More (cow) Bell

Josh Bell and John Clare, photo by Michele Krier

Joshua Bell is in the news again, not with the ASMF or in the DC subways, but with Carnegie Hall and the new  National Youth Orchestra! From the press release: Carnegie Hall today announced that renowned American violinist Joshua Bell will be the featured soloist for the debut performances by the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), a major new initiative that, beginning in summer 2013, will bring together the most talented young orchestral players, ages 16–19, from across the United States. Under the baton of conductor Valery Gergiev, Mr. Bell and the orchestra will perform Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Following a two-week residency at Purchase College, State University of New York, the NYO-USA will make its debut at Washington DC’s Kennedy Center, followed by its first exciting international tour, including stops in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and London. In addition to the Tchaikovsky concerto with Mr. Bell, the orchestra’s concert program will include a new work by young American composer Sean Shepherd, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall for NYO-USA, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10. 
 It was also announced that James Ross, associate director of The Juilliard School’s conducting program and artistic director of the National Orchestral Institute at the University of Maryland, will lead the NYO-USA faculty in 2013. Comprising some of the finest players and section leaders from America’s greatest orchestras and music schools, the faculty will oversee rehearsals during the orchestra’s residency in Purchase and will conduct master classes, chamber music readings, and other seminars on essential music skills, all leading up to the launch of the international tour.
- Host John Clare