Carnegie Hall and Philly Orchestra Partnership to Offer Training to Underserved Philly Youth
A unique partnership between the Philadelphia Orchestra and Carnegie Hall’s youth-serving Weill Music Institute will offer an innovative training program for teens starting in summer 2016.
The program, called NYO2, will have a simple, but much-needed, mission: “NYO2 will support greater diversity within the classical orchestral field with a particular focus on attracting talented students who have been traditionally underserved by local music programs, offering an opportunity for participants to play alongside exceptionally talented peers and learn from a world-class faculty.” In short, NYO2 will provide access to resources for young musicians who otherwise may not have the ability to pay or experience an in-depth training. Private lessons can be utterly expensive, and even though admission to top musical conservatories often times comes with a scholarship, it takes an extensive amount of training (and money) to become “good enough” to get in.
“We’ve been very aware of the number of younger musicians whose artistry is strong, but who would also benefit from focused training and participation in an inspiring community of their peers in order to take their playing to a higher level,” said Sarah Johnson, director of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. “We hope that NYO2 will help play a role in providing high-level musical training to talented students who may not have the benefit of those types of resources in their own communities.”
The 80 students who are accepted into the program will have a chance to work closely with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra during a Summer 2016 training at Purchase College, SUNY. The cumulation of the 2016 NYO2 workshop will be a special performance with the Orchestra.
Philadelphia Orchestra President and CEO Allison Vulgamore said that the program “is committed to diversity, mentorship, and collective music-making.”
The NYO2 programs free, including room and board, and there is no fee to apply. Students must be 14-17 during the summer of 2016, and the program “welcomes the nomination of students who have not had access to highly selective ensemble training opportunities via youth orchestra programs, summer festivals or camps, or similar experiences outside their own communities.” For more information about the program or the audition process, visit their website.
