Auditions

Apply

Dates & Timeline

Tuition

Eligibility

Audition Requirements

Recording Instructions

Resources

Apply (2023-24 Season)

THE 2023-24 APPLICATION PORTAL OPENS JUNE 1, 2023

Thank you for your interest in auditioning for Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Academic Year Orchestra Program! The audition process involves a team of adjudicators who have the opportunity to match prospective orchestra members with the learning environment most appropriate for their musical growth. Through the audition process, musicians learn important skills such as patience, preparation, perseverance, and growth mindset.

THE APPLICATION/AUDITION PROCESS

Submit your application
Prepare and submit your video audition
Complete the sight reading portion of your audition
You’re done! Wait to hear the results in late August

Read through the tabs above for more information, and contact us if you have any questions about the process. We look forward to a great audition season!

REHEARSAL LOCATIONS

Shorecrest High School (Youth, Junior, Debut, Symphonette)
Kellogg High School (Prelude, Conservatory)

APPLICATION PORTAL OPENS JUNE 1, 2023

2023-24 Dates & Timeline

May 1	Excerpts posted
June 1	Applications open
Aug 10	Deadline for 2023-24 AYOP audition videos and Sight Reading
Aug 18-25	AYOP audition results sent via email, depending on instrument
Sept 1	Deadline to accept or decline placement offers
Sept 9	Pre-season sectionals for Youth Symphony Orchestra ONLY
Sept 16	Academic Year Orchestra Program rehearsals begin

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOU AUDITION

Audition results will be sent by email to the primary parent/guardian listed on your application in late August. If you are accepted into the Academic Year Orchestra Program, you are required to accept or decline your orchestra placement.

If you are not accepted into the Academic Year Orchestra Program, we invite you to continue to practice and to audition again next year. You may also be interested in the Seattle Conservatory of Music, which offers performance opportunities and academic courses; and MY Southeast, SYSO’s newest orchestra which rehearses in Southeast Seattle.

SYSO supports the work of organizations throughout our community that provide students meaningful access to arts education. Some other musical opportunities families can check out are Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra, Cascade Youth Symphony Orchestra, Tacoma Youth Symphony, Seattle JazzEd, and Suzuki Institute of Seattle.

Tuition

TUITION RATES

Check back soon for 2023-24 tuition rates.

APPLICATION FEE

$60 (non-refundable)

TUITION ASSISTANCE

Ample tuition assistance is available to all students enrolled in our programs who demonstrate need. The Tuition Assistance application is embedded in the enrollment form upon being offered a placement in one of the orchestras (offer letters are sent on a rolling basis between Aug 18-26). We encourage any families who may need assistance to apply. Please do not hesitate to reach out to info@syso.org for more information.

Eligibility

SYSO’s orchestras are opportunities for students to learn to perform music under the instruction of world-class conductors and coaches. The following students are welcome to apply to participate in SYSO’s 2023-24 Academic Year Orchestra season:

Dedicated young musicians
Musicians who play strings, winds, brass, and percussion instruments.
SYSO supports public and private school music and arts programs. Participation in school arts programs is required, when available.

HARP AND PIANO STUDENTS

Piano students that wish to perform with the Academic Year Orchestra Program, must apply and participate in the Seattle Conservatory of Music. You will have the opportunity to indicate if you are interested in playing with an orchestra as part of the application process for the conservatory. Please note, this is not guaranteed, as the number of pianists typically exceeds the number of pianists needed throughout the year. For questions, please contact the Conservatory Manager at gabriela.garza@syso.org.

Harp students that wish to perform with the Academic Year Orchestra Program should contact the Orchestra Manager at izchel.chacon@syso.org.

Audition Requirements

OVERVIEW

Your audition consists of two parts. Both parts must be completed by August 10 to complete the audition process:

Sight reading (to be completed at sightreadingfactory.com, see below for more information)
Video audition (see below for more information)

SIGHT READING

After officially applying for the Academic Year Orchestra Program on June 1, you will receive a code to access sightreadingfactory.com for free (for 6 months!)

Practice as much as you’re able! Once you access the website using the student code, you will see 3 options: beginning, intermediate, and advanced. See below on selecting your level
Practice, practice, practice!
Once you’re ready to submit your sight reading portion of your audition, click on the “Assignments” tab on the left. DUE AUGUST 10
You’ll be prompted to test your microphone
You’ll only have ONE chance to record and submit your sight reading portion, so be sure to practice plenty of times beforehand to become familiar with the website.

Selecting your level:

New students: Try the different levels and see which one feels most comfortable for you. Please consult your school music teacher, and/or private teacher. Don’t overthink it! But if in doubt, contact izchel.chacon@syso.org for questions. Remember that sight-reading is only one of many components adjudicators look at when placing students.
Students currently in Prelude should select BEGINNING
Students currently in Symphonette or Debut should select INTERMEDIATE
Students currently in Junior or Youth should select ADVANCED

NOTE: The sight reading portion of the audition will be recorded with audio only through sightreadingfactory.com. SYSO has a ZERO TOLERANCE policy for cheating.

VIDEO AUDITION

Beginning / Intermediate requirements should be followed by:

Returning Prelude String Orchestra (PSO), Symphonette (SO) & Debut Symphony Orchestra (DSO) students
Beginning & Intermediate new students
Not sure about your level? We recommend following the beginning/intermediate requirements.

Beginning / Intermediate Requirements

Advanced requirements should be followed by:

Returning Youth Symphony Orchestra (YSO) students
Returning Junior Symphony Orchestra (JSO) students seeking to audition for YSO
Advanced new students (not sure about your level? We recommend following the beginning/intermediate guidelines)

Advanced Requirements

THE AUDITION RUBRIC

SYSO adjudicators consist of esteemed coaching faculty and conductors. Coach adjudicators will provide qualitative feedback and provide orchestra recommendations to conductors, and conductors will average out their quantitative results, taking the coach adjudicators feedback highly into consideration when assigning students to the different orchestras. The audition rubric consists of the following elements: intonation, rhythm, musicianship, tone, technique, and sight-reading ability.

Recording Instructions

VIDEO QUALITY

Film in a well-lit space. Make sure there is more light in front of you rather than behind you so that you are not back-lit.
Using your smartphone to record your audition is great. You don’t need professional equipment. Feel free to use whichever video orientation makes sense for your instrument and room setup (horizontal or vertical videos). We want to be able to see as much of you and your instrument as possible.
When shooting, place the camera on a tripod or flat surface to keep the camera from shaking.
Frame yourself adequately. The video should show you and your entire instrument, as well as the range of motion associated with playing your instrument.
Ensure your music stand is not blocking you.
Memorization is not required and will not factor into your scoring.
Put your phone/tablet in airplane mode to avoid disruptions.
Video must remain stationary: no panning, zooming, multiple cameras, fading in/out.

AUDIO QUALITY

Find a quiet spot at home.
Be mindful of your instrument’s loudest volume, the size of the room, and test your room’s acoustics.
Woodwind and brass musicians should not point your bell directly at the mic but slightly off-center.
Check sound levels beforehand to make sure sound is not distorted in loud passages and inaudible in soft passages.
String instruments: make sure the face of your instrument is directed towards the video recording device so we can see both your left-hand and your bow arm technique.

NEED A SPACE TO RECORD?

We understand there are many factors that could make recording your audition video at home difficult (pets, living on a busy street, recording device video or audio not working, etc.). Please contact izchel.chacon@syso.org to set up a time to record your audition at SYSO’s office using a provided recording device.

OTHER TIPS

Be mindful that your voice will be at a lower volume than your instrument when speaking. Speak a little slower, loudly and confidently.
Dress comfortably and nicely, as you would for a job interview.
We recommend only allowing yourself 3 play-throughs and selecting your favorite video. Select the video that best represents your playing.

RECORDING YOU AUDITION

Tune your instrument to A=440
Your video should not exceed 5 minutes in length
Audition videos must be shot in one continuous take, as it best simulates a live audition. Include all of the requirements for your instrument in the order they are listed. The required audition order and suggested timings are as follows:
- ~10-15 seconds: Introduction of audition components. Here is an example script:
  - “Hello, my name is ____.”
  - “I will be playing the __ major and ___ minor scales and arpeggios.”
  - then, “I will play [name of the piece(s) and composer(s),” or for advanced, say “I will be playing the advanced excerpts”]
- ~40 seconds: Scales and arpeggios
- ~3 minutes: Solo Piece(s) or Excerpts
- ~2 seconds: Say “Thank you” at the end of the audition video.
You may not edit, cut, splice, or otherwise alter your performance

SUBMISSON INSTRUCTIONS

CLICK HERE for submission instructions. Once you’ve uploaded your shareable video to Youtube, search your inbox for the video submission email (please check your spam folder, too). If you did not receive an email, check your inbox one more time, then contact info@syso.org.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

RESOURCES

TIPS & TRICKS – Helpful tips that are useful for all students preparing to audition for any group or ensemble.

ABOUT THE AUDITION COMPONENTS – Students are required to prepare multiple components for their audition, including scales, solo repertoire or excerpts, and sight reading. Visit this link to learn why these components are part of the audition process, and what you can do to help prepare for your audition

AUDITION FAQ’s – Read through some of our most commonly asked questions. Additional questions can be directed Izchel Chacón, Orchestra Manager at izchel.chacon@syso.org