The Score | Youthful Summer Sounds

This summer, Carnegie Hall’s three National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America ensembles—NYO-USA, NYO2, and NYO Jazz—once again convened in person, after an all-digital format in 2020. The musicians—208 musicians, representing 40 U.S. states—met for a monthlong residency at Purchase College, SUNY, with COVID-19 health protocols in place, for private lessons and master classes led by faculty made up of esteemed jazz artists and principal players from American orchestras. The residency was capped by a live-streamed performance by the three ensembles on July 24, in place of a tour. Carlos Miguel Prieto, music director of the Louisiana Philharmonic, served as conductor for NYO-USA; Mei-Ann Chen, music director of the Chicago Sinfonietta, led NYO2; and Sean Jones returned as artistic director and bandleader of NYO Jazz. Repertoire included Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis after Themes by Carl Maria von Weber, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 (“Pathétique”), Anna Clyne’s Sound and Fury, and a commissioned piece from young composer Molly Joyce.  The jazz ensemble’s performance will be released as an album this fall. The National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America is free to all participants; in addition to the original NYO-USA ensemble (ages 16-19) launched in 2013, Carnegie Hall added NYO2 (ages 14-17) in 2016, and NYO Jazz in 2018. Since the program’s inception, the ensembles have performed in concert halls in 15 countries in Europe, North America, South America, and Asia.