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