GNOYO receives first place selected for Midori Orchestra residencies program

By Jayla Renter

Contributing Writer

Fans of the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra (GNOYO) have yet another reason to offer the young ensemble a vivacious standing applause. World-renowned violinist Midori has awarded the youth orchestra first place in her 2026-27 Orchestra Residencies Program (ORP) selection.

The Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra (GNOYO, a non-profit organization that provides students ages 6 and older with opportunities to participate in high-quality orchestra programming, is one of only two orchestras selected for the program in all of North America.

New Orleans will host this year’s Midori ORP along with a public performance by Midori and GNOYO participants from March 17-21, 2027. The selection highlights GNOYO’s commitment to providing students of all ages the opportunity to perform in a high-quality orchestral program.

“We do not just teach music here at GNOYO,” said Dr. Jean Montes, GNOYO music director. “We nurture the whole person and develop sound minds so that they can be leaders in their community.”

Participants will be immersed in a five-day residency workshop designed to transform young musicians into accomplished artists, receiving specialized teachings from Midori and her team. Concluding the workshop, students will perform in a final concert for the Greater New Orleans community featuring Midori alongside the orchestras.

“There is an infinity of creative talent in this community, and the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra is honored to be a part of that to continue the tradition of excellence while fostering this new generation of young musicians,” Dr. Montes said.

Throughout the residency, Midori will work with all three levels at GNOYO, from beginner to advanced, ensuring each student receives an equal learning experience regardless of skill level. Interactive sessions will allow students to observe Midori’s performance up close, ask questions and engage directly with instruction, further enhancing their development. One-on-one opportunities with Midori are also available during the program for exemplary students in each group. Each encounter with Midori and her team will build toward the culminating performance, where participants will have the chance to showcase their growth and talent to the New Orleans community.

“Starting her career at 11 years old, Midori puts herself in the shoes of young musicians,” Dr. Montes said. “Not just showing her talents but being directly involved in the teaching process of our students.”

Born in Osaka in 1971, Midori began her studies early in life under the tutelage of her mother, Japanese violinist Setsu Goto. In 1982 at age 11, the young violinist was invited by Zubin Mehta to perform with the New York Philharmonic. Since that debut performance, Midori has performed with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras and collaborated with other distinguished and world-renowned musicians, including Leonard Bernstein and Yo-Yo Ma.

Today, she focuses much of her efforts on mentoring young musicians. In addition to founding the Orchestra Residencies Program, she has established several non-profit organizations with the same goals of furthering humanitarian and educational initiatives in the arts, and has an extensive resume in music education.

In 2004, she joined the faculty of the University of Southern California’s (USC) Thornton School of Music, where she held the Jascha Heifetz Chair; then in 2012, she attained the rank of professor and earned election to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

She serves as the Dorothy Richard Starling Chair in Violin Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and is a visiting artist at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. For her work, Midori has received honorary doctorates from Smith College, Yale University, Longy School of Music and Shenandoah University. In 2023, she received the Brandeis Creative Arts Award from Brandeis University, and that same year was also selected by the Ravinia Festival as artistic director of the Ravinia Steans Music Institute’s (RSMI) piano and strings program, a five-week summer residency that takes place in Highland Park, Ill.

The 2027 ORP marks GNOYO’s second opportunity to work with Midori, having previously been selected for the prestigious program in 2010. Her return to New Orleans reinforces the city’s inclusion as one of the 10 U.S. cities in the Creative Cities Network, as designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2025.

“I am looking forward to returning to New Orleans for a second ORP residency,” said Midori. “I am excited to reconnect with Dr. Jean Montès who has been build Montès who has been building this orchestra and committing himself to nurturing the young musicians of greater New Orleans, and to dive right into working with these young players during the residency.”

Going into their 32nd season, GNOYO has grown tremendously from a small program founded in 1994 into a network of multiple ensembles serving young musicians across the region. The organization continues to build a strong foundation for its students by providing engaging and rewarding orchestral music experiences while promoting its core values of “sound minds, sound values, and sound lives.”

“This nomination gives a boost to the teachers, parents and administrators who have contributed to this generation’s education,” Dr. Montes said. “It shows that we are doing something right by investing in music and arts education.”

With auditions opening in August for the 2026-27 season, students beginning as early as first grade are encouraged to apply. No prior experience is required.

“There is a place for everyone at [the] Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra, and we would love to see them,” Dr. Montes said.

For more information on GNOYO auditions, visit https://gnoyo.org/audition-application.

This article originally published in the July 13, 2026 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.