NSO Education

January 24th – April 26th, 2013

Application Deadline: Friday, January 4, 2013

You may register online after October 31, 2012

Program Description:

The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is sponsoring its Young Associates' Program for high school students in grades 11 and 12 in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area who are interested in pursuing a musical career. Twenty outstanding instrumentalists (pianists are not included) will be selected to attend rehearsals of the National Symphony Orchestra and take part in seminars with conductors, artists, NSO musicians, and representatives of the arts management field. Through this program, the Young Associates will acquire an appreciation of the wide range of skills, knowledge, and abilities--managerial as well as musical--that are required to put together a performance by a major symphony orchestra. Selection process is by application.

The core of the program involves attendance at rehearsals of the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and observation of various guest artists. In addition to attending NSO rehearsals, students participate in workshops to explore careers in management, music education, publicity, music library, and other professions that are essential to the life of every successful orchestra.

Students do not play their instruments as part of the program. Students learn through listening, observation, and asking questions of professionals.

Due to the Orchestra's rehearsal schedule, most of the meetings of the Young Associates' Program take place during the school day (times and programs are subject to change). NSO rehearsals take place in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.

Young Associates' Schedule

Application Instructions:

To apply for this program, please submit the following items:

• Application form
• A letter of recommendation
• A personal statement
• Signature form (3 signatures required)

Applicants may either submit Application Form Online along with Supplementary Materials Form by mail, fax, or hand delivery OR submit Full Application by mail, fax, or hand delivery. Contact information is found on all forms.

Completed application form and required letters should be postmarked, faxed, hand delivered no later than Friday, January 4, 2013.

If you have any questions, please contact Emily Sudmeier at (202) 416-8820 or by email at esudmeier@kennedy-center.org. Please do not email application forms to this address. Emailed applications will not be considered for the program.