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Audition Information for NEW Students

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Current members planning to return click Here

The purpose of the audition is to determine the level at which a student plays, for proper placement. MYS attempts to place every student that auditions. Students who are not able to be placed will be refunded their audition fee. Placement is dependent on the number of available positions in each ensemble. Orchestral wind and brass positions will be offered to the best applicants in each section. All auditioning students should have at least one year of experience before auditioning for MYS. Musicians up to 22 years or through college age can audition. Our goal is to make the audition as fair and stress free as is humanly possible.

DATES: Auditions will be Friday, June 16 through Saturday, June 21. Late summer auditions will take place in August at Marylhurst University. Date TBA. More details about dates are on the online calendar. Call the office for a time, which are assigned first come, first served.

Mid-season auditions will take place on Friday, January 2, 2009, from 12:00 - 8:00 pm. This is for new MYS musicians only. Current members cannot change their ensemble placement by asking for a reaudition.

JAZZ OR PERCUSSION? Call the office: 503-239-4566

READY TO SIGN UP for an audition?

1. Mail your Registration and Medical forms and a $40.00 NONrefundable audition fee to MYS, PO Box 5254, Portland, OR 97208. You may request a time or day from the above dates. We will then call you to confirm/schedule a time.

LOCATION
St. Catherine's Hall at Marylhurst University Get driving directions.). St. Catherine's Hall is letter I on the Campus Map.

COST
Nonrefundable audition fees are $40 per person per instrument and must be paid prior to scheduling a time. Review the season's fees.

TIMES

For returning auditions, a 6-minute audition time will be assigned. Exact times may vary by instrument.

ADJUDICATORS

The adjudication panel consists of MYS conductors and Portland area professional musicians. This panel will determine the placement of the musicians. The panel's decisions are final and non-appealable.

Audition Requirements

POSTURE

Posture is part of learning an instrument properly and will be noted at the audition.

SCALES

As appropriate to the player's instrument and level, always demonstrating best tone and vibrato, if appropriate.
  • winds & brass, 1-2 octaves - 1 major of musician's choice & chromatic, 1 major of panel's choice
  • Symphony level winds and brass demonstrate a two octave range
  • strings, 1-3 octaves - 1 major of musician's choice, 1 major of panel's choice, as required by each group:
  • Overture: Any one octave scale, vibrato not expected
  • Interlude: C, G, D, A, F, B flat Majors; one octave scales into third position, vibrato is expected
  • Vivaldi Strings: D, G, D, A, F, B flat Majors; two octaves scales
  • Concert Orchestra: E, A, D, G, C, B flat, E flat, A flat Majors; three octave scales for violins, violas, and celli; two octave scales for basses. Demonstrate spiccato and hooked bowing. Show facility in positions one through six.
  • Symphony Orchestra: All Major scales, all harmonic and melodic minor scales, in three octaves. Show advanced bowing styles, including spiccato. Show facility in all positions.

SOLO

All musicians play a solo of the student's choice no longer than 3 minutes that demonstrates the musician's musical and technical abilities. (It may be an excerpt from a longer solo.) This piece does not need to be memorized and must be played without accompaniment.

Percussionists should prepare a snare drum study and any other additional instrument they wish to demonstrate.

Violinists: If you wish to be considered for Concert Orchestra or Symphony Orchestra, also prepare the Mazas Etude at the marked tempo.
Violinists intending to audition for Concert Orchestra are expected to be able to play up to the first eighth rest, only Page 1 PDF
Violinists intending to audition for Symphony are expected be able to play the entire etude, both Page 1 and Page 2 PDF
Need Adobe Acrobat Reader? Link to get Adobe Acrobat Reader
Jazz players should improvise if they can and demonstrate ability on the instrument with some scales--Major, Minor, Blues and knowledge of modes, if possible. There may be sight-reading of big band parts.

SIGHT-READING

Sight-reading material will be provided at the audition by the adjudication panel. Expected skill level increases for each higher ensemble.

Specific requirements for:

Concert Orchestra:

Cellists must be able to read and play in tenor clef.
Bassoonists must be able to read and play in tenor clef.
Clarinetists should have basic transposition skills.
Trumpet and Horn players should have basic transposition skills.

Symphony Orchestra:

Violists must be able to read and play in treble clef.
Cellists must be able to read and play in tenor clef.
Bassoonists must be able to read and play in tenor clef.
Clarinetists should have transposition skills.
Trumpet and Horn players MUST have strong transposition skills.

AUDITION TIPS

Help with how to prepare for an audition are in audition tips.
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