Los Gatos, February 15, 2023: The Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District is proud to announce that two students from Saratoga High School have auditioned and been selected for the 2023 National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). Senior Shannon Ma, violin player, and Junior Tejas Tirthapura, viola player, were among the exceptional student musicians chosen to be part of this approximate 100 member orchestra.
Organized by Carnegie Hall and its Weill Music Institute, NYO-USA is in its 10th anniversary season. Student musicians from all 50 states auditioned for this prestigious program by submitting a series of audition videos that include a spoken introduction, solo piece, orchestral excerpts for the chosen instrument, and a video essay. In addition, students had to complete a written personal essay and submit two references who could attest to the students personal and musical qualities.
The 2023 NYO-USA program begins with a 2-week residency at Purchase College, SUNY (State University of New York), a top-tier public Liberal Arts institution. Students will have the opportunity to work with world-class faculty, including the 2023 Conductor, Sir Andrew Davis, conductor laureate of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Following the 2-week residency, Shannon and Tejas will be part of a coast-to-coast North American tour that will perform at venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York and The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park in San Diego.
“It is a tremendous honor to have even one member from a school or geographic region; two is pretty unusual,” shares Michael Boitz, music teacher at Saratoga High School. “Shannon and Tejas are remarkable students.”