NYO2 Application Information
NYO2 has a particular focus on attracting talented students from groups underserved by and underrepresented in the classical orchestral field. All application materials must be submitted using an online form administered by Acceptd, a service that provides a digital audition platform to many performing arts schools and programs. In order to start the NYO2 application, you will need to create an Acceptd account. (If you already have one, you can start a new application using your existing account.) Once you have created an Acceptd account, you will be able to save your progress at any time. If this is your first experience with an online digital audition service, we encourage you to allow enough time to upload and review the required application videos to make certain they represent your playing as effectively as possible.
Nomination
A formal nomination from a teacher, ensemble director, school/band/orchestra administrator, or community leader is required as part of the application. NYO2 welcomes the nomination of musicians who have not had access to highly selective ensemble training opportunities through youth orchestra programs, summer festivals, camps, or similar experiences outside of their own communities.
Timeline
- Approximately late July 2024: Audition excerpts posted for the 2025 program
- September 5, 2024: Application opens
- November 30, 2024: Nomination deadline
- December 10, 2024: Application deadline
- January 6, 2025: Recommendation deadline
- February 20, 2025: Applicants notified of status via email; audition feedback provided shortly thereafter
- July 2025: Program begins
- Late July 2025: Audition excerpts posted for 2026 program
Instrumentation
NYO2 will be accepting applications for the 2025 season on all standard orchestra instruments, including harp.
Application Requirements
- Audition Videos (see below)
- Personal Essay: Please tell us a little bit about yourself, your experiences as a musician, and any educational or family background you may wish to share. Please also describe how participating in NYO2 would help you advance your personal or artistic goals. Suggested length is 200–300 words, though shorter or longer submissions will be accepted.
- Recommendations: You will be asked to enter email addresses for two required references; a third is optional. Each reference will receive a link to an online recommendation form after you submit your completed application. Please note that this email will be sent directly from Acceptd (not Carnegie Hall or NYO2). Your references will have until January 6, 2025, to complete and submit their confidential recommendations. References who can address both your personal and musical qualities, such as your music teacher(s) and/or ensemble conductor(s), are preferred.
Audition Videos
All applicants to NYO2 are required to record a series of videos that include the content outlined below. Each performance segment must be recorded in one take with no editing (though you may select the best of several takes). All videos must be recorded within eight months of the application deadline. Professional equipment and/or studio space is not necessary for a successful application to NYO2. With attention to a few details, your music making can be conveyed using readily available consumer electronics. Many past participants have recorded successful applications using iPhones or other smartphones. Please refer to our Video Guidelines for additional information and suggestions for effectively recording your audition.
Required Video Segments:
- Introduction: Before performing your solo selection, please include a spoken introduction in which you state your name, instrument, hometown, and title of the solo work you have chosen.
- Solo Piece: Please record a 2–3 minute solo piece or a movement/section of a longer work that best represents your musicianship. This can be any music of your choosing, with or without accompaniment. If the piece is longer than three minutes, you may record one or more sections totaling 2–3 minutes, as long as you do not edit your own performance. An excerpt from a recent pre-existing recording (made within the last six months) may also be submitted.
- Excerpts: Each instrument has required orchestral excerpts. (Percussionists will be asked to play one excerpt on each of a few standard instruments.) Excerpts for the 2026 season will be posted in July 2025.
- Video Essay: Please record your answer to one of the questions below. This is an opportunity for you to share more of your personality and interests, or a side of yourself that may not be evident from other elements of the application. There is no right or wrong answer to any of the prompts. A minute or two is a good length for many applicants, but shorter or longer videos are welcome. While we understand that not everyone may be comfortable speaking to a camera, our best advice is “be yourself.”
- What is a non-musical interest or activity that you are passionate about and why?
- What is your favorite non-musical creative work (book, painting, poem, movie, etc.) and why does it speak to you?
- If you could build your dream ensemble, whom would you choose to play with and why?
- If you could go anywhere tomorrow, where would it be and why?
Eligibility
Citizenship/Residency: NYO2 is open to US citizens or full-time US residents.
Age Limit: You must be between the ages of 14 and 17 during the summer of your participation. For 2025, this means that your birthdate must be between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2011, without exception.
Grade Level: Participation in NYO2 is limited to middle and high school students within the age range above. You must be enrolled in middle school, high school, or the equivalent level of homeschooling during the 2024–2025 academic year to be eligible for the 2025 NYO2 program. Gap-year students who graduated from high school in 2024 (or earlier) are not eligible.
Travel Arrangements
Invited students and their parent/guardian(s) are expected to arrange air or ground transportation to attend the NYO2 program, traveling to/from Purchase, NY on designated arrival and departure dates. (If applicable based on the tour flight itinerary, the option to depart from NYO2 via an airport outside of New York may be provided.) If applicable for the season, each student must also arrange to have a valid passport by the deadline provided for visa and other travel requirements. Assistance to cover these travel costs is available in cases of financial need, and information about how to apply for a travel award will be provided to accepted applicants.
All other travel associated with participation in NYO2, including international and domestic flights between tour cities, airport transfers, sightseeing excursions, and all other ground transportation (including any activities during the residency period taking place outside of the Purchase College campus) is arranged and paid for by Carnegie Hall.
Accessibility
Carnegie Hall and its national youth ensembles are committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities. NYO2 welcomes qualified applicants with disabilities, whether or not they need reasonable accommodations. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs reasonable accommodations to complete this application, or if you have questions regarding reasonable accommodations, please contact nyo2@carnegiehall.org.
