Dear Alma, How do I audition for the NY Philharmonic?

From our agony aunt:

Dear Alma,

How do auditions for a major orchestra like the New York Philharmonic work? I submitted a resume and put in my request for a preferred live preliminary audition dates. What happens next? I’ve never taken an orchestra audition for an orchestra of this caliber!

signed,

violin

Dear violin,

Great question. And congratulations for challenging yourself to go to the next level. Although there is no specific audition playbook for all orchestras, I can give you some ideas of what to expect. You will most likely have the list of excerpts, which were posted by the orchestra. However, it does sometimes happen that the list is not shared until you have been invited to audition.

First things first; The first round is actually your résumé. For major orchestras, this is a very tough round and there is a distinct possibility you may not be invited to audition, but no worries. It’s all part of the big picture. Keep working to bulk up your résumé with professional engagements and work, and make sure to have a couple of trusted colleagues look it over.

Next thing; You will invited to audition, be assigned a time and given the location. You will need to arrange for your own travel and housing. This can get expensive quickly – many people take more than 25 auditions before landing their job.

On the day; You will be given a warmup space. Not all auditions are behind a screen. Dress well. The location may be a simple space for the first round, or it can be in the big hall. The committee may be small or it may be huge and open to anyone from the section or orchestra. There will be a stand with the selected excerpts printed on it. They may ask you to start with your Mozart concerto or your standard concerto. They may provide a pianist, who will ask you your tempo. They may be cold and they may applaud.

Next thing; There can be one or two more rounds. There might be a time when you play a quartet with members of the orchestra. Someone from the committee may ask you to replay an excerpt in a different tempo or style. There could be a meeting to get to know you and ask questions of you.

violin, be secure in yourself, and stay in the moment. Don’t talk to other people auditioning, stay focused. Anticipate that you will feel strange. Don’t hope, just observe and always be gracious.

Go for it, violin!!

Questions for Alma? Please put them in the comments section or send to DearAlmaQuery@gmail.com