Greece’s ‘best young musicians’ triumph at New York’s Carnegie Hall

Beyond the electrifying election atmosphere and the usual buzz of the city that never sleeps, there was something else very exciting going on in New York City on the first weekend of November - albeit of a more niche nature.

The passengers on Emirates flight EK 209 got an inkling of it as they watched a large group of young men and women come on board carrying cases in the shape of cellos or tubas. Passport control officers at New Jersey also had an inkling when they asked about the contents of the youngsters' luggage and got "a violin" or "a trumpet" as an answer.

The New Yorkers who saw the 95 awestruck young men and women taking photographs at the Empire State Building, Central Park and Ground Zero, or riding the subway back to their hotel, their fingers busy mimicking their notes as they wondered if they'd have enough time to squeeze in some more practice, were...