NY YOUTH SYMPHONY w/ Andy Clausen

Andy Clausen is a New York-based composer, trombonist, bandleader, and graduate of The Juilliard School. Hailing from Seattle, Clausen relocated to NYC in 2010 where he enjoys a diverse schedule collaborating with filmmakers, folk and blues artists, classical composers, as well as New York's jazz elite. An active educator, Clausen has taught workshops across the United States and currently serves as Artistic Director of The New York Youth Symphony Jazz Program.

As a founding member of The Westerlies and The Split Stream Big Band, the New York Times has described his work as "sleek, dynamic large-group jazz, a whirl of dark-hued harmony and billowing rhythm... The intelligent sheen of Mr. Clausen's writing was as striking as the composure of his peers... It was impressive, and not just by the yardstick of their age."

He has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Ron Carter, Benny Golson, The After Midnight Orchestra, Frank Wess, Gerald Wilson, Wayne Horvitz, and The American Brass Quintet. Clausen's awards include the Gerald Wilson Prize for Composition from the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Emerging Artist of The Year, and Alternative Jazz Group of the Year Awards from the Earshot Jazz Festival, and the Lotos Foundation Prize.

For more information visit www.andyclausen.com

Under the direction of Andy Clausen, the New York Youth Symphony Jazz Band is a 17-member swing ensemble dedicated to studying, rehearsing, and performing classic big band jazz music. Modeled on the bands of the 1930's and 1940's, the Jazz program preserves this heritage and, keeping with jazz traditions, incorporates it into the current and emerging styles that define the genre for the present generation.

The New York Youth Symphony, founded in 1963 as an orchestra to showcase the metropolitan area's most gifted musicians ages 12-22, has since grown to encompass programs in chamber music, conducting, composition, and jazz. Performances include at world class venues Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Joe's Pub at The Public.