About Us

Auditions

WE ACCEPT ROLLING AUDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

DEADLINE FOR OUR MAY 2010 AUDITIONS is Wednesday, April 28th.

Please submit the form below to our offices by that date.

Click below to download the audition registration form as a word doc.

(you will be able to e-mail this one back)

Click below to download the audition registration form as pdf. (this one is a "print-and-fax-back" form)

OUR FAX NUMBER IS 303-573-5197

Auditions for CYSO

CYSO auditions are held in May. Auditions may also be held throughout the season, depending upon the positions available in each orchestra. Auditions are 7 minutes in length and consist of a solo or etude piece of the candidates choosing that should display both tone and technique, scales, sight-reading, and demonstrations of the student's knowledge of key signatures (and for string players) bow-arm technique.

The audition fee is $30.00, check or credit cards only. No cash accepted. The judges consist of CYSO conductors and the Music Director.

Auditions for the 2010–2011 Season

(1) Auditions will be held on Saturday, May 15th and Saturday, May 22th 2010

**IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN CYSO, YOU MAY AUDITION DURING REHEARSAL ON

MONDAY, MAY 10TH**

(2) Auditionees will be expected to play the following:

a. scales appropriate to your level (Sinfonia, Philharmonia, Symphony)

b. sightreading excerpt appropriate to your level (to be provided by CYSO at the audition)

c. prepared excerpt of candidate's choice (2-3 minutes long)

NOTE: THIS SOLO PIECE IS CHOSEN BY THE APPLICANT. CYSO WILL NOT MAIL YOU MUSIC, YOU WILL CHOOSE AND PLAY FROM YOUR OWN MUSIC.

d. Auditionees will also be quizzed on key signature recognition appropriate to your level

**IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN OUR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, YOU ARE ONLY REQUIRED TO

AUDITION WITH A SOLO - NO SCALES OR SIGHTREADING.**

(3) Please complete an application and email it to our office.

See top of page to download the audition request sheet.

Auditions for New Students

There will be open auditions for new students all year as long as space allows. We are particularly in need of wind instruments for the symphony. If you know of any interested students, please have them complete our audition application and email it to our offices.

Audition Guidelines

Concert attire is not required for auditions. Dressing respectfully for the ocassion is encouraged. Scoring will include the following categories; basic set-up (form, facility, intonation, rhythm, tone quality & quantity, vibrato, bow-arm demo, musicality (character, dyamics, phrasing, etc.), sight reading, theory. Guidelines for violin, cello and percussion are below.

VIOLIN

Sinfonia:

scales: be prepared to play 1 octave C, F and D and 2 octave B flat, G and A

familiar with all key signatures through 3 sharps and 2 flats

can sight read all notes in 1st position

can use whole bow

beginning to play in 3rd position

has little or no ensemble experience

plays prepared excerpt well

Philharmonia:

can tune their own instrument well

scales: be prepared to play all of Sinfonia requirements PLUS 2 octave D and C, 1 octave E and E-flat and 3 octave G and A

familiar with all key signatures through 4 sharps and 3 flats

sight-reads in 1st and 3rd positions

beginning to play with vibrato

can play off the string

plays well in 3rd position and beginning to play in 4th and 5th positions

has at least 1 - 2 years of orchestra experience

plays prepared excerpt well

Symphony:

scales: be prepared to play any 3-octave major or minor scale through 4 sharps and 4 flats

familiar with all key signatures (major and minor)

sight-reads in 1st - 5th positions

plays with a mature vibrato

plays off the string well and is familiar with more advanced bowing techniques

plays well in 1st through 6th positions

has at least 2 - 3 years of orchestra experience

displays musical sensitivity (dynamics, phrasing, tone, etc.)

plays prepared excerpt well

**IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY IN OUR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, YOU ONLY HAVE TO PLAY A SOLO - NO SCALES

OR SIGHTREADING!**

VIOLA

Sinfonia:

be prepared to play 1 octave B-flat, F and G and 2 octave E flat, C and D

familiar with all key signatures through 3 sharps and 2 flats

can sight read all notes in 1st position

can use whole bow

beginning to play in 3rd position

has little or no ensemble experience

plays prepared excerpt well

Philharmonia:

can tune own instrument well

scales: be prepared to play all of Sinfonia requirements PLUS 2 octave G and F, 1 octave A and A-flat and 3 octave C and D

familiar with all key signatures through 4 sharps and 3 flats

sight-reads in 1st and 3rd positions

beginning to play with vibrato

can play off the string

plays well in 3rd position and beginning to play in 4th and 5th positions

has at least 1 - 2 years of orchestra experience

plays prepared excerpt well

Symphony:

scales: be prepared to play any 3-octave major or minor scale through 4 sharps and 4 flats

familiar with all key signatures (major and minor)

sight-reads in 1st - 5th positions

plays with a mature vibrato

plays off the string well and is familiar with more advanced bowing techniques

plays well in 1st through 6th positions

has at least 2 - 3 years of orchestra experience

displays musical sensitivity (dynamics, phrasing, tone, etc.)

plays prepared excerpt well

**IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY IN OUR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, YOU ONLY HAVE TO PLAY A SOLO - NO SCALES

OR SIGHTREADING!**

CELLO

Sinfonia:

scales: be prepared to play 1 octave B-flat, F and G and 2 octave E flat, C and D

familiar with all key signatures through 3 sharps and 2 flats

can sight-read all notes in first position

can use whole bow

has little or no ensemble experience

plays prepared excerpt well

Philharmonia:

can tune own instrument well

scales: be prepared to play all of Sinfonia requirements PLUS 2 octave G and F, 1 octave A and A-flat and 3 octave C and D

familiar with all key signatures through 4 sharps and 3 flats

sight-reads in 1st through 4th positions

beginning to play with vibrato

can use whole bow and play off the string

plays fluently in 1st through 4th position, can play in higher positions

is beginning to play in tenor clef

has at least 1-2 years of orchestra experience

plays prepared excerpt well

Symphony:

scales: be prepared to play any 3-octave major or minor scale through 4 sharps and 4 flats plus 4-octave C Major

familiar with all key signatures (major and minor)

sight-reads in bass and tenor clefs

plays with vibrato

plays off the string well and is familiar with more advanced bowing techniques

plays easily in bass, tenor and treble clefs (plays easily in thumb position)

displays musical sensitivity (dynamics, phrasing, tone, etc.)

has 2 -3 years of orchestra experience

plays prepared excerpt well

**IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY IN OUR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, YOU ONLY HAVE TO PLAY A SOLO - NO SCALES

OR SIGHTREADING!**

BASS

Sinfonia:

scales: be prepared to play a 1 octave C Major scale

familiar with all key signatures through 3 sharps and 2 flats

can sight-read all notes in first position

can use whole bow

has little or no ensemble experience

plays prepared excerpt well

Philharmonia:

can tune own instrument well

scales: be prepared to play a 1 octave C Major and a 2 octave E Major scale

familiar with all key signatures through 4 sharps and 3 flats

beginning to play with vibrato

can use whole bow and play off the string

has at least 1-2 years of orchestra experience

plays prepared excerpt well

Symphony:

scales: be prepared to play the Philharmonia scales plus 2 octave G, A-flat, and A scales

familiar with all key signatures (major and minor)

plays with vibrato

plays off the string well and is familiar with more advanced bowing techniques

displays musical sensitivity (dynamics, phrasing, tone, etc.)

has 2 -3 years of orchestra experience

plays prepared excerpt well

**IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY IN OUR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, YOU ONLY HAVE TO PLAY A SOLO - NO SCALES

OR SIGHTREADING!**

WOODWINDS/BRASS

Sinfonia:

displays good facility, tone and intonation

scales: be prepared to play any 2 octave major scale (8th notes at quarter note = 80)

familiar with all key signatures through 3 sharps and 2 flats

has little or no ensemble experience

plays prepared excerpt well

Philharmonia:

scales: be prepared to play any 2 octave major scale (16th notes at quarter note = 60) plus a 2 octave chromatic scale with varying tempos

displays good tone, intonation & facility

familiar with all key signatures through 4 sharps and 3 flats

has at least 1 - 2 years of orchestra experience

plays prepared excerpt well

Symphony:

scales: be prepared to play any 2 octave major scale (16th notes at quarter note = 80) plus a 2 octave chromatic scale (16th notes at quarter note = 80)

familiar with all key signatures (major and minor)

has at least 2 - 3 years of orchestra experience

displays musical sensitivity (dynamics, phrasing, tone, etc.)

plays prepared excerpt well

**IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY IN OUR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, YOU ONLY HAVE TO PLAY A SOLO - NO SCALES

OR SIGHTREADING!**

PERCUSSION

Symphony:

familiar with all key signatures (major and minor)

has at least 2 - 3 years of orchestra experience

displays musical sensitivity (dynamics, phrasing, tone, etc.)

plays prepared excerpt well (timpani, mallets, snare)