin Jiang, Cello (Elk Grove)+*
Kenny Song, Clarinet (Fullerton)
Rubi Lee, Violin (Irvine)*
Ninah Chan, Cello (Loma Linda)
Aaron Ma, Violin (Palo Alto)
Haben Naizghi, Apprentice Orchestra Manager (Pleasanton)
Gabriel Irazabal, Cello (San Jose)+
Kayla Lee, Violin (San Jose)+*
Ian Kim, Bass (Saratoga)+
Hannah Cho, Oboe (Tustin)+
Josephine Velez, Cello (Yorba Linda)+*

Colorado
Jane Hanselman, Viola (Littleton)

Connecticut
Grace Yoon, Bassoon (Wallingford)+
Mindy Zhao, Violin (West Hartford)

Costa Rica
Julian Jimenez-Pardo, Timpani/Percussion (San José)*

District of Columbia
Ricardo M. Cruz, Timpani/Percussion (Washington)*

Florida
Madelyn Urbine, Horn (Gainesville)
Aidan Davis, Violin (Orlando)+
Omari Gregory, Viola (Orlando)
Leila Warren, Violin (Ponte Vedra Beach)+
Mathew Harper, Trumpet (West Palm Beach)

Georgia
Stephanie Kim, Flute (Johns Creek)*
Jocelyne Andronache-Opris, Violin (Suwannee)

Idaho
Matias Vidal-Russell, Trombone (Boise)*

Illinois
Elyse Margaret Schlesinger, Horn (Hoffman Estates)
Paloma Furst Chavira, Violin (Park Forest)

Indiana
Eishin Richard Hiraishi, Viola (Muncie)
Braden Riley, Violin (Evansville)+

Maryland
Luke Zegowitz, Oboe (Crofton)+
Kyle Cho, Oboe (Potomac)*
Katie Hwang, Viola (Rockville)*
Mason Lee, Bass (Rockville)

Massachusetts
Yuxuan (Daniel) Ma, Horn (Wellesley)

Michigan
Minji Kim, Violin (Ann Arbor)*
Alec Jachalke, Bassoon (Dansville)

Minnesota
Sophia Alexander, Cello (Minneapolis)+
Christian Garner, Trumpet (Minnetonka)+
Lorelei Schoenhard, Violin (St. Cloud)
Luke Soneral, Apprentice Composer (Waconia)

Missouri
Anya Akhmadullina, Violin (Columbia)*
Katherine Nguyen, Viola (St. Louis)

Montana
Tarquin Bennion, Violin (Sidney)

Nevada
Sachi Blevins, Flute (Las Vegas)

New Jersey
Ananth Raman, Trumpet (Bridgewater)+
Dana Chung, Viola (Englewood Cliffs)+
Trinity Williamson, Violin (Montclair)
Edward Lee, Viola (Teaneck)

New York
Shaw Edwards, Cello (Brooklyn)*
Austin Vitello, Bassoon (Clarence Center)+
Eileen Li, Timpani/Percussion (New York)+
Hazel Peebles, Viola (New York)+
Liana D. Logan, Bass (Queens)+
Benjamin Posner, Tuba (Red Hook)
Lukas Witek, Violin (Tappan)
Mason Jay Lee, Viola (Tarrytown)

North Carolina
Levi Wexler, Violin (Raleigh)
Alex Palmer, Bass (Statesville)

Ohio
Louis X. Wang, Cello (Solon)

Oklahoma
Stephan Zhang, Violin (Stillwater)+*

Oregon
Leo Trajano, Violin (Hillsboro)+
Katie Liu, Violin (Portland)*
Naomi Margolis, Apprentice Orchestra Librarian (Portland)

Pennsylvania
Audrey Kim, Violin (Philadelphia)
Miro Raj, Violin (Philadelphia)*
Cyrano Jett Rosentrater, Apprentice Composer (Philadelphia)
CJ Inkenhaus, Bass (Pittsburgh)

Tennessee
Oscar Edgardo Ruiz, Cello (Bartlett)+*
Myles Martin, Viola (Germantown)
Luke Davis, Timpani/Percussion (Memphis)+

Texas
Dorian Herri, Bass (Austin)
Lerchen Zhong, Violin (Austin)
David Suarez, Clarinet (Bedford)+
Tae Han, Bass (Dallas)
Levi Robertson, Horn (Dallas)+
Osiel Cárdenas, Viola (Denton)*
Rebekah Koh, Violin (Harker Heights)+
Marco Longoria, Bass (Heath)+
Devin Spaulding, Bass Trombone (Houston)
Leah Wu, Bassoon (Katy)+*
Michael Treadway, Trombone (Keller)
Julia Sung-Ah Mukaida, Harp (McKinney)
Daniel Tauhert, Clarinet (Plano)*
Jackson Ingram, Horn (Richmond)*
Oliver Lampson, Trumpet (Seabrook)*

Virginia
Emma-Grace Kim, Violin (Herndon)
Jaemin Lee, Violin (McLean)
Jayden Hunter Lee, Flute (McLean)*

Washington
Juliana Zheng, Oboe (Bellevue)

Wisconsin
Collin Runnoe, Cello (Milwaukee)*
Lucy Wu, Cello (Whitefish Bay)
 

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About the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America
For more than ten years, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute has brought together some of the finest young musicians from across the country (ages 16–19) to form the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). Following a comprehensive audition process and a multi-week training residency at Purchase College, SUNY with faculty made up of principal players from top professional US orchestras, these remarkable teenagers embark on a tour to some of the great music capitals of the world, serving as America’s dynamic music ambassadors. As part of their travel schedule, NYO-USA musicians also have the opportunity to meet and collaborate with local young musicians and experience the richness of the local culture.

NYO-USA has been praised for “exuding vitality and confidence” (The New York Times) in its performances. Following annual concerts at Carnegie Hall, NYO-USA has performed on landmark stages around the world including in Argentina, China, Colombia, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and more as well as across the United States. Last summer, the orchestra took part in a four-city South American tour, following its participation in the historic World Orchestra Week festival at Carnegie Hall.

NYO-USA is one of Carnegie Hall’s three acclaimed national youth ensembles, which also includes NYO2 for outstanding classical musicians (ages 14–17), and NYO Jazz for the nation’s finest jazz instrumentalists (ages 16–19). Over the last decade, more than 1,500 young musicians have performed in the three ensembles, creating a unique musical community, spotlighting musical excellence found across the United States and transforming countless lives.

To learn more about NYO-USA, visit carnegiehall.org/nyousa.
 

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

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

Major funding has been provided by Ronald E. Blaylock and Petra Pope, Lorraine Buch Fund for Young Artists, Clive and Anya Gillinson, Pershing Square Philanthropies, Melanie and Jean E. Salata, JMCMRJ Sorrell Foundation, and the Victor and William Fung Foundation.

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

Additional funding has been provided by Sarah Arison, The Jack Benny Family Foundation, and Mary I. and John E. Hull.

Founder Patrons: Blavatnik Family Foundation; Nicola and Beatrice Bulgari; The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation; Marina Kellen French and the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation; The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Family Foundation; Ronald O. Perelman; Robertson Foundation; Beatrice Santo Domingo; Hope and Robert F. Smith; Sarah Billinghurst Solomon and Howard Solomon; and Joan and Sanford I. Weill and the Weill Family Foundation.

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Follow NYO-USA on Instagram at instagram.com/nyo.usa.
See more from NYO-USA on YouTube at youtube.com/nyousa.