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Youth Orchestra Audition Information

Please view our audition guidelines for comprehensive audition requirements. 

Since this audition occurs right after NYSSMA, we encourage you to use this as an opportunity to perform your solo, scales and sight reading that you’ve already worked so hard on!

Each audition will take 5-10 minutes, and will be fully in-person (with the exception of PERCUSSION, who must submit a video recording audition). For the audition, each musician will prepare:

  • Scales (see the guidelines for your instrument’s specific requirements)

  • 1 or 2 short solo selections that contrast expressive, cantabile playing with fast, technical passagework. The piece(s) must be equivalent to NYSSMA level 5/6, and are to be performed without piano accompaniment.

  • Students will be presented an unfamiliar orchestral excerpt in the audition room to play at sight.

  • The audition committee will listen for musicality and expressiveness, tone quality, pulse and rhythm, technical ease and intonation.

  • Please be prepared to jump around in your solo pieces as requested by the auditions panel.

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Audition Logistics

When you arrive, the Operations Manager will greet you and show you to a practice room where you may tune, warm up and practice. Please arrive at least 10 minutes before your assigned time, as auditions may run ahead of schedule. The entire audition sequence should take 10 minutes or less.

Audition Application
Please fill out our 23-24 season audition application by Sunday, May 7, 2023 at 11:59pm.

Application Fee
The $25 application fee can be paid in the following ways:

  • Credit Card: Visit our online payment form to pay via credit card.

  • Cash: Please mail cash to Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, 110 N. Tioga Street, Ste. 302, Ithaca, NY 14850.

  • Check: Checks should be made payable to “Cayuga Chamber Orchestra.” In the memo field, please write “CCOYO Audition” and the musician’s name on your check before mailing it to: Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, 110 N. Tioga Street, Ste. 302, Ithaca, NY 14850.

Audition Questions
Please direct all questions to yomanager@ccoithaca.org

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