BCNY members, staff, and families joined Boys’ Club alumnus and captivating pianist Clayton Stephenson and The New York Youth Symphony for the inspiring Homecoming 2024 performance at Carnegie Hall.
Homecoming 2024
The New York Youth Symphony’s first performance of the season, Homecoming 2024 showcased the unbelievable talent of young musicians, including NYYS alum Adrian Rogers who marked his Carnegie Hall debut as Assistant Conductor with Beethoven’s Egmont Overture. The program was punctuated by Music Director, Andrew J. Kim, who beautifully conducted Strauss’ Death and Transfiguration. Andrew dedicates his passion to collaborations marked by joy, focusing on working with talented young musicians to perform premiere works at Carnegie Hall.
BCNY Alum Clayton Stephenson
The BCNY community was especially excited to see Boys’ Club alum and impressive pianist Clayton Stephenson. Clayton joined BCNY after hearing about the Josie Robertson School of Music and Art jazz program. At BCNY, Clayton found himself a new home filled with diverse programming and supportive friends and staff. He shared that he kept coming back to BCNY because it’s a place where he felt welcome and truly cared about:
“There’s something so special about The Boys’ Club of New York which is that it’s really a place for us to be ourselves and most vulnerable and learn from the staff.”
For Clayton’s Stern Auditorium debut at Carnegie Hall, he astounded the audience with a beautiful performance of Ravel’s Piano Concerto, showcasing an energetic yet disciplined playing that members could learn from and enjoy. Gerry Clubhouse Piano Instructor Shomari, was especially captivated, recalling: “His sound was like a whimsical space odyssey with spiritual undertones.” We were so honored to witness all the parents and guardians of the performers, including Clayton’s father, whose eyes held so much pride and love.
We would like to thank The New York Youth Symphony for making this wonderful experience a reality for the BCNY community, with a special shoutout to Kayla Allen. We truly can’t wait to do it again.
Photos were taken by Project Comms members Ronghe and De’Jai.