Six young musicians from the Puget Sound area have been named to the first National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, according to an announcement from Carnegie Hall. The 120 NYO-USA musicians chosen from 42 states, all ages 16-19, will will travel to New York in late June for a two-week training residency on the campus of Purchase College, State University of New York, working with professional orchestral players. The orchestra will then embark on an international tour with stops in Washington, D.C., Moscow, St. Petersburg, and London. Valery Gergiev, renowned conductor of the Mariinsky Orchestra, will lead the NYO-USA in its first year, and violinist Joshua Bell will join the ensemble this summer as a soloist.

Chosen from Washington: Audrey Chen, cello, Redmond; William Langlie-Miletich, bass, and Joseph Lorang, violin, Seattle; Marianne Martinoli, violin, Monroe; Karl Ronneburg, percussion, Sammamish; and Sophia Stoyanovich, violin, Bainbridge Island.

(http://blogs.seattletimes.com)