Organized by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute, it was established in 2012, and its first concert tour took place in the summer of 2013.

Each summer, following an application and audition process, about 110 musicians ages 16 to 19 attend a two-week residency at Purchase College, New York, followed by a national or international tour.

In January 2012 Carnegie Hall announced the launch of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA).

The NYO-USA was set up along broadly similar lines to the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

Additionally, applicants must be United States citizens or permanent residents who are not enrolled full-time in a college-level conservatory or music department on an instrumental performance major.