The New York Youth Symphony (NYYS) announced on Wednesday that Andy Clausen has been appointed Director of the NYYS Jazz Band for the 2016/17 season.
Clausen is a New York-based composer, trombonist, bandleader, and graduate of The Juilliard School. 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. 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.”
Clausen is a founding member of The Westerlies, a new music brass quartet whose 2014 debut Wish The Children Would Come on Home: The Music of Wayne Horvitz was met with critical acclaim from NPR Fresh Air, Jazz Times, and was named the NPR Jazz “Best Debut of 2014.” 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. In addition, Clausen has been commissioned by The New York Times, Dell, Bloomberg and Blue Chalk Media to compose music for film and television.
The NYYS is one of the most awarded youth programs of its kind in the nation, recognized for its innovative, tuition-free educational programs for talented young musicians. Founded in 1963 as an orchestra to showcase the metropolitan area’s most gifted musicians ages 12-22, its activities have since grown to encompass programs in chamber music, conducting, composition, and jazz, with performances at world class venues including Carnegie Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center.