Bassoonist plays at Carnegie Hall with youth orchestra

[Las Vegas, NV] Review-Journal - Reporter Julie Wootton-Greener / Las Vegas Review-Journal, Photos by Ellen Schmidt

A Las Vegas teenager is among 109 musicians who will perform this summer with Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America.

Cassandra Valenti, 18, is a senior at Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, a performing arts magnet school in the Clark County School District, where she plays bassoon.

Valenti heard about the national youth orchestra from her bassoon teacher, Jordan Farber, who was part of the ensemble when he was in high school.

“I wanted to follow in his footsteps, especially because you can travel,” Valenti said.

Carnegie Hall announced the roster of musicians — which also includes Reno viola player Audrey Lim — last month. The 16- to 19-year-olds were selected after a rigorous audition process.

To read the entire article and see the video interview visit https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/education/las-vegas-teenager-to-play-at-carnegie-hall-with-youth-orchestra-2756678/