Making Music -and History

THE NEW YORK YOUTH SYMPHONY'S PERSISTENCE DURING THE PANDEMIC PAYS OFF, BIG TIME.

- Emily Cambias

On a warm summer evening in Valladolid, Spain, people settled into their seats in a spacious concert hall to hear classical music. But when the house lights dimmed, the performers who filed onstage and began tuning their instruments weren't seasoned adult musicians. They were college students, high schoolers, and even middle schoolers. The New York Youth Symphony (NYYS) was about to play another night on their 2019 Spain tour.

The New York Youth Symphony began in 1963 as an orchestra for musicians ages 12 to 22 from New York City and the surrounding area. NYYS takes itself and its music seriously: They play full symphonies, commission new classical pieces, and go on tour to countries around the globe, just as an adult orchestra would. When they brought their 2019 season to a close, they were home from Spain and had started planning the next year's program.