The New York String Orchestra Seminar is one of the country's most
acclaimed professional training programs. In 1969, arts administrator
and manager Frank Salomon created the seminar for Alexander Schneider,
one of the 20th century's preeminent musical figures whose deep
commitment to young artists was an inspiration to a generation of
musicians. Before his death in 1993, Schneider chose Jaime Laredo to
carry on the project's mission. In its four decades, the seminar has
introduced more than 1,800 exceptional young musicians to new musical
ideas, offering them chamber music coaching from members of the world's
top ensembles, and giving them the challenge of performing two concerts,
presented by Carnegie Hall. All participants receive full scholarships
to ensure no gifted young artist is denied the opportunity due to
personal financial limitations.
Alumni of the New York String Orchestra Seminar are found in
leadership roles around the world. They include cellist Yo-Yo Ma;
violinists Cho-Liang Lin, Gil Shaham, Kyoko Takezawa, and Shlomo Mintz;
members of the Guarneri, Emerson, Orion, Muir, Johannes, Brentano,
Takács, and Kronos string quartets; concertmasters and members of the
Philadelphia, Metropolitan Opera, and Cleveland orchestras, the New York
and Los Angeles philharmonics, and the Boston, Cincinnati, Chicago, and
National symphony orchestras; conductors Peter Oundjian, Joseph
Swensen, Douglas Boyd, and Marin Alsop; and faculty members of the most
distinguished conservatories and universities in the US.
The 2010 New York String Orchestra is comprised of 64 students (ages
16–23) from conservatories, colleges, and high schools across the United
States and Canada. Selected through highly competitive national
auditions, the young musicians give up their winter holidays to come to
New York City for 10 days. Under the leadership of Jaime Laredo,
participants immerse themselves in orchestral rehearsals and take part
in chamber music sessions with master artists, including members of the
Emerson, Juilliard, Orion, and Guarneri string quartets. This year's
chamber music faculty includes bassists Peter Lloyd* and KurtMuroki*;
cellists Bonnie Hampton, Sharon Robinson, and Peter Wiley*; violinists
Cathy Cho, Eugene Drucker, Ida Kavafian, Cho-Liang Lin*, Daniel
Phillips*, Todd Phillips*, Sylvia Rosenberg*, Stephen Shipps*, Laurie
Smukler*, and Hiroko Yajima; violists Samuel Rhodes, Steven Tenenbom*,
and Michael Tree; flutists Bart Feller*, Tara Helen O'Connor, and Carol
Wincenc; oboist Linda Strommen*; clarinetist Anthony McGill*; and
hornist StewartRose. (* Indicates New York String Orchestra Seminar
alumni.)
Visit newschool.edu/mannes/nysos
for more information.