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
- 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. Prepared solo and/or étude. Sight-reading. |
|---|---|
| Strings | Prepared solo showing position work with fast and slow sections. No specific piece required. Three-octave major scale, slurred, and related arpeggios of your choice, slow to fast tempos. |
| Winds/Brass | Chromatic scale for the complete range of your instrument. All major scales memorized, minor scales are bonus points. Prepared solo and étude with contrasting styles and tempos. |
| 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* | Bassoon, Double Bass, Viola |
| Type of Orchestra |
| Full |
| # of Concerts a Year |
| 4+ |
| Commitment Level |
| Very High |
| Practice Schedule |
| Sunday | 3:00-6:00pm UPC, Los Altos |
| Skill Level |
| Most Advanced |
| Years of Private Lessons |
| 4+ |
| Audition Expectations | Previous ensemble experience. Prepared solo and/or étude. Sight-reading. |
|---|---|
| Strings | Prepared solo showing position work with fast and slow sections. No specific piece required. Three-octave major scale, slurred, and related arpeggios of your choice, slow to fast tempos. |
| Winds/Brass | Chromatic scale for the complete range of your instrument. All major scales memorized, minor scales are bonus points. Prepared solo and étude with contrasting styles and tempos. |
| Percussion | N/A |
| Current Instrument Openings* | Bassoon, Cello, Clarinet, Double Bass, French Horn, Viola, Violin |
| Type of Orchestra |
| Full |
| # of Concerts a Year |
| 4 |
| Commitment Level |
| High |
| Practice Schedule |
| Tuesday | 6:00-8:45pm Fletcher Middle School, Palo Alto |
| Skill Level |
| Advanced |
| Years of Private Lessons |
| 4+ |
| Audition Expectations | Previous ensemble experience. Prepared solo étude of contrasting styles and tempos. All major scales memorized, minor scales are bonus points. Chromatic scale for the complete range of your instrument memorized. Sight reading. |
|---|---|
| Strings | N/A |
| Winds/Brass | Previous ensemble experience. Prepared solo étude of contrasting styles and tempos. All major scales memorized, minor scales are bonus points. Chromatic scale for the complete range of your instrument memorized. Sight reading. |
| Percussion | Solo or étude on two of the following: Timpani, Snare Drum, Xylophone |
| Current Instrument Openings* | Clarinet, Saxophone, Trombone, Percussion |
| Type of Orchestra |
| Wind and Percussion Instruments Only |
| # of Concerts a Year |
| 3 |
| Commitment Level |
| Moderate-High |
| Practice Schedule |
| Tuesday | 6:15-8:15pm Fletcher Middle School, Palo Alto |
| Skill Level |
| Intermediate |
| Years of Private Lessons |
| 3-4+ |
| Audition Expectations | Previous ensemble experience. Prepared solo or étude of contrasting styles and tempos. Three-octave major scale, slurred (three to twelve notes per bow) with related arpeggios. Sight-reading. |
|---|---|
| Strings | See above. |
| Winds | N/A |
| Percussion | N/A |
| Current Instrument Openings* | Cello, Double Bass, Viola, Violin |
| 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. Sight-reading. |
|---|---|
| Strings | Violin: 2 or 3-octave A major scale with related arpeggio. Viola/Cello: 2 or 3-octave D major scale with related arpeggio. Double Bass: 2 or 3-octave scale of your choice with related arpeggio. |
| Winds/Brass | Prepared major scale through 4 sharps and 4 flats memorized. Chromatic scale for the complete range of your instrument memorized. |
| Percussion | May audition on one or more of the following: Timpani, Snare Drum, Mallet Skills (Bells and Xylophone) |
| Current Instrument Openings* | All Brass, Bassoon, Cello, Clarinet, Double Bass, Oboe, Viola, Violin |
| Type of Orchestra |
| Full |
| # of Concerts a Year |
| 2 |
| 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. Sight-reading. |
|---|---|
| Strings | Violin: one or two-octave A major scale with related arpeggio. Viola/Cello: one or two-octave D major scale with related arpeggio. Double Bass: one or two-octave scale of your choice with related arpeggio. |
| Winds/Brass | one octave major scale. |
| Percussion | May audition on one or more of the following: Timpani, Snare Drum, Mallet Skills (Bells and Xylophone) |
| Current Instrument Openings* | All Brass, Bassoon, Clarinet, Double Bass, Flute, Viola |
| Type of Orchestra |
| Full |
| # of Concerts a Year |
| 2 |
| Commitment Level |
| Moderate |
| Practice Schedule |
| Monday | 4:30-6:15pm Fletcher Middle School, Palo Alto |
| Skill Level |
| Beginning |
| Years of Private Lessons |
| 1+ |
To download the PDF version of the audition requirements please click here.