Carnegie Hall Reveals Teen Musicians From Across US Selected For NYO Jazz 2025

Carnegie Hall announced the names of 23 extraordinary young musicians chosen from across the country for NYO Jazz, an intensive summer program that nurtures and showcases the talents of exceptional young American jazz instrumentalists (ages 16–19). The members of NYO Jazz 2025—hailing from multiple regions of the country—have been recognized by Carnegie Hall as being among the finest players in the US following a comprehensive and highly competitive audition process. The musicians who make up the 2025 ensemble will have the opportunity to play alongside talented peers; learn from world-class jazz masters; and perform at Carnegie Hall and abroad, marking the first time NYO Jazz tours Latin America. NYO Jazz—now in its eighth year—is offered free of charge to all participants, ensuring that all invited musicians have the opportunity to take part.

Click here for the complete roster, including the names, instruments, and hometowns of the members of NYO Jazz 2025.

The musicians of NYO Jazz will travel to New York in mid-July for an intensive two-week training residency at Purchase College, State University of New York. Led by artistic director Sean Jones, NYO Jazz players have the opportunity to train with some of America's most celebrated jazz artists who will lead in-depth training workshops and master classes. A highlight of the residency will be NYO Jazz's Carnegie Hall performance on Saturday, July 26 at 7:00 p.m. led by bandleader/trumpeter Sean Jones and featuring Grammy Award-winning vocalist Luciana Souza as special guest.

Following their New York appearance, NYO Jazz—joined by Luciana Souza—will embark on its first-ever tour of Latin America from July 27 to August 8, with debut performances in Brazil and the Dominican Republic. The complete tour schedule will be announced later this spring.

NYO Jazz's diverse repertoire showcases big band jazz as a limitless art form, one that bridges genres, generations, and borders. For NYO Jazz's 2025 concerts, Carnegie Hall has commissioned Cuban-American drummer and composer Dafnis Prieto to write a new work for the ensemble. NYO Jazz's stylistic range will be further highlighted in pieces by Count Basie, John Clayton, Christian McBride, Vince Mendoza, and Christine Jensen as well as Brazilian composers including Antônio Carlos Jobim and Ivan Lins and new arrangements. The exciting program also features the band's first-ever arrangement commissioned by an alum, trumpeter Janelle Finton, through an NYO Jazz commissioning project highlighting compositions from Terri Lyne Carrington's New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets by Women Composers.
 

“We are thrilled to welcome these extraordinary young musicians to NYO Jazz's 2025 roster,” said Clive Gillinson, Executive and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall. “They have an exciting summer ahead, filled with training, performances, and touring alongside some of today's leading jazz artists. The group's debut tour to Latin America, featuring concerts in Brazil and the Dominican Republic, will highlight the incredible depth of talent and exceptional musicianship found across the United States. Latin America is home to a rich and dynamic music scene, guaranteeing that NYO Jazz's first-ever tour to these countries will be a time of great musical exchange and discovery.”

Tickets for NYO Jazz's concert at Carnegie Hall are now on sale for the general public. Tickets can be purchased at carnegiehall.org, by calling 212-247-7800, or by visiting the Carnegie Hall Box Office. Discounted student tickets will be available online for verified Student Insiders only, as well as to any student with valid ID at the box office or over the phone.