Fostering the Growth of Young Musicians

The New York Youth Symphony’s Chamber Music Program (CMP) was founded in 1983 to foster the growth of musicians in an intimate setting. Over 2,000 students between the ages of 12-22 have participated in the CMP since its inception and it has become one of the most comprehensive training programs in the country for strings, winds, brass, and piano. The CMP combines high standards, immersion in contemporary and core repertoire, and performances at venues including Scandinavia House, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, with development of extra-musical skill sets such as public speaking, networking, and advocacy to ensure students’ growth as both musicians and citizens.

Under the direction of violinist Dr. Lisa Tipton, approximately 100 students each season participate in competitive auditions adjudicated by CMP faculty, and form ensembles including string quartets, piano trios, woodwind and brass quintets, and more. The ensembles choose their repertoire in consultation with their coach, rehearse independently, and receive regular coachings every other week.  Current CMP coaches include:

Bi-annual assessments monitor each ensemble’s progress. Ensembles participate in master classes with world class musicians.  Recent masterclass guests have included:

Master classes that are free and open to the public are held at locations including Tarisio Auctions, School for Strings, and the DiMenna Center.

The CMP also features The Unsung, created during the 2020/21 season to introduce and promote repertoire by composers from diverse culture through a series of educational videos. Now fully engrained into the curriculum, student ensembles select at least one piece by a composer from a background that has been historically underrepresented in the classical music sphere – including Black, Latinx, Arabic, Asian, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, LGBTQIA+, and Women – and perform it throughout the season.

A major highlight of the CMP is the opportunity to study contemporary music. Each season, one ensemble is selected to perform the world premiere of a piece by a young American composer commissioned through the Jon Deak First Music Commissioning Program. Past commission winners include Timo Andres, Derek Bermel, Amanda Harberg, Christopher Theofanidis, and Sean Shepherd. In addition, CMP ensembles collaborate with students in the NYYS Composition Program, performing their works at the annual From the Minds of Young Composers concert at National Sawdust. See the First Music page for more information.