World Orchestra Week (WOW!) kicks off with a performance by NYO2—Carnegie Hall’s national youth orchestra for younger teens, called “superbly talented” (New York Classical Review) and “a bright future for classical music” (Musical America). Conducted by Teddy Abrams—and featuring principal players from several of the nation’s top orchestras as soloists—they perform some of the concert repertoire’s most beloved works. In addition to Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, and Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite, the program includes a Carnegie Hall co-commissioned world premiere by Emmy Award–winning composer Jasmine Barnes, who has been commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, and many more.