Symphony and Chamber Orchestra Auditions
Students interested in joining Chamber Orchestra or Symphony Orchestra must complete an audition with the following three parts:
1. Scales
1 Major (drawn randomly), 1 melodic minor (your choice), 1 chromatic scale
Performed as steady quarter notes at minimum 80 bpm
Please consult this chart for to see which scales are required for your instrument:
SYMPHONY
CHAMBER
Violin
One major scale: G3, A♭3, A3, B♭3
One mel. minor scale: e2, f2, f♯2, g3
G chromatic 2
One major scale: B3, C3, D♭3, D3
One mel. minor scale: g♯3, a3, b♭3, b3
D chromatic (2 oct.)
Viola
One major scale: C3, D♭3, D3, E♭3
One mel. minor scale: a2, b♭2, b2, c3
C chromatic 2
One major scale: E3, F3, F♯3, G3
One mel. minor scale: c♯3, d3, d♯3, e3
G chromatic (2 oct.)
Cello
One major scale: C3, D3, F3, G3
One mel. minor scale: a2, b2, d3, e3
C chromatic 2
One major scale: E♭3, A♭3, A3, B♭3
One mel. minor scale: c3, f3, f♯3, g3
G chromatic (2 oct.)
Bass
One major scale: E2, F2, G2, A2
One mel. minor scale: e2, g2, a2
A chromatic (1 oct.)
One major scale: B♭2, C2, D2, E♭2
One mel. minor scale: g2, c2, f♯2
E chromatic (2 oct.)
2. Prepared Solo
Any prepared solo or short excerpt from school music that exemplifies your best playing. This is your chance to show off and demonstrate to me that you are ready for Symphony Orchestra-level music.
3. Excerpt(s)
Students auditioning for Symphony and Chamber Orchestra must prepare excerpts for your instrument from the selections on the attached pages. Tempos do not need to be perfect but should be in the ballpark. Symphony players must prepare 1 of the excerpts while Chamber must prepare 2 of the excerpts.
PREPARATION AND AUDITION TIPS
1. Listen to your excerpts! Find recordings of the music on YouTube, Spotify, etc. It will help inform you on approximate tempos and the style of the work.
2. Do your planning for fingerings and bowings BEFORE YOU DO ANY OTHER PLAYING. You will lose precious preparation time if you skip on preparing fingerings and making sure you are playing the correct notes.
3. Separate the rhythm from the notes. Use open strings to practice your rhythms in the excerpts to make sure you have a strong sense of pulse.
4. USE A METRONOME! Practice slowly at first, focusing on playing the correct notes in tune, bowings, and other technical challenges. Once you have mastered the material at a slower tempo, work on speeding it up. This will also help you maintaining a steady pulse.
5. When performing, always play at a tempo that you can play the most difficult passage successfully (slower is better!). A cleaner performance at a slightly slower tempo is preferred over one that is faster but lacks clarity and control.
6. Record yourself! Listening to your playing when you aren’t focused on the act of playing can be very enlightening. You will very likely hear things you might not otherwise notice.
7. Start preparing well ahead of your audition date! Practice does not make perfect, practice makes permanent (this can be a good or bad thing!). Perfect practice makes improvements.
Good Luck and Happy Practicing!
Michael Edwards
Here is a sample of the rubric I will be using to evaluate your audition.
WALLED LAKE WESTERN CHAMBER/SYMPHONY AUDITION RUBRIC
TONE___Plays with a beautiful tone___Plays in appropriate bow lane___Maintains control of tone
SOLO:
5 4 3 2 1
EXCERPT:
5 4 3 2 1
Name:______________________________
Grade Next Year: 9 10 11 12
RHYTHM___Steady pulse is maintained
___Rhythmic figures executed accurately
___Note values performed appropriately
___Appropriate tempo is utilized
SOLO
5 4 3 2 1
EXCERPT
5 4 3 2 1
Instrument:
___Violin ___Viola
___Cello ___Bass
PITCH/NOTE ACCURACY___Plays correct notes___Accidentals are observed___Key signature is observed
SOLO
5 4 3 2 1
EXCERPT
5 4 3 2 1
Auditioning for (pick one):
___Chamber ___Symphony
INTONATION___All notes played in tune
___Adjusts quickly when out-of-tune___Key signature is observed___Accidentals are observed
SOLO
5 4 3 2 1
EXCERPT
5 4 3 2 1
Major Scale:
/12
Excellent
Fair
Poor
Tone
Intonation
Fingering Plan
Clean Shifts
INTERPRETATION___Observes dynamics___Performs with appropriate phrasing___Performs with appropriate style
___Articulations are observed
SOLO
5 4 3 2 1
EXCERPT
5 4 3 2 1
Melodic Minor Scale:
/12
Excellent
Fair
Poor
Tone
Intonation
Fingering Plan
Clean Shifts
LEFT-HAND TECHNIQUE
___Vibrato is utilized
___Hand and finger posture is maintained
___Shifts are executed cleanly
___Has a clear fingering plan
SOLO
5 4 3 2 1
EXCERPT
5 4 3 2 1
Chromatic Scale:
/12
Excellent
Fair
Poor
Tone
Intonation
Fingering Plan
Clean Shifts
RIGHT-HAND TECHNIQUE
___Avoids unnecessarily playing other strings
___Plays with a straight bow
___Marked bowings are observed___Bow distribution is appropriate
___Demonstrates excellent bow hold
SOLO
5 4 3 2 1
EXCERPT
5 4 3 2 1
Scales Total: _______ /36
Solo Total: _______ / 35
Excerpt Total: _______ / 35
Total: _______ /106
✓ = Satisfactory
+ = Area of strength
- = Needs improvement
Violin
Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings Mvt. II (4 after D)
Mahler Symphony No. 5, Mvt. IV (Slow & lyrical)
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, Mvt. IV (ending of the movement)
Viola
Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Mvt. II mm 49-59
Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings Mvt. II (1 after F)
Cello
Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Mvt. III - Trio
Dvorak Symphony No. 8
Double Bass
Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Mvt. III - Trio
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique Mvt. V