FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 21, 2014 Green Music Center contacts: Melissa Sanders, Senior Director for Communications Jessica Anderson, Associate Director for Communications NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO PERFORM IN WEILL HALL AT SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY S GREEN MUSIC CENTER AS PART OF COAST- TO- COAST U.S. TOUR ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 2 AT 7:30 P.M. 120 of the Country s Brightest Young Musicians, Ages 16-19, Come Together for Second Annual NYO- USA, a Program of Carnegie Hall s Weill Music Institute Including Many From Northern California Orchestra To Perform Music by Bernstein, Britten, Mussorgsky, and Samuel Carl Adams Collaborating with Renowned Conductor David Robertson & Violinist Gil Shaham Sonoma, CA The National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO- USA), a program of Carnegie Hall s Weill Music Institute, will give a performance in the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Hall at Sonoma State University s Green Music Center on Saturday, August 2, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. NYO- USA s concert at Weill Hall is part of an eight- city coast- to- coast U.S. tour led by renowned American conductor David Robertson and featuring violinist Gil Shaham. The NYO- USA s 2014 program to be performed will include the California premiere of Radial Play from American composer Samuel Carl Adams, commissioned by Carnegie Hall for NYO- USA; Leonard Bernstein s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story; Benjamin Britten s Violin Concerto with Shaham; and Ravel s arrangement of Mussorgsky s Pictures at an Exhibition. The 120 members of the 2014 Orchestra all ages 16-19, hailing from 35 U.S. states plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico have been recognized by Carnegie Hall as being among the finest players in the country, following a comprehensive audition process. This summer s roster includes several northern California student musicians including: Matthew Chow, Violin (Los Altos) Janice Gho, Bass (Cupertino) Aaron Grisez, Timpani/Percussion (Fresno) Oliver Herbert, Cello (San Francisco) Adrian Lin, Timpani/Percussion (Cupertino) Josephine Stockwell, Viola (El Sobrante)

2 Alex van der Veen, Violin (Palo Alto) Annie Wu, Flute (Pleasanton)* *part of inaugural 2013 National Youth Orchestra of the USA Helen Wu, Violin (Saratoga) The orchestra s line- up also features 24 returning musicians from the 2013 inaugural orchestra. The complete musician roster for NYO- USA s 2014 edition can be viewed here. Prior to embarking on the U.S. tour with Robertson and Shaham, the members of the second annual NYO- USA will spend two weeks training with principal players from some of the country s best orchestras on the campus of Purchase College, SUNY. The Purchase residency includes sectional and full orchestral rehearsals, workshops on musical and non- musical topics designed to complement the tour repertoire, and social and recreational activities. James Ross, director of orchestral activities at the University of Maryland, returns this summer to lead the NYO- USA faculty for a second year. Comprising some of the finest players and section leaders from America s greatest orchestras and music schools, the faculty which includes principal players from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, and St. Louis Symphony 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 orchestra s national tour. After the incredible launch of this program last summer, we re excited to take this exceptional group of young musicians from coast to coast, inviting audiences across America to have the opportunity to get acquainted with their own national youth orchestra, said Carnegie Hall Executive and Artistic Director Clive Gillinson. We continue to be impressed by the depth of world class talent found across the U.S., and the members who make up NYO- USA s 2014 roster are amongst the very best players today. We re certain that their spirit, dedication to coming together as an orchestra, and high level of music- making will be an inspiration to music lovers everywhere. Following acclaimed inaugural year performances in Washington D.C., Moscow, St. Petersburg, and London, this year's NYO- USA will be introduced to concertgoers across the U.S. with an eight- city, coast- to- coast tour from July 20 to August 4. The tour schedule is as follows: July 20 Purchase, NY Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, State University of New York July 22 New York, NY Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage July 24 Lenox, MA Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood Music Festival July 26 Boone, NC Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, An Appalachian Summer Festival July 28 Chicago, IL Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, Grant Park Music Festival July 30 Teton Village, WY Walk Festival Hall, Grand Teton Music Festival Aug 2 Rohnert Park, CA Weill Hall, Sonoma State University s Green Music Center Aug 4 Los Angeles, CA The Music Center s Walt Disney Concert Hall

3 Program Information Saturday, August 2, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. Weill Hall, Sonoma State University s Green Music Center NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA David Robertson, Conductor Gil Shaham, Violin LEONARD BERNSTEIN Symphonic Dances from West Side Story BENJAMIN BRITTEN Violin Concerto, Op. 15 SAMUEL CARL ADAMS Radial Play (World premiere, commissioned by Carnegie Hall) MODEST MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition (orch. Ravel) National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America Lead Sponsor: Bloomberg. Lead Donors: Anna- Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation and Marina Kellen French; Ronald O. Perelman; the Robertson Foundation; Robert F. Smith, and Joan and Sanford I. Weill and the Weill Family Foundation. Additional funding has been provided by the Blavatnik Family Foundation; Yoko Nagae Ceschina; The Rockefeller Foundation; The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation; and Ann Ziff. Public support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Ticket Information Tickets begin at $25 and may be purchased in person at the box office, by calling , or online at gmc.sonoma.edu. The Box Office is open Monday Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. About the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America Each summer, Carnegie Hall s Weill Music Institute brings together the brightest young musicians from across the country (ages ) to form the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO- USA). Following a comprehensive audition process and a two- week training residency at Purchase College, State University of New York, with faculty made up of principal players from top American orchestras, these remarkable teenagers embark on a tour to some of the great music capitals of the world, serving as dynamic music ambassadors. Launched in summer 2013 to great critical acclaim, the first- ever NYO- USA presented concerts with famed conductor Valery Gergiev and renowned violinist Joshua Bell for enthusiastic audiences in Washington D.C.; St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia; and at the BBC Proms in London, England. In summer 2015, the members of the NYO- USA will add more stamps to their passports as the ensemble makes its first tour to China.

4 Purchase College, State University of New York, has been a key partner in Carnegie Hall s NYO- USA program since its inception. During their two- week residency, orchestra members will be housed on Purchase College s scenic campus, located in Westchester County, just north of New York City, where they will undertake their initial training and rehearsals. All rehearsals will be centered at the College s highly- regarded Performing Arts Center and in the rehearsal studios of its School for the Arts Conservatory of Music. Capping the students stay and the launch of the NYO- USA s performance activities will be a concert at the College s PAC for the public and college community. About Carnegie Hall Founded in 1891, New York City s Carnegie Hall presents exceptional performances by the world s finest musicians on its three stages the renowned Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, the intimate Weill Recital Hall, and the innovative Zankel Hall including concert series curated by acclaimed artists and composers; citywide festivals featuring collaborations with leading NYC cultural institutions; orchestral performances, chamber music, new music concerts, and recitals; and the best in jazz, world, and popular music. Extensive music education and community programs developed by Carnegie Hall s Weill Music Institute support Carnegie Hall s commitment to fostering the future of music. More than 400,000 people will engage in the Weill Music Institute s programs over the next year through national and international partnerships, in New York City schools and community settings, and at Carnegie Hall. For more information on Carnegie Hall and other Weill Music Institute programs supporting the ongoing development of young musicians, please visit carnegiehall.org. About Joan and Sanford I. Weill Hall The crown jewel of the Green Music Center is undoubtedly the 1,400- seat Joan and Sanford I. Weill Hall, which opened in September 2012 and is considered one of the most acoustically superb concert venues in the world. Designed by architect William Rawn, theater consultant Auerbach Pollock Friedlander, and acoustician Lawrence Kirkegaard, Weill Hall was designed to replicate the intimacy and acoustics of both Vienna s Musikverein and Symphony Hall in Boston. Weill Hall is modeled after Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood, including a back wall that can be fully opened onto the beautifully landscaped and terraced Weill Lawn. The 1,400 handcrafted seats within Weill Hall were built by the 200- year- old Fancher Chair Company. Made of European steamed beech wood, the chairs feature an open back designed for acoustic- neutrality whether the seat is occupied or empty. Seating in Weill Hall is divided amongst a raked orchestra floor, second floor choral circle, including a choir loft behind the stage, and the third floor balcony boasting spectacular views of the Sonoma Mountains through large windows on the north and east walls. The variable acoustics of the hall are achieved through the use of motorized fabric banners on the east and west walls. By adjusting these banners, the hall can be fine- tuned for the specific genre of music being performed - from a single vocalist to a full orchestra setting. About the Donald and Maureen Green Music Center The Green Music Center (GMC) is a performing arts complex on the campus of Sonoma State University (SSU), encompassing Joan and Sanford I. Weill Hall and Lawn, Schroeder Hall, a Music Education Hall for students and faculty of SSU's Department of Music, and a Hospitality Wing that connects Weill Hall to the fine- dining Prelude Restaurant. The GMC presents year- round programming through the MasterCard Performance Series and is home to the Santa Rosa Symphony, in addition to hosting concerts by the San Francisco Symphony and providing an

5 annual residency for young professional musicians in partnership with New York s Carnegie Hall. About Sonoma State University Sonoma State University (SSU) is a public liberal arts college located in California's premier wine country, one hour north of San Francisco. Nestled at the base of the idyllic Sonoma Mountains, the campus is home to more than 9,000 undergraduate students and is among the most popular campuses in the California State University system. Named a "Most Wired" campus by The Princeton Review and a "Best Regional University" by U.S. News & World Report, SSU was first in the country to offer an undergraduate degree in Wine Business. What the press said about NYO- USA s 2013 inaugural year: With their debut this week it already seems safe to say that the future of classical music in America is stronger than it was even one month ago! The Times, London The whole ensemble played with electric commitment. The Guardian The performance exuded vitality and confidence. The New York Times Carnegie Hall may have created the best music camp ever. National Public Radio A simply outstanding and shockingly well- interpreted performance of the Shostakovich Symphony No. 10. DCMetroTheaterArts.com There s something very special, though, in being present at a performance given with such confidence by young musicians. ClassicalSource.com # # #