DeKALB – While most high school seniors are just starting to plan their last summer vacation before college or trade schools, DeKalb High School graduating senior Ben Smelser already knows what he’s doing this summer.

Smelser has been chosen as one of the 114 students who will perform in the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). Smelser, a trombonist, will take part in a two-week training residency at Purchase College in New York and play in the orchestra as it travels on tour from July 10 to 29 to nine different locations: the Performing Arts Center in Purchase, New York, Carnegie Hall in New York City and seven concert halls in China. The 2015 orchestra members, all students between the ages of 16 to 19, auditioned for their seats.

The orchestra will be conducted by Charles Dutoit, the conductor laureate of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Artistic Director of London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Internationally renowned pianist Li Yundi will perform as a guest soloist. In addition to classical pieces, the orchestra will perform a work created by Chinese composer Tan Dun specifically for the orchestral tour.

Smelser met with MidWeek reporter Katrina Milton to discuss his upcoming tour with the NYO-USA and his life-long passion for music.

Milton: How long have you been playing the trombone?

Smelser: I have been playing the trombone for eight years. I started playing the cello when I was 4 years old. I still play the cello, but not as much as I do the trombone.

Milton: Why do you like playing the trombone?

Smelser: The trombone is a very orchestral instrument. It adds power and can be very expressive and soft when it needs to be. It has that option of versatility. … It has a lot of brassy fanfares, good parts and solos. Some say that the trombone is the closest instrument to the human voice in the brass family in its quality of sound.

Milton: What music programs are you involved with?

Smelser: I have been playing the euphonium in the DeKalb High School Wind Ensemble for the past two years. A euphonium is like a tuba but one octave higher. And I’ve been playing the tenor trombone in the jazz ensemble for four years. … I’ve been involved with a lot of music programs and have been lucky enough to work with great people. The more you practice, the better you get. The better you get, the more fun it is. The more fun you have, the more you want to practice and get better.

Milton: Can you tell me more about the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America?

Smelser: I leave for New York on June 28 and return home on July 28. There is a two-week long training session in Purchase, NY. Afterwards, we have two performances in New York, one in Carnegie Hall, and then we have seven performances in China.

Milton: How do you feel about performing at Carnegie Hall?

Smelser: I have always wanted to perform in Carnegie Hall. It’s very prestigious. There’s a saying: “How do you get to play in Carnegie Hall? Practice.” I’m happy that after all my practice, I will be able to perform there. … I practice every day for three hours. I’ve been taking lessons since the seventh grade with Kirk Lundebeck. I owe him a lot. He has given me most of my training and is very supportive.

Milton: Is your family also musical?

Smelser: My dad is the conductor of the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He also leads three youth groups: the Rockford Youth Orchestra, the CSA Symphonia through NIU, and the Symphonette at NIU for young string players. My dad has orchestral experience of his own. My mom is a violin teacher. The reason I started playing music at such a young age is because my dad’s a cellist. My parent’s influence has been huge. My sister has been playing the violin since the age of 3, and she’s now 20 and continues to play at college.

Milton: Are you familiar with the pieces that you will be performing?

Smelser: I have heard of them and have been practicing. We have been receiving the compositions via email. We will play Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, “Emperor,” Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique,” and Bizet’s “Farandole” from L’Arlésienne, Suite No. 2. Chinese composer Tan Dun has also created a work that we will perform.

Milton: What are you looking forward to the most about China?

Smelser: I’m excited to see the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors. I’ve never been abroad. It was an adventure applying for visas and passports. I am excited to communicate with people that speak another language and to have the opportunity to experience a different culture. I know that visiting China will be a lot of fun. What better way to go abroad for your first time?

Milton: Can you tell me more about the application process?

Smelser: In November, I sent in an audition video and essay. There is an age limit. All members must be between the ages of 16 and 19 and they must be students. They can be students in college, as long as they are not a music major.

Milton: Do you know any of the other members of the orchestra?

Smelser: One of my best friends, Ethan Clemmitt, who plays the tuba, and I decided to apply together. We thought that it would be amazing if we made it into the orchestra together, and we did. We were in a youth program together and performed together during my early years of high school. He is now a freshman engineering major at the University of Illinois. I also know two others who are going, a clarinetist and a cellist. … I have been in touch with the two other trombonists in the orchestra and we are good friends already. I already have a sense of a supportive environment, not negative. Of course, there is some competition, but it’s healthy. We push each other forward, not put each other down. They seem very nice and we all get along.

Milton: Do you have advice for others learning to play an instrument?

Smelser: Learning to play an instrument takes a very intense commitment. It takes a lot of listening and practicing. You need to have the proper guidance and teacher. To be good, you have to practice every day.

Milton: How did you know that playing the trombone was for you?

Smelser: I really became serious about the trombone and knew that I wanted to study trombone performance when I heard a recording of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra playing the fourth movement of Mahler’s Symphony No.1. There is a powerful chorale that’s four measures long. It’s a unique sound that no other instrument in the orchestra could produce.

Milton: What are your goals after high school?

Smelser: I will be attending the Cleveland Institute of Music, where I will be majoring in music. My major will be in trombone performance. I would love to teach and play in a high-end orchestra. My goal is to teach at a university as a trombone professor and to play in an orchestra. Playing music is my life career.