Carnegie Hall announced March 12th the names of the 103 outstanding young musicians selected from across the country for the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA) – including Leah Wu of Katy, who attends Obra D. Tompkins High School.

The 16-year-old bassoonist also participated last summer in NYO2, Carnegie Hall’s national youth ensemble for younger teens aged 14-17. According to her profile on the organization’s website, Leah participates in the Houston Youth Symphony and is part of the Tompkins Academic Decathlon team.

The members of the 2024 orchestra—ages 16–19, hailing from 34 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico—have been recognized by Carnegie Hall as being among the finest players in the country following a comprehensive and highly selective audition process. This summer’s orchestra features 15 musicians who previously played with NYO-USA, as well as a total of 30 musicians who gained experience through NYO2, and one musician who previously performed as part of NYO Jazz. All three of Carnegie Hall’s national youth ensembles are offered free of charge, ensuring that all invited musicians have the opportunity to take part each summer. This summer, NYO-USA musicians will travel to New York in late July for an intensive two-week training residency at Purchase College, State University of New York (SUNY). Celebrated conductor Marin Alsop leads NYO-USA at the orchestra’s annual Carnegie Hall concert (August 5), presented as part of World Orchestra Week (WOW!)—a week-long celebration of international youth orchestras —followed by a South American tour which includes stops in Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and more. Both at Carnegie Hall and abroad, the orchestra will perform Barber’s Symphony No. 1, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, with Jean-Yves Thibaudet as soloist, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade.

"We’re thrilled to announce the roster of remarkable young musicians who will join NYO-USA for this upcoming summer,” said Clive Gillinson, Carnegie Hall’s Executive and Artistic Director. “These superb players will come together to train with some of the leading professional musicians in the country. The members of NYO-USA will represent the best of America as musical performers and as cultural ambassadors, both in New York during the festival and on tour.”

During NYO-USA’s intensive training residency in July at Purchase College, SUNY, the musicians will work with a faculty made up of principal players from some of the finest professional orchestras. Having worked with NYO-USA since its inception, James Ross, returns to lead both NYO-USA and NYO2 during its residency as orchestra director, working closely with 2024 assistant conductors Tamara Dworetz and Carlos Ágreda. The faculty will oversee rehearsals during the orchestra’s residency in Purchase, also working with the musicians in master classes and sectionals, all leading up to the launch of NYO-USA’s annual tour. Two apprentice composers will also compose new works, working closely with celebrated American composer Sean Shepherd who serves as the composition program director and mentor/coach to the apprentices.