Admissions

Audition Repertoire

Please find the repertoire requirements, listed by instrument, which you may be asked to perform at your live video audition. We ask that you prepare all of the material listed but want you to know that there will not be time to hear all of the music on the list.

Every applicant is required to submit a pre-screening video. For Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass and Harp, please select one of the solos and any five of the excerpts listed. For wind and brass instruments, please record the required solo and any 5 of the excerpts listed. The excerpt by an underrepresented composer can count as one of your five excerpts.

For Piano, please record one movement of a Beethoven sonata and a contrasting Romantic piece as listed and both excerpts.

Video recordings must meet the following criteria:

Recordings must be played in one continuous, unedited segment.
Video must be from a single video camera, with the same shot for the entire video.
Your full body must be in the shot for video.
Any indication that there has been editing or that recording equipment was paused/stopped between excerpts will result in the disqualification of the applicant.
All pieces should be played unaccompanied.

Some advice for getting the best video possible:

We strongly recommend you view your recording all the way through before submitting it.
Record in a quiet space with no background noise present. If you're at home, make sure you're away from noisy appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners.
Ensure your microphone is not too close to your instrument when playing.

Note that the sole purpose of the video is to ensure that you are the one playing your audition, and that it is in one continuous segment. If you have to choose between amazing audio and amazing video, choose amazing audio.

Keep in mind that the entire pre-screening video should not last more than 10-12 minutes as it replaces the live audition requirement. The committee does not have time to hear more than 12 minutes of music.

*IN ADDITION TO THE REQUIREMENTS LISTED BELOW, EACH APPLICANT IS REQUIRED TO PREPARE ONE EXCERPT FROM AN UNDERREPRESENTED COMPOSER OF YOUR CHOICE. YOU MAY FIND THIS WEBSITE USEFUL AS YOU BEGIN TO CONSIDER YOUR CHOICE.*

YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LIST YOUR CHOICE ON YOUR APPLICATION!
https://americanorchestras.org/databases-of-repertoire-by-underrepresented-composers/

For the pre-screening video, the excerpt from underrepresented composer may be included as one of the five total excerpts but it is not required. If advanced to a live audition, the excerpt of choice will be required.

Violin

Solos:

1st movement exposition from a Mozart Concerto and
the exposition of a concerto or solo piece of your choice

Excerpts:

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 (3rd Mvt., beg. to Trio – no repeat)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 (3rd Mvt., ms. 99 – 114)
Brahms: Symphony No. 4 (4th Mvt., 8 bef. B to D)
Debussy: La Mer (2nd Mvt., 33 to 6 aft. 38)
Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Scherzo – first page)
Schumann: Symphony No. 2 (2nd Mvt., beg. to m. 77 – no repeat)
Strauss: Don Juan (4 bef. H - K)

Viola

Solos:

One movement of solo Bach (no repeats) and
the exposition of a standard repertoire concerto movement

Excerpts:

Brahms: Haydn Variations (Var. V)
Brahms: Symphony No. 4 (4th Mvt., B to D)
Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Scherzo – first page)
Mozart: Symphony No. 35 (4th Mvt., ms. 134 to 181)
Ravel: Daphnis and Chloë, Suite No. 2 (158 – 161 & 212 – 216)*
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 (1st Mvt., 15 - 17)
Strauss: Don Juan (beg. to D)

*For the purposes of the pre-screening video, only one of these excerpts is required. If you choose to record both excerpts, that will count as two of the five.

Cello

Solos:

One movement of solo Bach (no repeats) and
the exposition of a standard repertoire concerto movement

Excerpts:

Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 (2nd Mvt., beg. to C,, theme and two variations)
Brahms: Symphony No. 2 (2nd Mvt., beg. to A)
Debussy: La Mer (1st Mvt., 2 bef. 9 to 6 bef. 10)
Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Scherzo, letter C -D and letter N-O)*
Mozart: Symphony No. 35 (4th Mvt., ms. 134 to 181)
Strauss: Don Juan (7 m. bef. G to H - top line)
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 (2nd Mvt., 21 bef. A to A)

*For the purposes of the pre-screening video, please record both short excerpts and count this as one of your five excerpts.

Bass

Solos:

One movement of solo Bach (no repeats) and
the exposition of standard repertoire concerto movement

Excerpts:

Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 (3rd Mvt., beg. to 5 aft. A & Trio to 23 aft. B)
Brahms: Symphony No. 2 (1st Mvt., E to F)
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 (3rd Mvt., solo)
Mozart: Symphony No. 35 (4th Mvt., ms. 134 to 181)
Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (9 – 6 m. aft. 12)
Stravinsky: Pulcinella (Duetto)
Verdi: Otello (Act IV soli)

Flute

Solos:

Mozart Concerto in G or D (1st Mvt. exposition)

Excerpts:

Brahms: Symphony No. 4 (4th Mvt., 13 aft. D to 8 bef. E)
Debussy: Prélude à l’apres-midi d’un faune (opening & 2-3)
Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphoses (3rd Mvt., 5 bef. C to end)
Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Scherzo, end of the movement solo)
Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf (2 to 4)
Ravel: Daphnis and Chloë, Suite No. 2 (176 to 179)
Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals (Volière)
Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite (Variation of the Firebird)

Oboe

Solos:

Mozart Concerto (1st Mvt. exposition)

Excerpts:

Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 (3rd Mvt., ms. 63 to 106)
Brahms: Violin Concerto (2nd Mvt., beg. to m. 32)
Debussy: La Mer (2nd Mvt., 17 to 19 & 34 to 35)
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 (2nd Mvt., A – D)
Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin (Prélude opening & Menuet (no repeats) *
Rossini: Overture to La Scala di Seta (beg. to 3)
Strauss: Don Juan (L to N)
Stravinsky: Pulcinella (Gavotte and Variation)*

*For the purposes of the pre-screening video, only one of these excerpts is required. If you choose to record both excerpts, that will count as two of the five.

Clarinet

Solos:

Mozart Concerto (1st Mvt. exposition)

Excerpts:

Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 (2nd Mvt., F to 7 bef. G)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 (2nd Mvt., D to E)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 8 (3rd Mvt., Trio)
Brahms: Symphony No. 3 (2nd Mvt., beg. to B)
Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Scherzo, opening passage)
Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf (20 to 21)
Respighi: Pini di Roma (3rd Mvt. solo)
Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio espagnol (1st Mvt., A to 27 m. aft. C & 3rd Mvt., 11 aft. K to end)

Bassoon

Solos:

Mozart Concerto (1st Mvt. exposition)

Excerpts:

Mozart: Overture to Le Nozze di Figaro (ms. 139 – 171)
Ravel: Boléro (2 to 3)
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G (3rd Mvt., 14 to 16)
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade (2nd Mvt., m. 5 to A & L to M)
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9 (4th Mvt., beg. to A in 5th Mvt.)
Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps (beg. to 3 aft. 3)
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 (2nd Mvt., last 31 bars)
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 (1st Mvt., first 12 bars)

Horn

Solos:

1st movement exposition from a Mozart Concerto

Excerpts:

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 (3rd Mvt., Trio [2nd horn])
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 (3rd Mvt., ms. 82-98 [4th horn])
Brahms: Symphony No. 3 (3rd Mvt., F to G)
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G (1st Mvt., 25 to 26)
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 (1st Mvt., 17 to 21)
Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (beg. to 5 aft. 1)
Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel (beg. to 1)
Wagner: Götterdämmerung (Short call)

Trumpet

Solos:

Haydn Concerto (1st movement exposition and 2^nd movement opening to m. 27)

Excerpts:

Mahler: Symphony No. 5 (1st Mvt., beg. to 6 aft. 1)
Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition (Promenade, beg. to 2)
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G (1st Mvt., 2 to 3 & 36 to end)
Respighi: Pini di Roma (offstage solo, 8 aft. 10)
Schumann: Symphony No. 2 (1st Mvt., first 13 bars [1st & 2nd tpts.]) *
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 (1st Mvt., 27 to 29)
Strauss: Don Juan (F to G)
Stravinsky: Petrouchka (1947 version, 1 bef. 134 to 139 & 149 to 151) *

*For the purposes of the pre-screening video, only one of these excerpts is required. If you choose to record both excerpts, that will count as two of the five.

Trombone

Solos:

David or Grondahl Concerto (1st movement exposition)

Excerpts:

Berlioz: Hungarian March (Rakoczy) (6 bef. 4 to 5 [2nd trb.])
Mahler: Symphony No. 3 (1st Mvt., 13-17)
Mozart: Requiem (Tuba Mirum)
Ravel: Boléro (10 to 11)
Rossini: Overture to William Tell (First entrance - 40 ms. aft.)
Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (60 to 65 [2nd trb.])
Stravinsky: Pulcinella (Duetto)
Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries (Major excerpt only)

Bass Trombone

Solos:

J.S. Bach: Sarabande from Suite No. 5 for Cello

Excerpts:

Haydn: The Creation (No. 26, beg. to C)
Kodály: Háry János Suite (4th Mvt.)
Respighi: Fontane di Roma (11 to 14)
Rossini: Overture to La Gazza Ladra (ms. 115 to 132 & ms. 433 – 442)
Schumann: Symphony No. 3 (4th Mvt., beg. to 13 aft. A)
Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (61 to 65)
Wagner: Lohengrin (Introduction to Act III, B to C)

Tuba

Solos:

Vaughan Williams: Concerto for Bass Tuba (1st Mvt. exposition and cadenza)

Excerpts:

Berlioz: Hungarian March (Rakoczy) (4 to 5)
Berlioz: Overture to Le Corsaire (5 to 6 & 12 to 13)
Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphoses (2nd Mvt., 4 bef. M to P)
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 (1st Mvt., 3 to 6)
Respighi: Fontane di Roma (11 to 14)
Stravinsky: Petrouchka (1947 version, 189 to 191)
Wagner: Overture to Die Meistersinger (J to L)

Harp

Solos:

Händel: Concerto in B-flat (1st Mvt. exposition) and
A solo piece of your choice

Excerpts:

Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra (4th Mvt., ms. 42-58)
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique (Un Bal)
Britten: Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (Var. I & Fugue, I to end)
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (Act I cadenza)
Ravel: Tzigane (4 to 5)
Stravinsky: Symphony in Three Movements (2nd Mvt., 117 to 125)
Verdi: Overture to La Forza del Destino

Piano

A Beethoven sonata (one movement) and
A contrasting Romantic virtuoso piece and
Brahms: A Violin, Viola, or Cello Sonata or the Horn Trio (one movement)

Excerpts:

Copland: Appalachian Spring (6 to 14)
Stravinsky: Petrouchka (1947 version, 64 to 81)

PLEASE NOTE: For the purposes of the pre-screening video, please record the Beethoven sonata movement, a contrasting Romantic virtuoso piece, the Copland and the Stravinsky. You do not need to record the Brahms.

Timpani

Barber: Medea’s Meditation and Dance of Vengeance
Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra (4th Mvt., ms. 42-51)
Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (2nd Mvt., ms. 301-339
& 3rd Mvt., beg. to m. 20)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 (3rd Mvt., A to D.C. & 4th Mvt., 18 bef. E to end)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 (1st Mvt., 20 bef. C to 2 aft. C & 4th Mvt., 7 bef. K to end)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 (1st Mvt., beg. to A & 18 bef. S to end)
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 (1st Mvt., beg. to C & 4th Mvt., 9 aft. Q to end)
Elgar: Enigma Variations (Mvt. VII)
Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphoses (2nd Mvt., S to X)
Mahler: Symphony No. 7 (5th Mvt., beg. to 225 & 290 to end)
Mozart: Symphony No. 39 (1st Mvt., beg. to A)
Sibelius: Finlandia (D to H)
Strauss: Burleske (beg. to A)
Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps (103 to 117 & 189 to end)
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 (1st Mvt., S to U)
Wagner: Siegfried’s Funeral March (beg. to G)