Auditions
Auditions will be held each fall. Both new and returning musicians will be required to audition. New members entering the program in the second semester will be required to audition in January. A non-refundable fee of $5.00 is charged for each audition (per student, per instrument).
The Music Director will conduct auditions, with, if he desires, assistance from qualified adjudicator(s) of his choosing. The Music Director will set the format of the audition, which may include scales, prepared performance pieces, orchestral excerpts, or sight reading. No accompaniment is allowed during the audition. The auditions will be in private. Applicants will be informed of their acceptance and orchestral placement by letter shortly following the auditions. The judge(s) comments regarding the audition will be provided to each student.
Audition Judging Criteria
- Scales: accuracy, range and number of octaves, evenness of tempo and tone
- Prepared Pieces: musicality, note and rhythmic accuracy, intonation, technique, tone and overall performance impression
- Sight Reading: note accuracy, musicality, intonation, rhythm and evenness of tempo
Orchestra Assignment and Seating
Assignment of each student to one of the orchestras, and seating within each orchestra, is the responsibility of the Music Director, whose decisions are final. SVYS encourages all musicians to take pride in how well they play, how much they learn, and in their contribution to the sound of the orchestra, regardless of whether the occupy the first or last stand of their section. The SVYS Board of Directors has full faith and confidence in the ability of the Music Director to seat the musicians based upon what is best for the orchestras.
The Music Director considers these factors when making seating assignments:
- Audition evaluations
- Creating the best educational setting for individual members and the SVYS program as a whole
- The need for strength and balance within the sections and among the orchestras
- The student's maturity and leadership ability
Preliminary seating assignments will be given at the first rehearsal. The Concertmaster will be designated by the Music Director, and may be changed for any concert. The Music Director may rotate seating for educational purposes at any rehearsal, and may change seating assignments at any time during the year. Concert seating order will be announced at the dress rehearsal. Significant concert solos may be awarded to any member of a section by the Music Director at a rehearsal.
Section principal chair titles will not be assigned. The musicians' names will be printed alphabetically within each instrumental section in the concert program.
Questions regarding seating should be addressed to the Music Director.
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