Audition Requirements
Musicians ages 6 to 18 are invited to make an audition appointment with GSYO. Individual audition appointments are made year-round, based upon openings in the program. Candidates must study with a private teacher, and have had at least one year of lessons to be considered for placement.
Explore our current openings and requirements for your specific interests
GSYO is accepting video submissions this spring for new member and promotion auditions. Audition requirements have been updated to reflect the new expectations. Videos should be performed as a live audition would: scales, arpeggios (if required), piece, and excerpts (if required) should be played through in one take. There will be no editing allowed. Additional details are provided via email after the audition application has been received. If you have applied for an audition and have not received the instruction email, please contact Deepika Kaiwar: deepika@gsyomusic.org; Applications received AFTER April 3 will be waitlisted.
Current Chamber Players and Camerata musicians: please refer to the requirements you received in January as well as the email already sent.
- Program Overview
- Senior Symphony
- Sinfonietta Orchestra
- Wind Orchestra
- Galbraith Honor Strings
- Camerata Orchestra
- Chamber Players Orchestra
Requirements At A Glance
Explore the tabs above for detailed requirements of each Program
| Senior Symphony | Sinfonietta Orchestra | Wind Orchestra | Galbraith Honor Strings | Camerata Orchestra | Chamber Players Orchestra | |
| Type of Orchestra | Full | Full | Wind and Percussion Instruments Only | String Instruments Only | Full | Full |
| Strings | ✔ | ✔ | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Winds/Brass | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Percussion | ✔ | — | ✔ | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Skill Level | Most Advanced | Advanced | Intermediate | Intermediate | Beginning-Intermediate | Beginning |
| # of Concerts per Year | 4+ | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Commitment Level | Very High | High | Moderate-High | Moderate-High | Moderate-High | Moderate |
| Practice Days | Sunday | Tuesday | Tuesday | Monday | Monday | Monday |
| Years of Private Lessons | 4+ | 4+ | 3-4+ | 3-4+ | 2-3 | 1+ |
| Audition Expectations | Previous ensemble experience. |
|---|---|
| Strings | Prepared solo or etude: choose contrasting sections from a movement of the standard repertoire or two sections from contrasting pieces: max total solo length 3-6 minutes; three-octave scale (in one key) of your choice, played twice, ascending and descending: first time is slower, second time is faster with more notes per bow; arpeggios (related to your scale - major, minor, augmented, and diminished), played twice: first time is slower, second time is faster with more notes per bow. REQUIRED: Prepared excerpt (see for each instrument below): |
| Woodwinds | Two pieces of contrasting styles and tempos. One must be a solo, the other can be an etude or another solo; chromatic scale from your lowest to highest note, ascending and descending; two major scales; should be 2 or more octaves if possible, ascending and descending, memorized (see below requirements per instrument)
REQUIRED: the following prepared excerpt - "Movement 4: Finale" - Beginning to Letter C; if there is a rest of more than two measures, skip ahead: |
| Brass | Choose contrasting sections from a movement of the standard repertoire or two sections from contrasting pieces - the solo(s) should be of the High School Honor Band audition level: max total solo time 3-6 minutes; chromatic scale from your lowest comfortable note to highest note, ascending and descending; play 6 major scales as quickly as you can with a steady and even rhythm, ascending and descending. Slur 3 scales and tongue 3 scales. Play with your best tone. If you can, play a couple of the scales 2 octaves. Make sure you choose scales that demonstrate your entire range. |
| Percussion | Solo or étude on two of the following: Timpani, Snare Drum, Xylophone |
| Harp | Three-octave scale. Prepared solo and etude of your choice with contrasting styles/tempos. The cadenza from Tchaikovsky Swan Lake. A harp is not provided for auditions; please plan to bring your own instrument. |
| Current Instrument Openings* | All Instruments |
| Type of Orchestra |
| Full |
| # of Concerts a Year |
| 4+ |
| Commitment Level |
| Very High |
| Practice Schedule |
| Sunday | 3:00-6:00pm | Union Presbyterian Church, Los Altos |
| Skill Level |
| Most Advanced |
| Years of Private Lessons |
| 4+ |
| Audition Expectations | Previous ensemble experience. |
|---|---|
| Strings | Prepared solo or etude: choose contrasting sections from a movement of the standard repertoire or two sections from contrasting pieces: max total solo length 3-6 minutes; three-octave scale (in one key) of your choice, played twice, ascending and descending: first time is slower, second time is faster with more notes per bow; arpeggios (related to your scale - major, minor, augmented, and diminished), played twice: first time is slower, second time is faster with more notes per bow. REQUIRED: Prepared excerpt (see for each instrument below): |
| Woodwinds | Two pieces of contrasting styles and tempos. One must be a solo, the other can be an etude or another solo; chromatic scale from your lowest to highest note; two major scales; should be 2 or more octaves if possible, ascending and descending, memorized (see below requirements per instrument):
REQUIRED: the following prepared excerpt - Beginning to Letter D; if there is a rest of more than two measures, skip ahead: |
| Brass | Two short contrasting solos or two contrasting sections of one longer solo; max total solo length 3-5 minutes; chromatic scale from your lowest comfortable note to highest note, ascending and descending; play at least 4 major scales and up to 6 major scales as quickly as you can with a steady tempo and even rhythm, ascending and descending. Slur half of the scales and tongue the others. Play with your best tone. Make sure the scales you choose demonstrate your entire range. |
| Percussion | N/A |
| Current Instrument Openings* | All Instruments |
| Type of Orchestra |
| Full |
| # of Concerts a Year |
| 4 |
| Commitment Level |
| High |
| Practice Schedule |
| Tuesday | 6:00-8:45pm | Union Presbyterian Church, Los Altos |
| Skill Level |
| Advanced |
| Years of Private Lessons |
| 4+ |
| Audition Expectations | Previous ensemble experience. |
|---|---|
| Strings | N/A |
| Woodwinds | Two pieces of contrasting styles and tempos. One must be a solo, the other can be an etude or another solo. Chromatic scale from your lowest to highest note, ascending and descending. Two major scales; should be 2 or more octaves if possible, ascending and descending (see scale requirements for each instrument):
|
| Brass | Two short contrasting solos or two contrasting sections of one longer solo: max total solo length 3-5 minutes; chromatic scale from your lowest to highest note, ascending and descending; play at least 4 major scales and up to 6 major scales as quickly as you can with a steady tempo and even rhythm, ascending and descending. Slur half of the scales and tongue the others. Make sure the scales you choose demonstrate your entire range. |
| Percussion | Solo or étude on two of the following: Timpani, Snare Drum, Xylophone |
| Current Instrument Openings* | All Instruments |
| Type of Orchestra |
| Wind and Percussion Instruments Only |
| # of Concerts a Year |
| 3 |
| Commitment Level |
| Moderate-High |
| Practice Schedule |
| Tuesday | 6:15-8:15pm | Union Presbyterian Church, Los Altos |
| Skill Level |
| Intermediate |
| Years of Private Lessons |
| 3-4+ |
| Audition Expectations | Previous ensemble experience. Prepared solo or étude of contrasting styles and tempos. You may play the entire piece if it is under 4 minutes long; choose a 3-4 minute excerpt if the piece is longer; Three-octave scale (in one key) of your choice, played twice, ascending and descending: first time is slower, second time is faster with more notes per bow; arpeggios (related to your scale - major and minor are required; augmented and diminished are optional), played twice: first time is slower, second time is faster with more notes per bow. |
|---|---|
| Strings | See above. |
| Winds/Brass | N/A |
| Percussion | N/A |
| Current Instrument Openings* | All Instruments |
| Type of Orchestra |
| String Instruments Only |
| # of Concerts a Year |
| 3 |
| Commitment Level |
| Moderate-High |
| Practice Schedule |
| Monday | 6:00-8:00pm Fletcher Middle School, Palo Alto |
| Skill Level |
| Intermediate |
| Years of Private Lessons |
| 3-4+ |
| Audition Expectations | Previous ensemble experience preferred. Prepared solo or étude. |
|---|---|
| Strings | Prepared solo or étude; one major scale, played twice, ascending and descending: first time is slower, second time is faster with more notes per bow.
|
| Woodwinds | Prepared solo or étude; chromatic scale from your lowest to highest note, ascending and descending; two major scales - should be two or more octaves if possible, ascending and descending (see scale requirements for each instrument):
|
| Brass | Two short contrasting pieces or etudes OR contrasting sections of one longer solo; max solo length 2-4 minutes; all major scales the musician knows, but a minimum of three. Play one scale slurred and the rest articulated, ascending and descending |
| Percussion | Must audition on Timpani with the optional addition of Snare Drum, Mallet Skills (Bells and Xylophone) |
| Current Instrument Openings* | All Instruments |
| Type of Orchestra |
| Full |
| # of Concerts a Year |
| 3 |
| Commitment Level |
| Moderate-High |
| Practice Schedule |
| Monday | 6:30-8:30pm Fletcher Middle School, Palo Alto |
| Skill Level |
| Beginning-Intermediate |
| Years of Private Lessons |
| 2-3 |
| Audition Expectations | Prepared solo or étude. Musicians must be reading music notes. |
|---|---|
| Strings | Prepared solo or étude; one major scale (see requirement for your instrument), played twice, ascending and descending; first time is slower, second time is faster with more notes per bow
|
| Woodwinds | Prepared solo or étude; chromatic scale from lowest note to highest note you feel comfortable with, ascending and descending; one octave major scale of your choosing, ascending and descending |
| Brass | All major scales the musicians knows, but a minimum of three. Play one scale slurred and the rest articulated; two short contrasting pieces or etudes OR contrasting sections of one longer piece; solo length 2-4 minutes in total. |
| Percussion | Must audition on Timpani with the optional addition of Snare Drum, Mallet Skills (Bells and Xylophone) |
| Current Instrument Openings* | All Instruments |
| Type of Orchestra |
| Full |
| # of Concerts a Year |
| 3 |
| Commitment Level |
| Moderate |
| Practice Schedule |
| Monday | 4:30-6:15pm Fletcher Middle School, Palo Alto |
| Skill Level |
| Beginning |
| Years of Private Lessons |
| 1+ |