Carnegie Hall's NYO Jazz Makes SFJAZZ Debut with Dee Dee Bridgewater

When Carnegie Hall's National Youth Orchestra Jazz arrives at SFJAZZ this summer, the ensemble will bring together some of the country's most accomplished teenage jazz musicians and one of the music's most celebrated vocalists.

NYO Jazz. Photo courtesy of SFJAZZ.

NYO Jazz makes its SFJAZZ debut on Tuesday, August 4, at Miner Auditorium, then departs for a tour of Asia. Led by trumpeter, bandleader, and educator Kris Johnson, the ensemble will be joined by special guest vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, the Grammy- and Tony Award-winning singer whose career has spanned jazz, theater, and international cultural advocacy.

Founded by Carnegie Hall in 2018, NYO Jazz selects musicians ages 16 to 19 through a national audition process. Participants receive intensive summer training, perform with leading artists, and then represent the United States abroad as cultural ambassadors. The program is free of charge, ensuring that accepted students can participate regardless of financial circumstances.

The SFJAZZ appearance will showcase a repertoire that balances established jazz traditions with contemporary voices. The program features an arrangement by NYO Jazz and SFJAZZ High School All-Star alum Skylar Tang, along with a newly commissioned work by composer Jihye Lee.

Bridgewater's participation adds another dimension to the performance. A three-time Grammy Award winner and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, she has long combined a distinguished performing career with educational and mentoring work that aligns with NYO Jazz's mission.

Since its launch, NYO Jazz has toured extensively across Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the United States, performing at major venues and festivals such as Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, London's BBC Proms, the Edinburgh International Festival, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

For Bay Area audiences, the concert offers a chance to hear the next generation of American jazz artists before they take their music to international stages.

Ticket Info

Carnegie Hall's NYO Jazz featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater
Tuesday, August 4, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Miner Auditorium, SFJAZZ Center, San Francisco

Tickets are pay-what-you-wish ($20–$75) and are available through SFJAZZ.