The New World Symphony is the United States' only full-time orchestral academy preparing musicians for careers in symphony orchestras and ensembles. It was established in 1987 in Miami Beach, Florida, under the artistic direction of conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, in large part with a grant from Ted Arison, founder of Carnival Cruise Lines.

Performances
Members of the New World Symphony playing the Dvorak Cello Concerto, with soloist Johannes Moser as seen during a 2011 live outside "wallcast" at the New World CenterThe New World Symphony presents a season of concerts from October to May at the New World Center which opened in 2011 and was designed by architect Frank Gehry and acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota.[1] Performances include full-orchestra concerts, a chamber music series, a new music series, percussion consort series, small ensemble concerts, a family series, and special festivals and recitals.

In addition to artistic director Michael Tilson Thomas, guest conductors in recent years have included Paavo Jrvi, Neville Marriner, Oliver Knussen, David Robertson and Mark Wigglesworth.

AwardsOn June 29, 2011, the New World Symphony Orchestra received the first place award for "Adventurous Programming" (group 2 orchestras) from ASCAP for its strong commitment to new American music.

Fellowship programThe intensive, three-year fellowship program offers a wide range of performance and educational opportunities in both domestic and international venues. The program offers opportunities for fellows to design and present their own concerts, which often feature seldom-heard works for unusual instrumentation. New World Symphony fellows are also encouraged to develop their entrepreneurial and community outreach skills.

There are currently[when?] more than 600 New World alumni in 167 orchestras in 17 countries.