Youth orchestras across the country are home to thousands of young classical musicians, and every summer since 2013 more than 100 outstanding teen musicians have come together as the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), a program of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. Participating in the orchestra is quite a coup: the instrumentalists (ages 16-19) undergo a three-week training residency, work with major figures in orchestral music, and perform at Carnegie Hall and other venues. Then they take their American music-making around the world. This August, NYO-USA embarked on a European tour—led by no less than Sir Antonio Pappano—with performances at Young Euro Classic in Berlin; the Edinburgh International Festival; the BBC Proms in London; the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam; and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. Mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly was the soloist in Berlioz’s Les nuits d’été in Berlin, and American mezzo Joyce DiDonato took the solo spot in the Berlioz for the rest of the tour. Other repertoire this summer included Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5, Strauss’s Eine Alpensinfonie, and two new works written for the orchestra by NYO-USA apprentice composers Benjamin S. Beckman and Tyson J. Davis, who were mentored by composer Sean Shepherd. NYO-USA also participated in multiple events and concerts with youth ensembles in the Netherlands, London, and Hamburg.
Caption: During its European tour this summer, the National Youth Orchestra of the USA, led by Sir Antonio Pappano, performed in London’s Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms. Photo by Chris Lee.
