Cristian Măcelaru and Interlochen partner with Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, National Symphony Orchestra and The Philadelphia Orchestra
Photo credit: Wunderwald Photo / Oliver Killig
For Immediate Release
INTERLOCHEN, MICHIGAN (September 4, 2024) — 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.”
A longtime collaborator of Wynton Marsalis, Cristian Măcelaru won a GRAMMY® Award for the 2020 Decca Classics album of the Marsalis Violin Concerto with Nicola Benedetti and The Philadelphia Orchestra. Măcelaru frequently programs and performs Marsalis’s works around the world, including on 2019 U.S and 2021 Romania tours with the National Symphony Orchestra of Romania and Wynton Marsalis with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the 2024 Swedish Premiere of the Marsalis Trumpet Concerto and the 2025 World Premiere of the Marsalis Concerto for Orchestra in Cologne.
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.
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