NYO Jazz, the National Youth Orchestra Jazz from Carnegie Hall performs alongside trumpeter and composer Kris Johnson. The program features big band jazz works, standards, and contemporary compositions performed by one of the most prominent youth jazz ensembles in the U.S.

NYO Jazz is a national youth jazz ensemble founded by Carnegie Hall in 2018, bringing together some of the most outstanding young jazz musicians in the United States, selected annually from across the country through a competitive audition process.

On August 12, 2026, the ensemble performs in Shanghai under the direction of trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Kris Johnson. The program includes big band jazz repertoire, well-known jazz standards, and contemporary works, including a newly commissioned piece by Korean-American composer Jihye Lee and an arrangement by NYO Jazz alum Skylar Tang.

The concert is presented as a showcase of both jazz tradition and new musical voices within the American jazz landscape.

Performers

NYO Jazz (National Youth Orchestra Jazz)

A national youth jazz ensemble founded by Carnegie Hall in 2018. It brings together selected musicians aged 16 to 19 from across the United States through a nationwide audition process. Members receive training from established jazz artists and perform at Carnegie Hall as well as on international tours.

The ensemble has been described by The Telegraph as “astonishing not only in technical ability but also in musical maturity,” and The Times noted that audiences are “almost certain they are hearing the voices of future jazz stars.”

Kris Johnson

Kris Johnson is a trumpeter, composer, arranger, educator, and music director based in Detroit. His work spans orchestral commissions, musicals, film and television scoring, and contemporary jazz.

He has contributed to seven Grammy-nominated recordings, including the 2024 Grammy-winning album Basie Swings the Blues by the Count Basie Orchestra. He toured globally with the orchestra from 2008 to 2019, performing at venues including the Apollo Theater, Hollywood Bowl, Sydney Opera House, and the Kennedy Center.

Johnson has collaborated with artists including Wynton Marsalis, Tony Bennett, Wycliffe Gordon, and Leslie Odom, Jr. He is currently Associate Professor of Jazz Trumpet at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Song List

• Universal Love
• Galapagos
• Quintessence
• Little Pixie
• In A Mellow Tone
• Li'l Darlin'
• Roll 'Em
• So What
• Can't Hide Love
• Second Balcony Jump
• Strength in Numbers
• We're Still Here
• Yes or No
• A Shift West
• The Danger Zone
• Throw It Away
• If You Want Me To Stay
• Cottontail
• Basin Street Blues
• Afro Blue

(*Starred pieces indicate guest-related repertoire)
Program is subject to change.