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Concerts

The Discovery Gala

Every spring at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, the Young Symphonic Ensemble shares one evening with a world-class guest artist and with the child who won that year’s Discovery Competition. It has run annually since 1995.
The competition winner mid-solo at Alice Tully
About the evening

One student, one guest artist, one orchestra.

The Gala is the largest thing COS does. The Young Symphonic Ensemble performs a full symphonic program, a distinguished guest soloist appears, and the winner of the Discovery Competition plays as soloist in front of a Lincoln Center audience. For that student it is usually the first time they have stood in front of an orchestra on a professional stage.
Detail
Discovery Gala
Venue
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center
Typically
May, 7:30pm
First held
1995
Most recent
32nd Annual, May 18, 2026
Before that
31st Annual, May 19, 2025
Performed by
Young Symphonic Ensemble, guest artist, and the Discovery Competition winner
In 2019, for the 50th anniversary, the Gala moved to the Stern Auditorium and Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall with violinist Ray Chen.
How a student gets there

The road to the Gala stage.

The soloist is not invited. They compete for it, across a season that starts the previous autumn.
September
Discovery Competition applications due
October
Preliminary round, semi-final if needed, then the final round
November
Discovery Recital at the Community Church of Syosset
May
The winner performs as soloist at the Gala, Alice Tully Hall
Dates above follow the 2025-26 season pattern. The competition is open to COS members on any instrument they study, in Junior and Senior divisions.
About the Discovery Competition
Guest artists

Who these children have shared a stage with.

The Gala exists to put students beside working professionals of the first rank. Over the years the guest list has included:
Yo-Yo Ma
Emanuel Ax
Jaime Laredo
Sharon Robinson
Sarah Chang
Ray Chen
Cho-Liang Lin
Cecile Licad
David Shifrin
Richard Stoltzman
Paula Robison
Soovin Kim
From the archive

Past posters.

COS Discovery 2026 poster
2026
COS Discovery 2025 flyer
2025
COS Gala poster
2024
COS Gala 2019 banner
2019, the 50th anniversary at Carnegie Hall
FULLER POSTER ARCHIVE WELCOME
Four posters were findable in the media library. The Gala has run thirty-two times, so COS almost certainly holds more. Send any others with their year and they can be added to this gallery. Confirm too that the 2025 item is the Gala poster rather than the competition flyer, since the file is named as a Discovery flyer.
Wide · Alice Tully Hall from the balcony, full house
Attending

The next Gala.

33RD ANNUAL NOT YET SCHEDULED
The 32nd Annual Discovery Gala took place on May 18, 2026 and has passed. Nothing in the calendar covers the 33rd, expected May 2027 at Alice Tully Hall. Add it under the Concerts category with ticket details and this page, the Concerts menu, and the events archive will all pick it up automatically.
See all upcoming concerts

Every soloist on that stage started in a Saturday rehearsal.

The competition is open to COS members. If your child is not here yet, start with an audition.
Start with an audition