NYO Jazz 2027: Carnegie Hall Auditions for US High-School Jazz Players
Carnegie Hall is accepting applications for NYO Jazz 2027, its national youth jazz ensemble for highly skilled high-school musicians in the United States. Applications are due Monday 18 January 2027, with written references due by 1 February. Young performers aged 16–19 will be considered for a summer residency followed by concerts and touring activities between early July and early August 2027. The ensemble seeks musicians across the traditional big-band sections and jazz rhythm section, and its official auditions explicitly welcome improvisation, swing, funk and other forms of contemporary jazz expression.
Who is eligible: US citizenship, high-school enrollment and age
To enter, applicants must be citizens of the United States or permanent residents with a green card. They must also be enrolled in high school or the equivalent level of homeschooling during the 2026–2027 academic year. Completing high school in 2026 and taking a gap year does not meet the programme's rules. The age rule requires participants to be at least 16 and no older than 19 on 1 July 2027, without exceptions. A participant under 18 at application time also needs parental or guardian consent. This is not an international open call for students of any nationality.
Which instruments can audition?
The advertised instruments are flute, clarinet, alto/tenor/baritone saxophone, trumpet, tenor/bass trombone, piano, bass, guitar and drums, plus a route to enquire about non-standard big-band instruments. An applicant on an instrument not normally listed should contact the programme before preparing the entire application, because acceptance depends on the musical needs of the ensemble that year. For musicians who double on more than one instrument, the organiser requests additional sample recordings demonstrating genuine proficiency.
Audition videos: jazz style and improvisation matter
Every applicant needs a series of audition videos, generally recorded within the six months before 18 January 2027. Each performance segment must be captured in one continuous take, without editing inside it; several takes may be recorded and the best one selected. Videos can use ordinary smartphones and do not need a professional studio. A short spoken introduction with name, instrument and hometown is required, as is a personal video essay. Applicants should follow the instrument-specific tune and excerpt requirements rather than submitting only a favourite solo recording.
For saxophones, trumpets and other brass or woodwind instruments, the published requirements include an up-tempo bebop example with two choruses of improvisation, a ballad melody treated flexibly and a funk, hip-hop or R&B selection; certain chairs have mandatory orchestral-style excerpts. Piano, guitar and bass candidates use material such as 'Billie's Bounce', an interpreted ballad and odd-metre performance. Drummers have detailed swing, Afro-Cuban or Brazilian, shuffle, ballad, funk/hip-hop and irregular-metre demonstrations. The complete current instrument list on Carnegie Hall's page remains authoritative.
Written essay, recommendation forms and video essay
Alongside the videos, the form asks for a personal essay explaining the applicant's experience and how NYO Jazz would support their goals; the suggested length is around 200–300 words. Two references are required and a third is optional. After the application is submitted via Acceptd, referees receive their own form links. Their confidential responses are due by 1 February 2027, so applicants should contact teachers or ensemble directors in advance and check that the requested email addresses are correct. The video essay offers space to introduce interests and personality beyond music.
Application fee is $30, with a fee-waiver pathway
The application fee is $30, paid online on final submission. Carnegie Hall offers a fee waiver where financial need can be shown, but the request must reach NYO Jazz by 1 January 2027, earlier than the regular 18 January application deadline. Applying for a waiver requires submitting the specified request and receiving the promotional code before completing the application. Applicants should not assume that the programme is free to apply to simply because financial assistance is available.
Summer residency, travel and financial support
The training residency for 2027 is planned to begin at the University of Maryland, College Park. Carnegie Hall handles the travel between tour cities and related programme transfers, while selected students and their families normally organise transport to the start and home from the finishing destination. Need-based assistance for those journeys is available after acceptance. Participants should check the programme's advice on passports, itinerary and accessibility before accepting the summer residency.
Application timeline and submission
The timetable gives an application opening on 10 September 2026, submission by 18 January 2027, referee submissions by 1 February and applicants' status notification on 9 March. The audition process is conducted through Acceptd, with the link on the official Carnegie Hall NYO Jazz application page. Upload videos early enough to test both sound and image quality, and verify which instrument-specific requirements apply to the part being sought.
Official programme and rules
Information reviewed 18 October 2026. Applicants must follow the current NYO Jazz audition-video guidance and the Acceptd portal, rather than recordings or tune lists from older seasons.