Redmond’s Audrey Chen selected for inaugural National Youth Orchestra
Published 3:44 pm Monday, March 4, 2013
Audrey Chen, a cellist from Redmond, has been selected to participate in the first-ever National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA).
The orchestra was created by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute and recognizes young players from across the country between the ages of 16 and 19. Conductor Valery Gergiev will lead the orchestra in its inaugural year with acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell as a special guest soloist.
The two-week summer residency at will take place at Purchase College, State University of New York, and culminate with a debut performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., followed by an international tour to Moscow, St. Petersburg, and London.
Chen is one of 120 young musicians from throughout the United States who have been selected to come together from June 30 to July 23 to create the first-ever NYO-USA.
Hailing from 42 states these young musicians have been recognized by Carnegie Hall as being among the finest in the country following a comprehensive audition process.
Chen and her fellow musicians will go through a two-week training residency at Purchase College and work with some of the country’s best professional orchestral players.
The orchestra’s concert program will include Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 in E Minor and a new work by young American composer Sean Shepherd, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall especially for the orchestra. Specific tour dates and venues for all cities will be announced in late spring 2013.
“We have been thrilled at the response to our creation of the NYO-USA program,” said Clive Gillinson, executive and artistic director of Carnegie Hall. “We are very excited, but not surprised that there is such a depth of world class talent among young musicians across the United States and we know this first roster will be wonderfully strong. With the energy and skill demonstrated by these young players, we fully expect that the music making of this orchestra will be completely inspirational for participants and audiences alike.”
