Tendekai Mawokomatanda Was Selected for the Prestigious NYO2 Summer Program

Arts Academy senior Tendekai Mawokomatanda wins position with Orchestra Noir

Tendekai Mawokomatanda: As part of efforts to promote diversity in classical music from Atlanta

NYO2 Summer Program

Carnegie Hall, one of the most prestigious concert venues in the world, recently announced the names of the students accepted into their NYO2 summer program in 2022, including 17-year-old Tendekai Mawokomatanda from Atlanta. Mawokomatanda’s selection is a significant achievement, as NYO2 is a national program that recruits orchestral musicians between 14 and 17 years old from “communities underrepresented in classical music.”

Mawokomatanda expressed his honor at being selected for the program, saying, “If you were selected for NYO2, it means that you are one of the best young musicians in the country and you get to show off your skills with world-renowned conductors. So it’s truly an honor to be selected for this program.”

The program offers a month-long residency at the State University of New York at Purchase, where the students hone their skills and prepare for their performance at Carnegie Hall on August 1, 2022. At the end of the residency, the NYO2 musicians would travel to Miami Beach for a five-day residency, culminating in a performance at the New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy.

Mawokomatanda attended Interlochen Arts Academy, a boarding school in northwestern Michigan, where he plays the bass. Before his transfer to Interlochen, Mawokomatanda spent his first two years of high school at DeKalb School of the Arts. In both schools, he excelled as a musician and was selected as the principal bassist in his final year with each orchestra.

Prior to his transfer to Interlochen Arts Academy, Mawokomatanda participated in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program. The program is designed to develop young Black or Latino orchestral musicians, with students receiving one-on-one lessons and coaching from an Atlanta Symphony Orchestra musician.

Mawokomatanda’s parents, Shongedzai and Tebitha Mawokomatanda, expressed their pride in their son’s achievement, saying that he has always been musically inclined. “Tendekai did violin, piano, and double bass. When he found double bass – his passion – he just stuck there,” said Shongedzai Mawokomatanda.

The Atlanta Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra were also instrumental in Mawokomatanda’s development as a musician. He spent two years with each orchestra and was selected as the principal bass in his final year with both.

Beethoven 5 Trio Bass Section

Mawokomatanda is particularly excited to work under Taiwanese-American conductor Mei-Ann Chen during the Miami Beach residency. “She is incredible. It will be my first time working with her, but I’ve seen her conducting before,” he said. “The way she conducts is simply amazing, and I cannot wait to be under her baton.”

NYO2 only accepted two students from Georgia into the program this year, and the other musician is violin player Kate Sunny Kim from Marietta. Mawokomatanda’s selection is a testament to his hard work, dedication, and talent, as well as the support he has received from his family, teachers, and orchestras.

In a field where Black and Latino musicians are underrepresented, programs like NYO2 and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program are essential for nurturing young talent and promoting diversity in classical music. Mawokomatanda’s success is not only a personal achievement but also a symbol of hope and progress for the wider classical music community.

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