New York Youth Symphony: Chamber Music Program

          Graduated instruction for all skill levels

               Lisa Tipton, Director
               Asuka Fu, Assistant Director

"The Chamber Music Program of the New York Youth Symphony has established itself as one of the most well-respected ensemble music training programs in the country...[The program] provides a range of opportunities to study, perform, and rehearse in a context that balances structure with flexibility, guidance and independence, and discipline with inspiration."
-Chamber Music America magazine

"[The Chamber Music Program] is truly a wonderful program for students of chamber music, exceptionally important to a student's growth as a musician as well as a human being."
-André Watts, pianist

The Chamber Music Program is an excellent opportunity for players to enhance their musical abilities, improve their performance confidence, and develop interpersonal skills within small group settings. The Program welcomes players of all levels and makes every effort to place individual players into ensembles with whom they may feel most comfortable; pre-formed groups are also encouraged to apply.

Recitals

The season finale in Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall, the glittering champagne recital at the National Arts Club, and a performance in Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space provide multiple opportunities for each ensemble to present its music.

Festival Evening

The annual "Festival Evening" will feature performances by all ensembles and a reception afterward.

Coaching

Instruction levels are incorporated within a two-tiered program, intermediate and advanced. Ensembles comprised of strings, winds, brass, guitar, harp, and piano meet weekly from October through April for individualized coaching sessions with a staff of outstanding professional musicians. This season, the coaches include members of the Shanghai, Lark, Meridian, and Mitchell String Quartets, Quintet of the Americas, Speculum Musicae, and Da Capo, among others.

Eliran Avni, piano
Anna Maria Baeza, clarinet
Laura Gilbert, flute
Suzanne Gilchrest, flute
Matthew Goeke, cello
Cordelia Hagmann, violin
Emi Kagawa, piano
Katia Kravits, piano
Janathan Keren, violin
Sheryl Lee, piano
Adam Meyer, viola
Soo-Kyung Park, flute
Adiel Schmit, cello
Linda Sinanian, violin
Sebu D. Sirinian, violin
Ella Toovy, cello
Suzanne Wagor, viola
Alexander Yudkovsky, violin
Carmit Zori, violin

Masterclass Series

The Chamber Music Program consistently boasts an extraordinary series of masterclasses by world-renowned chamber musicians. This season the masterclass coaches include:

Claude Frank, concert pianist
Kazuhide Isomura, viola, The Tokyo Quartet
Kathe Jarka, Alexander teacher
Gilbert Kalish, concert pianist
Ani Kavafian, violin/viola, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Alan Kay, Clarinet, Orpheus Program Coordinator
Joel Krosnick, cello, Julliard String Quartet
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
Frank Morelli, bassoon, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Charles Neidich, clarinet, faculty of the Juilliard School
Daniel Phillips, violin, The Orion Quartet
Shanghai Quartet members
Fred Sherry, cello, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Carol Wincenc, flute, The New York Woodwind Quintet
Carmit Zori, violin

Chamber Music Workshops

Students enjoy special evenings of sight-reading with coaches, workshops, informal performances, and social time.

For more information please see the Musicians page.

World Première

An honors ensemble will give the world première of a work commissioned by the Chamber Music Program as part of the First Music series of new works by young American composers. The work will have its première in Weill Recital Hall. For past commissioned works please see the First Music page.

Mentorship Program

Eash season, a renowned performer will work closely with a selected group, performing with them at the season finale. This year's mentor is clarinetist Alan Kay. He became a member of Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in 2002 and serves as Principal Clarinet with New York’s Riverside Symphony. He also performs as principal clarinet often with the American Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and at American Ballet Theater.

Performances for Special Audiences

New York Youth Symphony's Performances for Special Audiences are live performances by chamber music, chorus, and jazz musicians for children at various facilities throughout Manhattan. This form of music therapy can improve overall rehabilitation of the therapy recipients and increase their motivation to become engaged in their treatment, depending on the nature of the disability.

This unique experience also enables our players to use their talents to make a difference in people's lives. Although the audience may not always be directly engaged in the performance, musicians understand the impact music can have on people.

"I sincerely hope you will come back very soon to continue this great work. I want to personally thank each and every one of your young performers. I think often they cannot know how much they are helping with their effort."
-Alessandro Ricciarelli, music therapist, Memorial Sloan-Kettering

Lead support for Performances for Special Audiences for the 2008-09 season is provided by The Joseph F. McCrindle Foundation.

Director's Award for Commitment and Achievement

Each year, the Director recognizes individuals at the season's final concert for dedication to the Program and for musical advancement.

Auditions

Auditions are held annually in September or October. Please check the auditions section of our website for eligiblity and fee requirements, application information, and audition dates.

Note: Prospective applicants are urged to review the Musician Guidelines and check for scheduling conflicts before applying for an audition.

Contact us to receive an audition brochure.

Chamber Music Staff

Lisa Tipton, Director

Lisa Tipton, violinist and co-founder of the award-winning Meridian String Quartet, has toured internationally and held residencies at Queens College, Bard College, and Turtle Bay Music School. She has won distinctions from the Evian International Competition, Artists International, and Chamber Music America. As a devoted interpreter of new music, she established the “Made in America” series at Weill Recital Hall and performed on the "Interpretations" series at Merkin Concert Hall. She performs regularly with Solisti New York and the American Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Tipton earned a B.A. from Cornell University and an M.A. from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. Her recording of Ives' sonatas was released in 2006 on Capstone Records.

The core teaching programs of the New York Youth Symphony are made possible through leading support of the Surdna Foundation

Flutist Carol Wincenc coaches students in the Chamber Music Program during a masterclass.