Audition Requirements

String Concertino: String orchestra for musicians ages 6 and up who wish to gain confidence, experience, and ensemble skills with other musicians. To audition for this ensemble, musicians must have played their instrument for at least 6 months, and demonstrate basic sight reading skills.

Violin / Viola / Cello / Bass

Symphonic Strings: Intermediate string orchestra for musicians ages 6 and up to hone ensemble skills and performance poise. Musicians who wish to audition for this ensemble must have played their instrument for at least two years, and can demonstrate strong sight reading skills.

Violin / Viola / Cello / Bass

Philharmonic Orchestra: Intermediate full orchestra, comprised of students ages 10 and up.  This orchestra will perform advanced literature and arrangements with an emphasis on ensemble playing, intonation, complex rhythmic study and quality tone production. Musicians who wish to audition for this ensemble must demonstrate mastery of the skills needed to perform the required excerpts and have strong sight-reading skills.

Scales and Arpeggios

For All String Instruments:

Play either ONE major scale and arpeggio or ONE melodic minor scale and arpeggio. All scales and arpeggios are to be MEMORIZED. 3 octaves up to 3 sharps or 3 flats. 1 to 2 octaves for double bass with no displacement. Scales and arpeggios must be played in even eighth notes using separate bows. Quarter note = 60-80

For Wind and Percussion Instruments:

Chromatic scale slurred full range of the instrument and memorized, major and melodic minor scales through 2 sharps and 2 flats, memorized, 2 octaves if range permits, tongued and slurred, performed in sixteenth notes at a minimum tempo of quarter note=60

WINDS
Flute / Oboe / Clarinet / Bassoon
Horn / Trumpet / Trombone / Tuba / Percussion

STRINGS
Violin / Viola / Cello / Bass

Symphony Orchestra: Advanced full orchestra, for students 15 to 21. The Symphony Orchestra will perform full-scale works from the repertoire, and provide rigorous, musically rich training of young musicians in preparation for advanced study in the nation’s finest music schools and conservatories. Musicians who wish to audition for this ensemble must demonstrate mastery of the skills needed to perform the required excerpts and have strong sight-reading skills.

Scales and Arpeggios

For All String Instruments:
Play either ONE major scale and arpeggio or ONE melodic minor scale and arpeggio. All scales and arpeggios are to be MEMORIZED. 3 octaves up to 4 sharps or 4 flats. 1 to 2 octaves for double bass with no displacement. Scales and arpeggios must be played in even eighth notes using separate bows. Quarter note = 88-96

For Wind and Percussion Instruments:
Chromatic scale slurred full range of the instrument, one major scale and melodic minor scales with arpeggio up to 4 sharps and 4 flats if range permits, tongued up and slurred down — all scales memorized, and performed in sixteenth notes at a minimum tempo of quarter note=60

WINDS
Flute / Oboe / Clarinet / Bassoon
Horn / Trumpet / Trombone / Tuba / Percussion

STRINGS
Violin Page 1 / Violin Page 2 / Viola / Cello /Bass Page 1/ Bass Page 2

What to bring to your audition