New York Youth Symphony in performance at Carnegie Hall. Photo courtesy of New York Youth Symphony
“The New York Youth Symphony made history Sunday night as the first youth orchestra to ever win a Grammy, in the category of ‘Best Orchestral Performance,’ ” reports Jessica Moore on Monday’s (2/6) CBS News New York. “ ‘It’s really such an honor, especially as such young musicians, to be considered among some of the best orchestras in the world …’ said 19-year-old Noelia Carrasco, who plays the cello…. [The youth orchestra] made the album during the height of the pandemic … ‘One of the pieces we’re playing is called “Umoja” by Valerie Coleman. Umoja means unity, and I can’t think of a better piece to bring us together during this time, even though we had to play separated,’ music director Michael Repper said…. The album features pieces by a diverse group of composers, which means a lot to these young virtuosos. ‘I always thought growing up that people who looked like me in the 19th and 20th centuries just weren’t part of the classical composition sphere, so I loved learning about Florence Price and her works … And having that previous mindset being proved wrong while playing a piece composed by someone who looks like me,’ ” said bassoonist Kennedy Plains.
Read a complete list of the 2023 classical Grammy winners on symphony.org.
