Youth Orchestras of Prince William Auditions

AUDITIONS

New members are accepted at both spring and fall auditions. Current members who wish to audition up to a more advanced ensemble must do so at the spring auditions. Auditions for placement in the chamber music program will be held after the season begins in the fall. All percussionists accepted into YOPW are automatically members of the Percussion Ensemble and do not need to audition separately for that group.

All ensembles except the Preparatory and Primo Orchestras require assigned passages as part of their auditions. These excerpts are available online. Please scroll down to see the audition requirements for all ensembles and the chamber music program. Click on the highlighted titles to find the excerpts for your instrument and ensemble.

Fall Auditions for 2009-2010 Season

Saturday, September 12, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Gar-Field High School

All Orchestras, Wind Symphony
Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion
New Members Only

All auditions are by appointment. Please contact the office at (703)590-7083 in late August to schedule an audition.

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

All students (except those auditioning for Preparatory Orchestra) will be asked to sight read a selection at an appropriate difficulty level.
Please click on the highlighted links to find required audition excerpts. (You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader software to view these files.)
To skip to the requirements for a particular ensemble, click on its link below:

Preparatory Orchestra
Primo Orchestra
Repertory Orchestra
Concert Orchestra
Youth Symphony Orchestra
Wind Symphony
Chamber Ensembles

Preparatory Orchestra

Instrument	Scales	Selection
All Strings	Preparatory Orchestra does not require an audition.

Primo Orchestra

Instrument	Scales	Selection
All Strings	One 2-octave major scale, plus 2 additional one-octave scales of your choice.	A prepared piece of your choice: Grade 1-2 solo to demonstrate note-reading ability.

Repertory Orchestra

Instrument	Scales*	Selection
Violin	Two-octaves: A Major, C Major, g melodic minor.	Two Excerpts
Viola	Two-octave C Major, G Major, d melodic minor.	Excerpt
Cello	Two-octave G Major, D Major, d melodic minor.	Two excerpts
Bass	One-octave C Major, D Major, a melodic minor.	Excerpt

*Scales are printed at the end of each excerpt file. You are responsible only for the scales listed above.

Concert Orchestra

Instrument	Scales*	Selection
Violin	Three octaves: A Major, C Major, g melodic minor.	Excerpt from Mozart Symphony #25
Viola	Three octvaves: D Major, F Major, c melodic minor.	Excerpt from Mozart Symphony #25
Cello	Three octaves: D Major, F Major, c melodic minor.	Excerpt from Mozart Symphony #25
Bass	Two octaves: A Major, C Major, g melodic minor.	Excerpt from Mozart Symphony #25
Flute/Piccolo	Chromatic scales: slur ascending, staccato descending.	Excerpt
Oboe	Chromatic scales: slur ascending, staccato descending.	Excerpt
Clarinet	Chromatic scales: slur ascending, staccato descending.	Excerpt
Bassoon	Chromatic scales: slur ascending, staccato descending.	Excerpt
French Horn	Chromatic scales: slur ascending, staccato descending.	Excerpt
Trumpet	Chromatic scales: slur ascending, staccato descending.	Excerpt
Trombone	Chromatic scales: legato tongue ascending and staccato tongue descending.	Excerpt
Tuba	Chromatic scales: slur ascending, staccato descending.	Excerpt
Percussion		Excerpt

*Scale requirements have been revised. You are responsible only for the scales listed above. Scale requirements listed on the excerpt pages are obsolete and should be ignored.

Youth Symphony Orchestra

Instrument

Scales*

Selections (Prepare all indicated.)

Violin

Three octaves: B Major, Eb Major, c# melodic minor.

Viola

Three octaves: E Major, Ab Major, f# melodic minor.

Cello

Three octaves: E Major, Ab Major, f# melodic minor.

Bass

Two octaves: F Major, C Major, a melodic minor.

Flute/Piccolo
Flutes may be required at times to double on piccolo. All YSO flautists should have access to a piccolo and be proficient on the instrument.

Chromatic scales. Play in 16th notes at MM=120 min tempo. (quarter note = one beat). Slur ascending, tongue descending.

Flute	from C below the staff to altissimo C (3 octaves): min tempo MM=120
Piccolo	from D below the staff to altissimo C (2 octaves + 7th): min tempo MM=120

Oboe

Chromatic scale from C below the staff to E above high C. Play in 16th notes at MM=120 min tempo. (quarter note = one beat). Slur ascending, tongue descending.

Clarinet

Chromatic scale from E below the staff to G above high C (3 octaves + 3rd). Play in 16th notes at MM=120 min tempo. (quarter note = one beat). Slur ascending, tongue descending.

Bassoon

Chromatic scale from Bb below the staff to high Bb one octave above the staff. Play in 16th notes at MM=120 min tempo. (quarter note = one beat). Slur ascending, tongue descending.

French Horn

Chromatic scale from G below the staff to G above the staff. Play in 16th notes at MM=120 min tempo. (quarter note = one beat). Slur ascending, tongue descending.

Trumpet

Chromatic scale from G below the staff to C above the staff (2 octaves + 4th). Play in 16th notes at MM=120 min tempo. (quarter note = one beat). Slur ascending, tongue descending.

Tenor Trombone

Chromatic scale from lowest F to 4th ledger line Bb (2 octaves + 4th). Play in 16th notes at MM=96 min tempo. (quarter note = one beat). Legato tongue ascending and staccato tongue descending.

Bass Trombone

Chromatic scale from Bb below the staff to F above the staff (2 octaves + 5th). Play in 16th notes at MM=96 min tempo. (quarter note = one beat). Legato tongue ascending and staccato tongue descending.

Tuba

Chromatic scale from lowest F to highest Bb (2 octaves + 4th). Play in 16th notes at MM=112 min tempo. (quarter note = one beat). Slur ascending, tongue descending.

Percussion

Xylophone:

Two major scales, identified at audition. Play in 16th notes at MM=100 min tempo. (quarter note = one beat)
Chromatic scale. Play in 16th notes at MM=120 min tempo. (quarter note = one beat)

*Scale requirements have been revised. You are responsible only for the scales listed above. Scale requirements listed on the excerpt pages are obsolete and should be ignored.

Wind Symphony

Instrument	Scales	Selection
Flute/Piccolo	Eb Major Scale two octaves plus a Major 3rd slowly ascending and descending (first line Eb to G an octave above the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt
Oboe	C Major Scale two octaves slowly ascending and descending (C below the staff to C above the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt
Bassoon	F Major Scale two octaves slowly ascending and descending (F below the staff to F above the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt
Bb Clarinet	C Major Scale two octaves slowly ascending and descending (C below the staff to C above the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt
Alto Clarinet	G Major Scale two octaves, slowly ascending and descending (G below the staff to G above the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt
Bass Clarinet	G Major Scale two octaves, slowly ascending and descending (G below the staff to G above the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt
Contra-Bass Clarinet	G Major Scale two octaves, slowly ascending and descending (G below the staff to G above the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt
Alto Saxophone	C Major Scale two octaves slowly ascending and descending (C below the staff to C above the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt
Tenor Saxophone	C Major Scale two octaves slowly ascending and descending (C below the staff to C above the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt
Baritone Saxophone	C Major Scale two octaves slowly ascending and descending (C below the staff to C above the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt
Trumpet	G Major Scale two octaves slowly ascending and descending (G below the staff to G above the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt
Trombone	F Major Scale two octaves slowly ascending and descending (F below the staff to F above the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt
Baritone	G Major Scale two octaves slowly ascending and descending (G below the staff to G above the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt
Euphonium	F Major Scale two octaves slowly ascending and descending (F below the staff to F above the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt
French Horn	G Major Scale two octaves slowly ascending and descending (G below the staff to G above the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt
Tuba	Bb Major Scale slowly ascending and descending (Bb below the staff to 4th line F in the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt
Snare Drum	Rudiments to be played open-close-open: Long roll, 5-stroke, 7-stroke, 9-stroke rolls, flams, flam-accents, ruff, paradiddle.	Excerpt
Tympani	Long roll (piano to forte to piano) plus be able to tune each tympani to a given pitch.	Excerpt
Mallets	Bb Major Scale two octaves slowly ascending and descending (Bb below the staff to Bb above the staff). Chromatic scale in eighth notes ascending and descending from as low as you can play to as high as you can play. (MM: Quarter note = 96.)	Excerpt

Chamber Ensembles

YOPW Membership Status	Audition Content
New members	Same material prepared for your orchestra audition.
Continuing members	Same material required for admission to your current orchestra. Select two scales of your choice from assigned scales. You may replace assigned orchestral excerpts with a solo of comparable difficulty.

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