Symphony of Youth vie for debut album at Grammy Awards

 

NEW YORK: Violinist Jessica Jung was 12 years old when the New York Youth Symphony recorded her debut album during the dark early days of the pandemic.

Today, she and her fellow musicians compete with the world's elite orchestras, including the prestigious Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic, winning the Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance.

"What a cool experience. It was my first time recording in a studio," said Jeon, now 14, after rehearsals.

In the face of a pandemic that forced the cancellation of the Symphony Orchestra's scheduled performances at Carnegie Hall, music director Michael Rapper instead invited his students to honor their achievements despite the disruption to live performances. decided to organize a recording experience for

This was no easy feat. Due to pandemic restrictions, recording was only possible in small groups. This meant young artists had to wear headphones and use the beat track to get their cues, and then the various parts were in sync.

Bassist Gregory Galland, 17, said, "It was strange to tell my teacher why I had to miss a few days of classes to record.

Small group recordings are uncommon in orchestras, but the health crisis requires creativity while keeping no one from contracting Covid-19 (and keeping no one from contracting it, says Repper). say).

“I am very proud that we were able to come up with a way to make it happen despite the pandemic. It was a great experience,” said the 32-year-old conductor.

And a Grammy nomination? There is a cherry on top.

Nineteen-year-old cellist Noelia Carrasco is currently studying music at New York University.

She said it was "very surreal" that she was nominated for a Grammy.

"I didn't really get it at first, so I probably had to re-read it twice," she said.

"very."