NYO Jazz

A Carnegie Hall initiative led by acclaimed trumpeter and composer Kris Johnson, NYO Jazz is a remarkable ensemble made up of the greatest young jazz musicians in the country who travel the world as cultural ambassadors, bringing the ever-youthful spirit of the music to audiences worldwide. For this exclusive performance and first Bay Area appearance, the band will be joined by GRAMMY-winning vocalist, composer, and 2017 NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater.  

Since its debut in 2018, NYO Jazz has represented the country’s best emerging musicians, aged 16-19, who are selected through a rigorous and highly competitive audition process. The band performs an annual concert at Carnegie Hall and tours internationally, performing with the likes of Dianne Reeves, Kurt Elling, Jazzmeia Horn, Melissa Aldana, Alicia Olatuja, and Luciana Souza. They’ve released a pair of albums including Live in Johannesburg, recorded in South Africa in 2024. 

Under Johnson’s direction, the ensemble will perform a repertoire spanning classic works and contemporary compositions, including an arrangement by NYO Jazz and SFJAZZ High School All-Star alum Skylar Tang and a new Carnegie Hall commission by Jihye Lee, highlighting the extraordinary artistry of its members.

Since she first gained recognition in the early 1970s with the great Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, Dee Dee Bridgewater has been a restless explorer who has collaborated with master musicians of Mali, interpreted the cabaret of Kurt Weill, and embraced the hard bop of Horace Silver. An artist devoted to education, she is the perfect guest to take the NYO Jazz ensemble to new heights.