Carnegie Hall

Created in 2016 as a sister ensemble to Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, NYO2 is a youth orchestra for America’s finest young musicians ages 14–17. NYO2 actively recruits talented younger players from across the country, reaching them earlier in their musical development to expand the pool of musicians equipped with the tools to succeed at the highest level. Now nearly 10 years in, NYO2 offers joyful, top-notch performances and continues to develop exciting new opportunities, including international concerts.

This summer, NYO2 is taking its exuberant music-making beyond the shores of the United States to join the Edinburgh International Festival as a resident orchestra. While in Scotland, NYO2—led by Rafael Payare and featuring cello soloist Alisa Weilerstein—performs two concerts in Usher Hall and connects with local musicians for peer exchange activities, serving as musical ambassadors for their country. In 2023, NYO2 took part in its first international residency and concerts in the Dominican Republic, presented by Fundación Sinfonía.

From the beginning, NYO2 has drawn stellar artists to its podium and programs. The orchestra has shined under the batons of Teddy Abrams, Mei-Ann Chen, Giancarlo Guerrero, Carlos Miguel Prieto, and Joseph Young, alongside superstar soloists such as Anthony McGill, Gabriela Montero, Gil Shaham, Esperanza Spalding, and others. More recently, the orchestra has begun to commission exciting new works from contemporary composers, such as the 2024 world premiere of KINSFOLKNEM by Jasmine Barnes and Molly Joyce’s Side by Side in 2021.

Since its inception, NYO2 has been completely free, ensuring equitable access for musicians across the country. All applicants audition from wherever they are via video and receive helpful feedback from the professional musicians on the jury regardless of admission. Each iteration of the orchestra so far has come together for an intensive training residency at Purchase College, State University of New York, and performed at Carnegie Hall. Since its inception, the orchestra has appeared at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, New World Center in Miami, Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito in Santo Domingo, and Gran Teatro del Cibao in Santiago.

Carnegie Hall’s national youth orchestras seek to mirror the geographic, ethnic, and gender makeup of the United States, creating a richer and more diverse future for classical music. NYO2 also serves as a jumping-off point for many teen musicians seeking further opportunities as they get older. A recent research report by WolfBrown explored diversity in NYO2 on a deep level, conducting a longitudinal study of NYO2’s demographics over the ensemble’s lifetime.

Even if you can’t travel to New York or Scotland to hear NYO2, you can still attend a concert. NYO2 meticulously records and documents each summer’s concerts and activities, cultivating a rich library of digital experiences, from livestreams to full concert videos. The musicians have even put together a few orchestral music videos. The orchestra partners with streaming services to bring selected concerts online, but if you miss one, there’s even more to discover on NYO2’s YouTube channel.

Photography: Fadi Kheir and Chris Lee