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. 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. 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* | All Instruments |
| 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. 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. Prepared solo and étude with contrasting styles and tempos. |
| 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 Fletcher Middle School, Palo Alto |
| Skill Level |
| Advanced |
| Years of Private Lessons |
| 4+ |
| Audition Expectations | Previous ensemble experience. Sight reading. |
|---|---|
| Strings | N/A |
| Winds/Brass | Prepared solo and étude of contrasting styles and tempos. All major scales memorized. Chromatic scale for the complete range of your instrument memorized. |
| 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 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 or minor scale, slurred (two to twelve notes or more per bow) with related arpeggios, slurred slow to fast. Sight-reading. |
|---|---|
| Strings | See above. |
| Winds | 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. 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 scales through 4 sharps and 4 flats memorized. Chromatic scale for the complete range of your instrument memorized. |
| 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 |
| 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. Musicians must be reading music notes. |
|---|---|
| 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 | 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 |
| 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.