Being a member of New York Youth Symphony was such an incredibly rewarding experience – for a talented young musician, there’s really nothing more enthralling than playing classical music’s great masterworks with equally driven colleagues in one of the world’s most iconic and acoustically perfect concert halls. In addition to attracting top talent, NYYS’s continuing efforts to engage world class soloists, emerging composers and exceptional young conductors sets it apart from most other youth orchestra programs – I certainly will never forget playing Beethoven 9 under the baton of Miguel Harth-Bedoya in Carnegie Hall, it remains one of the highlights of my life! For me personally, that foundation of working with such high caliber artists has helped me throughout my professional life as well. While I ultimately ended up pursuing a career in arts administration rather than performance, maintaining that standard of excellence has been a goal that I always strive for. We never know where the future will take us, but if we can find a way to channel the same hard work, focus, and dedication that helped us get to Carnegie Hall (or any of the other excellent venues NYYS members perform in!) into everything that we do, success will always be within our reach!