Auditions

General Guidelines

Please fill out the form linked here prior to your audition! All auditions are in Ryder Hall Room 345 (except for percussion auditions, which will be in the Fenway Center)

Auditions will be held beginning Mon. 9/1 and continue through the second week of classes.  Sign-ups will begin in mid-August.

Auditions are held at the beginning of the fall semester, and students must reaudition each year.  Students arriving on campus in the spring will have an opportunity to audition at the beginning of the spring term.

Auditions are short, and we do everything we can to make them stress free.  We want you to have fun and share music that excites you.  For the audition please prepare:

·       60 seconds of music of your choosing that showcases your lyrical playing ability and your technical ability.  The 60 seconds don’t have to be from the same piece—you can play your lyrical selection from one piece and your technical section from another piece.

·       Excerpts that we provide, linked here.  Please prepare these short excerpts marked with red brackets on your instrument.

·       Sight reading.  We will have a very short piece for you to sight read.

That’s it!  No scales or arpeggios.

Please read the information relevant to you below, and then sign up for an audition here.

Auditions for strings:

The Chamber Orchestra is a select group.  While every effort will be made to include all string players in the Symphonic Orchestra, a basic level of experience and performance ability is required.  It is recommended that any string players who are not invited to join the Symphonic Orchestra take Lessons through the Music Department, MUSC 1901, and reaudition the following semester.  

For wind, brass, and percussion players:

As orchestral repertoire is intended to be performed with only one player on each wind, brass, and percussion part, doubling those parts will be rare in the Symphonic Orchestra; those parts will not be doubled in the Chamber Orchestra.  

Please note: wind, brass, and percussion players who are returning to NUSO are welcome to join the Symphonic Orchestra this year, with the understanding that these parts will only rarely be doubled.  Also note: all wind, brass, and percussion performers are encouraged to also audition for the select Wind Ensemble; advanced performers along with those with a basic level of experience and performance ability are welcome in the Concert Band.  You can sign up for auditions for those groups at the same link above.