[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11527]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING MARTINE THOMAS OF ROCHESTER, NY ON HER SELECTION TO THE 
        NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 16, 2013

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of a talented young 
musician from the 25th District of New York. Martine Thomas of 
Rochester was selected on March 4th to participate in the first 
National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America.
  Ms. Thomas, a student at the Joseph C. Wilson Magnet High School, 
plays viola. She is also a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Youth 
Orchestra. In addition to her orchestral commitments Ms. Thomas is a 
member of the Garth Fagan Student Dance Company and enjoys hiking, 
swimming, and biking. Ms. Thomas hopes to pursue a career in viola 
performance.
  She will join a group of 120 of the finest young musicians in this 
country aged 16-19, each of whom was selected from over 1,200 
applicants from all 50 states. Organized by the famed Carnegie Hall in 
New York City, it is truly a significant accomplishment. As part of 
their experience, in July the group will travel to New York for two 
weeks of rehearsals at SUNY-Purchase, and then embark on an 
international tour that includes a debut performance at the Kennedy 
Center in Washington, DC, as well as performances in Moscow, St. 
Petersburg, and London. The last concert in London will be broadcast as 
part of the BBC Proms.
  While there are many terrific local and regional youth orchestras 
(such as the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra) in this country 
and several successful national youth orchestras in other countries, 
the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America is a 
unique and unparalleled opportunity for young, high school-aged 
musicians in the United States to be recognized as the pinnacle of our 
music training system. The success of Venezuela's El Sistema has 
generated increased international interest in the value of youth 
orchestras, and in my role as the Chair of the Congressional Arts 
Caucus, I am thrilled that Carnegie Hall has spearheaded this 
initiative to showcase America's finest young musicians and 
reinvigorate interest in youth musicianship at home and abroad.
  I am proud of Ms. Thomas, and proud of the entire group of musicians 
selected to represent their hometowns and the United States as cultural 
ambassadors during their time with the National Youth Orchestra. I 
encourage all of my colleagues--many, many of whom also have 
constituents who were chosen--to join me in wishing these extraordinary 
young and talented individuals the best of luck on their tour. Many 
congratulations to Ms. Thomas and to Carnegie Hall in this endeavor.

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