Crescendo

Launched at the start of the 2023/24 season, New York Youth Symphony’s Crescendo is a 44-piece orchestra for New York City residents aged 10-18 years old providing access to those who are representative of the cultural diversity in NYC and whose music education suffered during the pandemic.

Crescendo is completely free – no registration fee or any other costs involved with the program as well as free transportation to and from rehearsals and concerts. Crescendo will also be focusing on the works of underrepresented composers, including women and people of color – opening the minds of these musicians making a more inclusive and thoughtful repertoire. Workshops and mentoring will be key components to the program to help create community amongst the students. The students will have two concerts per season, most likely at Merkin Hall at The Kaufman Center and Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall.

The instrumentation for Crescendo will be strings only, at least for the first year. This would allow for ease of beginning this new program with a full ensemble. It will also provide a new on-ramp from NYYS partners including the Harmony Program and Youth Orchestra of St. Luke’s who focus on strings.  Another key component of the program will be an Artists in Residency program, which will be Azuri Quartet for the first year, providing a deeper level of mentorship and guidance for the students allowing for continuity and a more impactful connection between musicians.

In addition to weekly rehearsals, students will receive chamber music coaching, workshops, and masterclasses with professional musicians; plus guidance on topics including audition preparation, audience engagement, careers in the arts, and festival and school admissions.

NYYS will venture to establish new partnerships with summer programs such as the current one with Interlochen which provides 5 tuition-free scholarships to NYYS students.  NYYS Crescendo will provide more mentorship and leadership opportunities for NYYS students who would assist the younger members throughout the year, including running chamber music parties and playing side-by-side within the orchestra.  Measures for success for NYYS Crescendo would include a student body reflective of the cultural diversity in NYC, students returning for multiple seasons, and gaining admittance into the NYYS Orchestra, performing arts high schools, and summer festivals.