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Interlochen and Cristian Măcelaru partner with Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, National Symphony Orchestra, and The Philadelphia Orchestra to celebrate America250 and advance creative youth development
Yo-Yo Ma will premiere a new cello concerto by Wynton Marsalis with the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra in side-by-side performances with members of the National Symphony Orchestra and The Philadelphia Orchestra—all under the baton of Cristian Măcelaru.
Yo-Yo Ma (left; photo credit: Jason Bell) and Wynton Marsalis (right; photo credit: Japan Art Association)
Interlochen Arts Academy is partnering with The Philadelphia Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra to ensure there is a platform for a youth voice on the occasion of the American semiquincentennial in 2026. Famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma and renowned trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis—both champions of citizen artistry and arts education—will join this one-of-a-kind collaboration: Ma will guide the next generation of young artists as a guest artist at Interlochen Arts Academy with performances of the new Marsalis cello concerto on Interlochen’s campus on March 7, 2026, in Philadelphia’s Marian Anderson Hall and March 13, 2026, and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on March 15, 2026.
Interlochen will present a two-part orchestral performance, highlighted throughout by multidisciplinary appearances from Interlochen dancers, actors, creative writers, film makers, and visual artists, all under the baton of Cristian Măcelaru, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Interlochen’s World Youth Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Designate of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The concerts will feature side-by-side performances with Interlochen alumni in the National Symphony Orchestra and The Philadelphia Orchestra—both leaders in youth arts education.
The performances will be part of America250 in both Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Interlochen will first premiere the performance as part of The Philadelphia Orchestra’s subscription week in Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, and will join the National Symphony Orchestra as they pick up America250 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This is one of several initiatives The Philadelphia Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra will be mounting to mark the country’s semiquincentennial.
“Interlochen Arts Academy students from 45 U.S. states and territories, 27 countries, and other young artists from the greater Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. areas will come together as part of this performance to lift up the values of this country that they hold dear and point to our future as a democratic society,” explained Trey Devey, President of Interlochen Center for the Arts. “This will give an important youth voice to the America250 programming, creating mini-festivals in each community and reinforcing the essential role of youth arts education.”
“The National Symphony Orchestra is honored to partner with the young talents from Interlochen, Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, and The Philadelphia Orchestra to celebrate our country’s 250th anniversary. The NSO is committed to making classical music accessible to all and values the vital involvement of the next generation," said Jean Davidson, Executive Director of the National Symphony Orchestra.
“We are delighted to collaborate with partners who share our commitment to citizen artistry and to inspiring the next generation of artists,” said The Philadelphia Orchestra President and CEO Matías Tarnopolsky. “As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, we look to the future and to the young people who will help to shape it. This impactful partnership will provide unique opportunities for the next generation of creatives to hone the skills that will enable them to positively impact society through their artistry.”
“What better way to celebrate the values and ideals on which America was founded 250 years ago than to bring to life a new composition from the one and only Wynton Marsalis, elevated by the incredible partnerships between Yo-Yo Ma, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra,” Măcelaru said. “The young artists from Interlochen will have the opportunity of a lifetime to work, create and be inspired by the remarkable musicians involved in every step of this project. I am elated to be a part of this journey.”
As part of the tour, Interlochen faculty will visit the greater Philadelphia area and Washington, D.C. to work with youth arts organizations in all seven of Interlochen’s disciplines: music, theatre, visual arts, film & new media, dance, creative writing, and interdisciplinary arts. Students associated with these youth arts organizations will be chosen to receive full-tuition scholarships to Interlochen Arts Camp under the newly established National Symphony Orchestra-Interlochen Scholars program and The Philadelphia Orchestra-Interlochen Scholars program.
“We’re excited to partner with the National Symphony Orchestra and The Philadelphia Orchestra, and are thrilled for our students to have the honor of working with music legends and amazing mentors like Yo-Yo Ma and Wynton Marsalis,” Devey said. “This will be a formative experience that will inspire our students for the rest of their lives. And in turn, The Philadelphia Orchestra-Interlochen Scholars program and the National Symphony Orchestra-Interlochen Scholars program will bring even more talented young artists together at Interlochen, regardless of financial circumstance.”
Interlochen Arts Academy’s 2026 tour will build on many recent student touring opportunities, including a performance as part of the New York Philharmonic’s 2022-23 season and a critically acclaimed 2016 performance by the Arts Academy Orchestra at the NY Phil Biennial. Other recent Arts Academy tours include a multidisciplinary performance at Miami’s New World Center in early March 2020 and premieres of new works at National Sawdust and Carnegie Hall in February 2019.
This tour is one of several major initiatives leading up to Interlochen's Centennial celebrations in 2028.
About Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma’s multi-faceted career is testament to his belief in culture’s power to generate trust and understanding. Whether performing new or familiar works for cello, bringing communities together to explore culture’s role in society, or engaging unexpected musical forms, Yo-Yo strives to foster connections that stimulate the imagination and reinforce our humanity. Yo-Yo Ma was born in 1955 to Chinese parents living in Paris, where he began studying the cello with his father at age four. When he was seven, he moved with his family to New York City, where he continued his cello studies before pursuing a liberal arts education. Yo-Yo has recorded more than 120 albums, is the winner of 19 Grammy Awards, and has performed for nine American presidents, most recently on the occasion of President Biden’s inauguration. He has received numerous awards, including the National Medal of the Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Birgit Nilsson Prize. He has been a UN Messenger of Peace since 2006, and was recognized as one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.
About Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis is a world-renowned trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and a leading advocate of American culture. Marsalis was born to a musical family in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1961. He began performing jazz and classical trumpet music from an early age. In 1980, upon moving to New York to attend The Juilliard School, Marsalis launched his career performing as a member of the legendary Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.
In the four decades since, he has rekindled widespread international interest in jazz through performances, educational initiatives, books, curricula, and public advocacy. Between his 1982 debut and the present, Marsalis has released 129 recordings and composed hundreds of original pieces for symphony orchestra, jazz big band and small group, and a variety of chamber music configurations. He has performed in 858 cities and 65 countries across the globe to date. Marsalis is the recipient of 41 honorary degrees, countless awards, and has been appointed a UN Messenger of Peace (2001). He has been bestowed some of the world’s highest government honors for the arts: The National Medal of Arts (USA, 2005), a Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur (France, 2009), The National Humanities Medal (USA, 2016), and the Praemium Imperiale for Music (Japan, 2023).
Marsalis presently serves as Managing and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Director of Jazz Studies at The Juilliard School, and President of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation. He continues to inspire new generations of musicians and audiences through his performances, recordings, compositions, and educational initiatives.
About Cristian Măcelaru
GRAMMY® Award-winning conductor Cristian Măcelaru is the Music Director Designate of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Director of the George Enescu Festival and Competition, Music Director of the Orchestre National de France, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Interlochen Center for the Arts’ World Youth Symphony Orchestra, Music Director and Conductor of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and Chief Conductor of the WDR Sinfonieorchester in Cologne, where he will serve through the 2024/25 season and continue as Artistic Partner for the 2025/26 season.
Măcelaru recently appeared at the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony which was broadcast to 1.5 billion viewers worldwide. He led the Orchestre National de France and Chœur de Radio France in the performance of the Olympic Anthem as the Olympic Flag was raised beneath the Eiffel Tower. Măcelaru and the Orchestre National de France continue their 2024/25 season in tours throughout France, Germany, South Korea and China. Guest appearances include his debuts with the Oslo Philharmonic and RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Turin as well as returns with the Wiener Symphoniker, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich in Europe. In North America, Măcelaru leads the Pittsburgh Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
Măcelaru’s previous seasons include European engagements with the Philharmonia, London Philharmonic Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie, Concertgebouworkest, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks,Staatskapelle Berlin and Budapest Festival Orchestra. In North America, he has led the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra and The Philadelphia Orchestra.
In 2020, he received a GRAMMY® Award for conducting the Decca Classics recording of Wynton Marsalis’ Violin Concerto with Nicola Benedetti and The Philadelphia Orchestra. His most recent release is of Enescu Symphonies and two Romanian Rhapsodies with the Orchestre National de France, released on Deutsche Grammophon.
About The Philadelphia Orchestra
The world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra strives to share the transformative power of music with the widest possible audience, and to create joy, connection, and excitement through music in the Philadelphia region, across the country, and around the world. Through innovative programming, robust education initiatives, a commitment to its diverse communities, and the embrace of digital outreach, the ensemble is creating an expansive and inclusive future for classical music, and furthering the place of the arts in an open and democratic society.
About the National Symphony Orchestra
Since its founding in 1931, the NSO has been committed to performances that enrich the lives of its audience and community members. In 1986, the National Symphony became an artistic affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where it has performed since the Center opened in 1971. The 96-member NSO participates in events of national and international importance, including the annual nationally televised concerts on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol, live-streamed performances from the Kennedy Center Concert Hall on medici.tv, and local radio broadcasts on Classical WETA 90.9 FM.
