Auditions

Students wishing to participate in Philharmonia, Sinfonia, and Huntsville Youth Symphony are required to audition each season. Concert Orchestra, Intermezzo Orchestra, and Novice Strings do not require auditions.

Students are required to pay a $15 audition fee ($10 per student for families with multiple students auditioning). Audition fees will be refunded ONLY to students NOT admitted to the Huntsville Youth Orchestra program. 

Auditions take place mid-August and are announced in July. Audition materials are updated and made available in July for the upcoming season. Specific details about auditions will be emailed out the week of auditions to those who have registered.

New members joining mid-season are welcome to audition at any point in time. Please contact hyo.exdir@gmail.com about joining mid-season.

Please view the audition materials below by Orchestra. Make sure audition materials are for the current Season before downloading. Scale requirements generally remain the same year to year but the excerpts do change.

Audition Requirements

Returning HYO Students

Returning HYO Students wishing to move up an ensemble must prepare the audition requirements of the ensemble they placed in last season and the ensemble they are wishing to move up to. If students wish to remain in the same ensemble as last season, they only need to prepare the audition requirements of that ensemble for seating purposes. Students may not skip an ensemble level with out approval from the Music Director.

  • Returning students in Concert Orchestra last season who wish to be considered for Philharmonia, need to prepare the audition requirements for Philharmonia.

  • Returning students in Philharmonia last season who wish to be considered for Sinfonia, need to prepare the audition requirements for both Philharmonia and Sinfonia.

  • Returning students in Sinfonia last season who wish to be considered for Huntsville Youth Symphony, need to prepare the audition requirements for Sinfonia and Huntsville Youth Symphony.

New HYO Students

New HYO Students need to prepare auditions for two ensembles, the one they wish to audition into and the ensemble below it.

  • New Students wishing to place in Philharmonia only need to prepare the Philharmonia audition requirements as the ensembles below it do not require auditions.

  • New students wishing to place in Sinfonia must prepare the Philharmonia and Sinfonia audition requirements. This only applies to string students as we do not have winds, brass, and percussion in Philharmonia.

  • New students wishing to place in Huntsville Youth Symphony must prepare the Sinfonia and Huntsville Youth Symphony audition requirements.

Huntsville Youth Symphony (2023-2024)

  • Students must have all twelve major scales memorized and will be asked to play one of the scales, selected by the judges, from memory during the audition. Students SHOULD NOT perform arpeggios during the audition. Scales shall be performed at a tempo of at least 90 bpm per scale degree. Scales are worth 10 points.

    • String players shall perform all scales three octaves (see excerpt sheet for Double Bass scale requirements).

    • Woodwind and brass players shall play two octaves where possible.

  • Students MUST play the excerpt(s) provided below. Students are encouraged to listen to several recordings of the required excerpt (available free online) so that it may be played with the correct style. If a student has never been accepted to the Huntsville Youth Symphony, they must perform both the Sinfonia and Huntsville Youth Symphony excerpts. The prepared excerpts are worth 30 points total.

  • Students will be asked to sight-read during the audition. Students will have 20 seconds to look over the music before playing it. Sight-reading is worth 15 points.

Sinfonia (2023-2024)

  • Students must have the following scales memorized (see octave requirements below): C, G, D, A, E, F, Bb, Eb, Ab and will be asked to play one of the scales, selected by the judges, from memory during the audition. Students DO NOT perform arpeggios during the audition. Scales shall be performed at a tempo of at least 90 bpm per scale degree. Scales are worth 10 points.

    • String players shall perform all scales two octaves (see excerpt sheet for Double Bass scale requirements).

    • Woodwind and brass players shall play each scale one octave (two where possible).

  • Students MUST play the excerpt(s) provided below. Students are encouraged to listen to several recordings (available free online) so that it may be played with the correct style. If a student is a string player and has not been a member of Sinfonia, the must play both the Sinfonia and Philharmonia excerpts. The prepared excerpt(s) are worth 30 points total.points total.

  • Students will be asked to sight-read during the audition. Students will have 20 seconds to look over the music before playing it. Sight-reading is worth 15 points.

Philharmonia (2023-2024)

  • Students must have the following major scales memorized two octaves: C, G, D, A, F, Bb, Eb and will be asked to play one of the scales, selected by the judges, from memory during the audition. Scales shall be performed two octaves at a tempo of at least 90 bpm per scale degree. Students DO NOT perform arpeggios during the audition. Scales are worth 10 points.

  • Students MUST play the excerpt(s) provided below. Students are encouraged to listen to several recordings (available free online) so that it may be played with the correct style. The prepared excerpts(s) are worth 30 points total.

  • Students will be asked to sight-read during the audition. Students will have 20 seconds to look over the music before playing it. Sight-reading is worth 15 points.