NYO-USA and NYO2: Beyond the Stage
This past February, 116 of the country’s brightest young musicians received an email inviting them to participate in the 2017 National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). In March, 78 young musicians were invited to participate in the second season of NYO2, a three-week, intensive summer training program that runs in conjunction with NYO-USA.
Collectively, these 194 young musicians hail from 40 states and Puerto Rico. All members are talented musicians, but their many accomplishments aren’t limited to music: The orchestras include numerous National Merit Scholarship Finalists, varsity athletes, and community volunteers, and members are considering careers in a wide range of fields that include medicine, engineering, and law. The players also have a number of unexpected accomplishments off the stage, a few of which are highlighted below.
1) Plays ice hockey on a nationally ranked AAA team that plays across the USA and Canada |
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2) Avid road cyclist |
3) Plays veena, a classical South Indian instrument |
4) Active gymnast |
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5) Tennis player of nine years who is sponsored by Wilson Sporting Goods |
6) Teaching assistant at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater |
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7) YouTube star who plays electric violin with a loop pedal |
8) Wrote a poem that was turned into a song that is now featured on Spotify |
9) Avid mountain climber who has completed eight 14,000-foot mountains |
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10) Has an ice-cream flavor named after him |
 11) Visual artist |
12) Drum major in her high school marching band |
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13) Curates a foodie Instagram featuring school lunches @SwettyJonah |
 14) 10-year member of Odyssey of the Mind |
15) Dressmaker extraordinaire |
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16) Nationally ranked in competitive Scrabble tournaments |
Learn more about the summer 2017 seasons of NYO-USA and NYO2.