New York Youth Symphony Launches New Student Orchestra

The GRAMMY Award-winning youth ensemble has introduced “Crescendo,” a new string orchestra for New York City students aged 10-18

Founded in 1963, the New York Youth Symphony (NYYS) comprises the metropolitan area’s talented musicians aged 12 to 22. Known for innovative educational programs, its many accolades include the 2023 GRAMMY Award for Best Orchestral Performance. 

Aiming to bridge the gap in music education and help orchestras to further represent the cultural diversity of New York City, the NYYS’s Crescendo orchestra will launch at the beginning of the 2023/24 season as a tuition-free 44-piece string orchestra for NYC residents aged 10 to 18 years old.

The program will provide quality music education for a diverse range of students who have been adversely affected during the pandemic. Its activities will include weekly ensemble rehearsals, chamber music coaching, workshops, and masterclasses with professional artists. There will also be provided guidance on audition preparation, audience engagement, arts careers, and festival and school admissions. 

In addition to performing works from the classical canon, students will prepare music by historically underrepresented composers, including women, BIPOC, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Presenting two concerts per season, Crescendo will perform at Merkin Hall on November 20, 2023, and Carnegie Hall on April 21, 2024.

Following collaborations with NYYS for several seasons, VC Artist Aizuri Quartet will serve as Crescendo’s first Ensemble-in-Residence. The quartet will host four sectional rehearsals and perform with Crescendo at Carnegie Hall. Additionally, NYYS students will mentor their younger Crescendo counterparts, including playing side-by-side within the orchestra. 

Throughout the school year, Crescendo students will rehearse on Sunday afternoons. Auditions will be held in August 2023 for rehearsals beginning in the fall. For more information, click here.

“I never had access to, or really knew about playing music until I came to the United States,” said Crescendo’s music director, Tanatchaya (Tanya) Chanphanitpornkit, who was born into poverty in the farmlands of Thailand. “In Thailand, it wasn’t part of the conversation at all, and it has made me understand the importance of access and education right here in our own backyard.”

“I truly believe that Crescendo could not only help the lives of youth around NYC, but the world by bridging the gap in music education and teaching everyone the power of music and building a love for it,” she added.

“The pandemic caused disproportionate damage to arts education in the city,” said NYYS executive director, Shauna Quill. “Artists and teachers moved away; programs folded into each other. While online teaching was available to some, many schools did not offer music instruction and opportunities were lost,” Quill continued. “NYYS has seen a drastic rise in applications for its programs since then. But, of the 310 applications for the orchestra this season, only 22 students from NYC were accepted. We have a responsibility to step into this space and create new opportunities for students in NYC. Crescendo will help fill a gap in the arts education pathway.”

Since 1969, NYYS activities have grown to involve chamber music, conducting, composition, jazz, and musical theater songwriting programs, including performances at prestigious concert venues. Notably, its First Music commissioning program has resulted in over 170 works from young composers since 1984.