Prospective musicians must perform a live or video audition with the following solo selections and scales to be admitted to Youth Symphony. String players can re-join each year with no audition after the initial audition and acceptance. Due to the small number of available seats, winds, brass and percussion students must re-audition each year to participate.  

• Solo Repertoire:

  • Strings, Woodwinds, & Brass: Please prepare two contrasting pieces or orchestral excerpts which demonstrate your musicality, tone, and technical skill. Each solo selection should be no more than two minutes in length.

  • Percussion:

    • Please prepare two etudes of your choice on snare drum.

    • Then, demonstrate the following:

      1. Long roll (concert-style) – pp<FF->pp

      2. Single paradiddles

      3. Flams

      4. Drags

• Scales:

  • Violin: D major & A melodic minor, 3 octaves

  • Viola: G major & D melodic minor, 3 octaves

  • Cello: E major & G melodic minor, 3 octaves

  • Bass: F major & A melodic minor, 2 octave minimum or as many octaves as possible

  • Flutes: C major & Db major, as many octaves as possible

  • Clarinets: E major & Db major, as many octaves as possible

  • Trumpets: B major & Ab major, 2 octaves

  • Oboe: Eb major & D major, 2 octaves

  • Bassoon: Bb major & A major, as many octaves as possible

  • French Horn: Gb major & A major, 2 octaves

  • Trombones: A major & Gb major, 2 octaves

  • Tuba: A major and Gb major, 2 octaves