Acclaimed violinist Midori selects GNOYO as first place winner for
North American 2026-27 concert season
Residency program in New Orleans March 17 – 21, 2027,
with finale performance on March 21
NEW ORLEANS —The Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestras (GNOYO), a non-profit organization providing students ages six to pre-professional the opportunity to participate in a high-quality full orchestra program, announced today its selection as one of two orchestras in North America (and the first place winner) to participate in the 2026-27 Orchestra Residencies Program led by renowned violinist, Midori. The Midori ORP is an immersive experience designed to transform young musicians into accomplished artists through a five-day residency workshop, concluding with a final concert performance featuring Midori alongside the orchestras.
The Midori ORP will take place in New Orleans March 17 – 21, 2027 and will feature a public performance by Midori and GNOYO participants along with additional accomplished New Orleans students. The 2027 ORP will be GNOYO’s second opportunity to work with Midori; GNOYO was selected for the prestigious program in 2010.
“It is a great honor for GNOYO to be selected and recognized by Midori’s Orchestra Residencies Program as a model youth orchestra program in the nation,” said Dr. Jean Montès, Music Director for GNOYO. “This prestigious honor validates GNOYO’s true level of excellence, both statewide and nationally. We are delighted and looking forward to preparing our members to fully benefit from this memorable, transformative and impactful experience.”
Midori, the founder of the ORP Program, is a visionary artist, activist and educator who explores and builds connections between music and the human experience. As a world-renowned violinist, she passionately mentors emerging talents and pushes the boundaries of classical music, inspiring program participants to reach new heights.
In 2025, New Orleans was designated as one of 10 American cities in the Creative Cities Network by UNESCO. Midori’s selection of GNOYO for a second time validates the importance of all youth music education in New Orleans and reconfirms the great value of music education in New Orleans and throughout the region.
“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 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.”
Midori’s influence extends far beyond the concert hall, inspiring countless young musicians and music lovers worldwide. In the four decades since her debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 11, the violinist has performed with the world’s most prestigious orchestras and collaborated with world-renowned musicians including Leonard Bernstein, Yo-Yo Ma, and Zubin Mehta. A distinguished and esteemed educator, she serves on the faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Peabody Institute. Midori joined the faculty of the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music in 2004, where she held the prestigious Jascha Heifetz Chair. In 2012, she attained the rank of distinguished professor at USC and earned election to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, additionally receiving an honorary doctorate in music from Yale University. Midori also celebrated her 40th anniversary last season with Warner Classics’ release of the complete Beethoven sonatas for piano and violin with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and a Beethoven Trios concert tour on three continents. She is now the newly appointed Artistic Director of Ravinia’s Piano & Strings Program.
GNOYO, now entering its 32nd season, was founded (1994) by Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra musicians, local music teachers and parents. Since then, the organization has grown from two orchestras to 15 music programs reaching around 10,000 audience members. Dr. Montès brought his musical vision to GNOYO in collaboration with Loyola School of Fine Arts and has added a Young Artist Academy, Annual Retreat, Boys and Girls Choir, International and National Tours, and an intergenerational Pops! Orchestra and chamber programs.
Through its fierce motto of “Sounds Minds, Sound Values, Sound Lives”, GNOYO is committed to preparing the Youth of the region for the best stages in the world. For instance, GNOYO Principal Bassist and rising Senior at Ben Franklin High School, Andy Hu, was selected as a double bass player with the National Youth Orchestra of the USA (as the only youth musician representing the state of Louisiana) performing at Carnegie Hall followed by an international tour to Germany, Netherlands and Scotland. He will be playing with Midori in the 2027 Residency/Final Performance and is excited about this prestigious opportunity.
GNOYO’s core values include playing music in a nurturing environment while cultivating leadership, community, equity and diversity; and embracing and preserving the cultural heritage of the Greater New Orleans region.
For more information on The Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra, visit https://gnoyo.org/, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for additional updates. For details on the Midiori ORP, visit https://midoriorp.com/. Music educators and parents interested in learning more about how students can become involved with GYONO, visit https://gnoyo.org/orchestras/. All instruments are welcome.