Highland Park Senior Selected for National Youth Orchestra

Ezra Kusa, a senior trombone player at Highland Park Senior High School, has been selected for the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). 

This summer, Kusa and the NYO-USA musicians will travel to New York for an intensive two-week training residency at the State University of New York at Purchase. The NYO-USA will perform at the orchestra’s annual Carnegie Hall concert on July 31, followed by a European tour.

Kusa started on a brass instrument in fifth grade at Horace Mann Elementary. 

He decided to play euphonium, which is also low brass, because he thought it looked the coolest. Ezra decided to try trombone later that year as a way to join the Summer Orchestra for the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS). "I wanted to try a full orchestra, and the euphonium is not an orchestral instrument,"  he explained. He has played the trombone ever since. 

He says his most meaningful musical experience so far was playing at the Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona in 2024, his sophomore year. "This was my first year in the top ensemble at GTCYS, and we were touring Southern France and Barcelona that summer. It was amazing being able to perform in such a beautiful and historic hall, especially with some of my closest friends."

"As someone hoping to eventually become a professional trombonist in a major orchestra, I’m very excited to play with and get to know other similarly motivated young musicians in NYO-USA," he said. "I’m also very excited for the tour, since we will be performing at some of the top concert halls in Europe and also get to work with an amazing conductor and soloist."

Kusa plans to attend college or conservatory to pursue a bachelor of music degree in trombone performance. He has been traveling for the past few months auditioning for different music programs around the country. He said he will hear in late March about admissions offers, and hopes to make a decision sometime in April. 

Carnegie Hall recently announced the names of the 97 outstanding young musicians selected from across the country for the NYO-USA. The members of the 2026 orchestra have been recognized by Carnegie Hall as being among the finest players in the country following a comprehensive and highly selective audition process.