Youth Symphony

Youth Orchestra - Audition required

 

Audition Criteria for entry:

I - Scales: 

Wind/brass instruments:

Two Major scales, 2 Octaves, 1 ♯ key & 1 ♭ key

Two Minor scales, 2  Octaves, 1 ♯ key & 1 ♭ key

Chromatic Scale, lowest to highest note

 

All woodwind and brass players should be prepared to play their scales with the following articulations:

  1. In slow Legato Quarter Notes (metronome Quarter Note = 60)
  2. In Eighth Notes, Slur 4 
  3. In Eighth Notes, Slur 2, Tongue 2
  4. In Sixteenth Notes, 4 Sixteenth Notes per Note, Staccato

 

Violin

  • One 3-Octave Major Scale of your choice
  • One 3-Octave Minor Scale of your choice

 

Viola/Cello 

  • One Three Octave Major Scale of your choice
  • One Three Octave Minor Scale of your choice

 

Bass 

  • One One Octave D Major Scale 
  • One One Octave D Minor Scale 

 

All string players should be prepared to play their scales with the following articulations:

  1. In slow Legato Quarter Notes (metronome quarter = 60), one note per bow, using the whole bow, rich sound, and vibrato.
  2. With Slurs of your choosing, anything from 2 to 12 notes per bow.  As fast as you  are comfortable with solid intonation.
  3. Sautillé Sixteenth Notes, quickly, repeating each note of the scale four or eight times.
  4. Spiccato Eighth Notes off the string, moderate tempo, repeating each note of the scale four times.
  5. Hooked bowing (full fast bow with a dotted rhythm - Double dotted quarter note and a 16th note, for example)

 

Click the link below for a video demonstrating the above Youth Orchestra  Audition scale bowings:

https://youtube.com/shorts/uB-MB0nOL1w?feature=share

 

III - Solo Piece: All candidates should present a prepared piece or study that demonstrates their current level of musicianship, including technical facility and artistic expression, and reflects their readiness to perform at a high level. String players should prepare a work from at the level of Suzuki Book Four or higher.