With its sophisticated programming, performances in one of the world's greatest concert halls, superb musical leadership under The Marica and Jan Vilcek Music Director Andrew J. Kim, new works commissioned of the nation's best young composers, outstanding soloists, and professional-level attitude, the Grammy Award winning New York Youth Symphony's Symphony Orchestra sets itself apart as one of the finest ensembles in the nation.
The Symphony Orchestra released their first professional recording album on Avie Records during the Covid-19 pandemic featuring pianist Michelle Cann, which won the 2022 Grammy for Best Orchestral Performance. The album can be streamed/purchased here.
The Symphony Orchestra has toured to Spain and Argentina, and Greece in 2024. The Symphony Orchestra also has made live appearances on CNN with Billy Ray Cyrus, on Jimmy Fallon with JVKE, and on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with Misty Copeland.
The Symphony Orchestra performs at Carnegie Hall three times per season. The concert dates for the 2025/2026 season are as follows:
Sunday, November 23, 2025, at 2PM
First Music Commission Piece
GABRIELA ORTIZ – Antrópolis
DUKE ELLINGTON - "Harlem" featuring NYYS Jazz Ensemble
CHRISTOPHER THEOFANIDIS - Rainbow Body featuring Adrian Rogers, conductor
SAMUEL BARBER – Symphony No. 1
Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 2PM
First Music Commission piece
EDWARD ELGAR - Cello Concerto featuring Joshua Roman, cello
ANTONIN DVORAK - Symphony No. 7
Sunday, May 24, 2026, at 2PM
FERRUCCIO BUSONI - Tanzwalzer
First Music Commission piece
NOAH BENDIX-BALGLEY – Fidl-Fantazye featuring Noah Bendix-Balgley, violin
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF - Symphonic Dances
Rehearsals are held on Sundays from 2-6pm at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, located at 450 West 37th Street, New York, NY.
The Symphony Orchestra will travel on retreat to Camp DeWolfe in Wading River, NY from September 26-28, where they will engage in rehearsals and bonding activities in this picturesque setting over the weekend. Please note that attendance to Kickoff is mandatory, and parents of students aged 14 and under should be prepared to chaperone.
Sectional rehearsals are held once per concert cycle, led by members of the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, DECODA, and prominent musicians in the NYC metropolitan area.
Applicants should review the guidelines on this page to ensure they can fulfill the commitment to the program before applying.
Symphony Orchestra auditions will be held on select dates between August 18th through September 7th at the NYYS Office at 110 West 40th Street, New York, NY. You will receive an email with a link to schedule your audition through Acceptd after July 14, 2025. All auditions will be held in-person.
In order to participate in the NYYS Orchestra's 2025/2026 season, applicants must be between the ages of 12 and 22. Applicant's date of birth must be between May 25, 2003 and November 24, 2013. Please do not apply if your birth date falls outside of these dates as you will not be eligible for the program and we are not able to refund your application fee.
July 1, 2025: Pre-screening materials due
Please note, pre-screening is required for violin, viola, cello, flute, and clarinet only. Pre-screening materials can be found below in the audition packets. All other instruments do not need to submit pre-screening materials. If you were a member of the NYYS Symphony Orchestra or NYYS Crescendo Orchestra during the 2024-25 season, then you are not required to submit any pre-screening materials.
If you would like to apply after the July 1st pre-screening deadline, we will still accept your application but cannot guarantee full consideration/priority scheduling of audition slots. The NYYS still encourages you to apply, as late applicants still may be invited to audition based on audition slot availability.
July 14, 2025: Pre-screening notifications and Acceptd audition schedule invitations released.
Begin with an orchestral excerpt of your choice from the list provided below.
We will then choose other excerpts we would like to hear. We may not get to hear all the excerpts, but you are expected to prepare all of them.
Solo Repertoire: Please prepare at least three minutes of your solo repertoire. You do not necessarily have to start at the beginning; pick a portion (or multiple portions) that represents you the best as a musician and also helps to demonstrate a variety of different styles.
If you are applying for a principal or assistant principal position or auxiliary instruments with specific orchestral solo excerpts, you will play them in addition to the main excerpts. Please note not all instruments have principal excerpts.
Auditions are 10 minutes long and will be heard by the Music Director and the Assistant Conductor. You will be asked to play orchestral excerpts per instrument as well as solo repertoire. You may be asked to demonstrate basic techniques on your instrument, which may include knowledge of major and minor scales and/or bowing/tonguing techniques. You can view and download the audition excerpts below.
If you have any questions regarding the audition excerpts, please reach out to the Music Director at info@nyys.org.
The registration fee for the Orchestra program is $685.
Please note, there is a $110 non-refundable application fee through Acceptd.
The NYYS recognizes that the cost of application and registration fees may be prohibitive for some students, and that access to technology may be a barrier to participation. Financial aid, application fee waivers, work-study, and technology funds are available to help offset these expenses. Financial need is the major consideration when awarding assistance. We ask that students seek funding through their personal networks in addition to completing the financial aid application as funds are limited. All applicants can request a fee waiver by submitting the form below. If you have any questions regarding fee waivers, please reach out to support@getacceptd.com.
Students are allowed maximum 2.5 absences per rehearsal cycle. Once you accumulate 3 absences, you will be removed from the rest of the cycle. If you will be absent for any reason, you should email the Orchestra Manager (and CC the Music Director) as soon as possible.
If you are late to rehearsal by less than 30 minutes, you will receive a half absence. If you are late to rehearsal by more than 30 minutes, you will receive a full absence.
For Dress Rehearsal, attendance is mandatory. Failure to attend will result in a removal from the cycle. If there is an important, foreseeable absence (e. g. concert at your school, major professional engagement, or another major conflict), the student must communicate it with the Orchestra Manager and the Music Director within the first two weeks of the concert cycle. From there, we will deal with it on a case by case basis. Last minute notices of absence will not be accepted.
As a general rule, the student should always communicate often and sooner rather than later regarding any potential absences.
For winds, brass, and percussion players, the students are responsible for finding a sub for the rehearsal. If it becomes impossible to find a sub, please let the Orchestra Manager know, and we will try to help.
Below you will find the excerpts to download for your audition and additional instructions of what to prepare for your audition. Please prepare all excerpts in the packet.
Principal and auxiliary woodwind excerpts and instructions are all included in the corresponding excerpt packets if you would like to audition for these positions.
*Please note that applicants only need to prepare the Timpani excerpts if they want to audition to be the Timpanist for the season. Excerpts are included in the main percussion excerpt file.
CLICK AN INSTRUMENT TO DOWNLOAD AUDITION PACKET
NYYS has always been and continues to be a place that prioritizes nurturing young musicians. My goal was (and has been for the past 2 years) to reignite and maintain a joy of playing - NYYS has helped me on that path.
Emma Braunberger
Oboe
I found this year's repertoire to be profoundly beautiful, absolutely eye-opening, and extremely emotional. I cannot thank you enough for providing me with these opportunities!!
Liam Meyers
Viola
NYYS is an amazing program. I feel very fortunate to be a part of it and especially grateful to have Andrew Kim as our director/conductor.
Philip Thompson
Cello
Each season, the Orchestra performs the world premiere of three pieces by young American composers commissioned through the Jon Deak First Music Commissioning Program. Orchestra members collaborate with today’s most gifted young composers in a unique opportunity for both composer and player to realize musical dreams and surmount the challenges of giving the world a new work of art. See the First Music page for more information.
Fellowships are offered each season to principal string, wind, brass, and percussion players. Additional fellowships are awarded to students who mentor first-year members. Fellows have unique responsibilities within their section, participate in community outreach, and make a commitment for performing new works by students of the Composition program at the annual Orchestration Reading Workshop and Composition Date Concert.
Photo Credit: Joshua Wang
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