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Audition Repertoire

Orchestral Excerpts for Advanced Level Auditions

**The excerpts listed on this page are the most up-to-date for auditions. The hard copy application does not list the most current excerpts so please use this website as your resource**

Please note: Due to licensing issues, we are not permitted to post certain excerpts on-line. If one of your excerpts is not posted, you will receive a copy in the mail once your application has been processed. We suggest that musicians listen to a recording of the work prior to preparing the excerpts.

Musicians at the prepatory level who are auditioning in the preliminary round do not have excerpts and should prepare a solo piece.


STRINGS

VIOLIN
Elgar – Enigma Variations
Britten – The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

VIOLA
Elgar – Enigma Variations
Britten – The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

CELLO
Elgar – Enigma Variations
Britten – The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

BASS
Elgar – Enigma Variations
Britten – The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra


WOODWINDS: Wind and Brass musicians interested solely in the Concert Orchestra only need to prepare excerpts noted with an asterisk (*).

PICCOLO
Rossini – La Gazza Ladra Overture
Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 4 (Scherzo)

FLUTE
*Brahms – Symphony No. 4 (4th mvt. solo after D)
*Debussy – Afternoon of a Faun
Mendelssohn – Midsummer Night’s Dream (Scherzo)
Prokofiev – Peter and the Wolf Solo
Britten – The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

OBOE
*Beethoven – Symphony No. 3 (Funeral March, Scherzo, & Finale)
*Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 4, mvt. 2
Prokofiev – Peter and the Wolf Solo
Britten – The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

ENGLISH HORN
Berlioz – Roman Carnival Overture (opening)
Dvorak – Symphony no. 9 (New World)

CLARINET
*Beethoven – Symphony No. 6, mvts. 1 and 2
*Beethoven – Symphony No. 4
Mendelssohn – Midsummer Night’s Dream (Scherzo)
Prokofiev – Peter and the Wolf Solo
Britten – The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

E-FLAT CLARINET
Berlioz – Symphony Fantastique, 5th Mvmt.
Ravel – Bolero (solo)
Shostakovich – Symphony no. 5

BASS CLARINET
Franck – Symphony in D minor
Gershwin – An American in Paris (solo)
Strauss – Don Quixote (solo)

BASSOON
*Beethoven – Symphony no. 3, mvts. 1 and 2
Rimsky-Korsakov – Scheherazade
Prokofiev – Peter and the Wolf Solo
Britten – The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra


BRASS: Wind and Brass musicians interested solely in the Concert Orchestra only need to prepare excerpts noted with an asterisk (*).

HORN
*Beethoven – Symphony no. 3, Finale
*Brahms – Symphony no. 1, 2nd Mvt.
*Brahms – Symphony no. 3, 3rd & 4th Mvt.
Strauss – Till Eulenspiegel (opening call)
Tchaikovsky – Symphony no.5, 2nd Mvt.
Tchaikovsky – Excerpts from Romeo and Juliet
Shostakovich – Symphony no. 5, Mvt. 1

TRUMPET
*Beethoven – Leonore No. 3 (off-stage call)
*Sibelius – Finlandia
*Tchaikovsky – Nutcracker Suite: Marche
Tchaikovsky – Capriccio Italien
Verdi – La Forza del Destino
Tchaikovsky – Romeo and Juliet
Britten – The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

TROMBONE
*Berlioz – Hungarian March (Rakoczy)
*Rimsky-Korsakov – Russian Easter Overture - 2nd Trombone Solo
Ravel – Bolero (solos)
Strauss – Till Eulenspiegels Merry Pranks
Tchaikovsky – Excerpts from Romeo and Juliet
Britten – The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

BASS TROMBONE
*Berlioz – Hungarian March (Rakoczy)
*Beethoven – Symphony no. 9
Strauss – Ein Heldenleben
Brahms – Symphony no. 1 (chorale)

TUBA
*Berlioz – Symphony Fantastique, 5th Mvmt.
Mendelssohn – A Midsummer Night's Dream
*Wagner – Die Meistersinger Overture


PERCUSSION: Auditionees should prepare ALL excerpts. Please note: all percussion excerpts will be mailed to the applicant once the application has been processed.

SNARE DRUM
Rimsky-Korsakov – Scheherazade (mvts. 3 & 4)
Sight Reading

XYLOPHONE
Gershwin – Porgy and Bess (opening)
Sight Reading

TIMPANI
Schumann – New England Triptych, (Opening)
Beethoven – Symphony #9, mvt. 1 (Coda)

BELLS
Stravinsky – Petroushka

*Sight reading on Snare and Xylophone.


HARP: All harp excerpts will be mailed to the applicant upon receipt of application.

AYP and AYSO
Britten – The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
DeFalla – Three Cornered Hat
Tchaikovsky – Nutcracker, Suite 2
Rimsky-Korsakov – Capriccio Espagnol (Cadenza)
Tchaikovsky – Sleeping Beauty (Cadenza)
Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake (Cadenza)

AYCO
Bizet – Carmen Suite 2 (Interlude)
Prepared solo and scales

AYSE
Prepared solo and scales


For all auditions please note: Memorization is not required. No accompaniment. Auditions will be brief: less than 5 minutes for the preparatory and advanced levels. Applicants should be prepared to play all of the requirements, however, the audition panel may hear all or part of the requirements.


Preparatory Level: For placement in American Youth Concert Orchestra or American Youth String Ensemble. Note: All wind auditionees will take the advanced level audition and then be placed accordingly.

  1. Scales:
    Violin/Viola/Cello: C, G & F Major and C & G melodic minor (2 octaves)
    Bass
    : same as above (1 - 2 octaves)
    Harp
    : scales and arpeggios as extensive as possible. 2 octaves required for AYSE (String Ensemble) auditions.
  2. Prepared Piece representing the highest level of performance: Grade 2
    through Grade 5 (according to the Virginia Band and Orchestra Director's Manual)
  3. Music excerpt: provided to applicants with final audition time notification (final round only)
  4. Sight-reading: music provided by AYP Orchestras at the time of audition

Harpists: A pedal harp is required for the Concert, Symphonic and Philharmonic Orchestras; applicants should have 2 years playing experience.

Advanced Level: For placement in American Youth Philharmonic or American Youth Symphonic Orchestra. Note: Auditions for the advanced level do not require a prepared solo.

  1. Scales:
    Violin: G, A, B & C Major and melodic minor (3 octaves)
    Viola/Cello/Bass: C, D & E Major and melodic minor (3 octaves except Bass: 2 octaves)
    Wind and Percussion: Major and melodic minor scales in keys up to 3 sharps and 3 flats; chromatic as extensive as possible (2 octaves).
    Harp: G, A, B & C Major and melodic minor scales, arpeggios, and chords (3 - 4 octaves).
  2. Prepared Orchestral Excerpts
    Wind and Brass players interested solely in the Concert Orchestra only need to prepare excerpts noted with an asterisk (*).

    Percussionists should prepare each orchestral excerpt on timpani, snare drum, bells, vibraphone, and xylophone from the listing. Percussionists should bring their own snare drum to the audition. AYP Orchestras will supply timpani, xylophone and bells. Percussionists chosen for Symphonic Orchestra will also rehearse and perform with the Concert Orchestra and String Ensemble as needed.
  3. Sight-reading: music provided by AYP Orchestras at the time of audition.