Comments on: auditioning for middle-farts

By: Thomas G.

Thomas G. — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 20:32:13 +0000

Thank you for your comments. Sir, I have also sat on the audition committe screen too for a major symphony orchestra, and yes, they have a few people in mind. And yes, there were flights, hotels, etc… wasting people’s time under the guise that they are selecting the “best” candidate when in fact they already know who they want or studied with who, and who is due this year. That is not saying pre-selecting, rather, the “audition” process is a formality, dog/pony show, it is highly political. Barry Tuckwell, well known hornist also delves into the “audition” process of esteemed orchestras and the politics surrounding “auditions” and/or obtaining a seat.

By: Charles Noble

Charles Noble — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:47:07 +0000

Thomas G – I couldn’t agree with you less! Having sat on the committee side of the screen many times over the years, I can say that, at least as far as my orchestra goes, we don’t have anyone “preselected”. We might know WHAT we want, but not WHO we want. It’s an important distinction, and one that’s often overlooked. It’s not that no-one qualified applies, it’s that no-one is quite what we’re looking for, if we don’t select someone. I think that, for the most part, this is the case in the vast majority of US orchestras.

By: Thomas G.

Thomas G. — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:18:22 +0000

Most orchestral auditions are rigged, highly political, and regardless of screen up/down–they know who they want. The rest is merely window dressing, and a waste of peoples’ valuable time, money, and energy.

Good luck, however, like the tax system in USA, it’s rigged.

By: Jennifer Grucza

Jennifer Grucza — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:39:19 +0000

Good to know – thanks!

By: Charles Noble

Charles Noble — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 19:50:05 +0000

I just skipped the rests, unless they are just a bar or so in length.

Generally the rule of thumb for auditions is this:

1. Fast tempo count up to two bars or so.
2. Slow tempo count up to one bar.

Most orchestras will specify what they want to hear or give you a narrow choice of the most well-known pieces. Generally it’s in your best interest to play something that enables the committee to compare you with the other candidates. Otherwise they tend to get lazy and give up or assume that you couldn’t play the standard works.

By: Jennifer Grucza

Jennifer Grucza — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 18:37:14 +0000

Random question – when auditioning with something like the Sinfonia Concertante, how do you handle the rests where the violin is playing and you aren’t? Do you stand there silently, hearing the violin part in your head and come in at the proper time, or do you just pause briefly before starting your next passage? Or does it just depend on how long the rest would be? Like if it’s more than 2 measures, don’t count it out?

Also, is it generally better to audition with well-known pieces like the Mozart, Hindemith, Bartok, Walton, etc. than with pieces like Bruch’s Romanze, the Vieuxtemps sonata, etc.?

By: viola8

viola8 — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 17:12:39 +0000

Well, my magic eight ball seems to think you will win the job. The eight ball is rarely wrong.

By: oboeinsight

oboeinsight — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 15:55:54 +0000

A Good (Beginning of an) Audition Story…

I wonder how it will end? Charles Noble is writing about his recent audition experience Hmmm….