AUDITION INFORMATION: 2023-2024 SEASON

THE AUDITION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL SUNDAY, MAY 28, 2023!

Thank you for your interest in Orange County’s ‘Official Youth Orchestra’ for over 50 Years!

Our diverse roster represents student musicians from nearly 60 middle school, high school, and college programs from Orange County and surrounding areas.

The Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the OCYS/E staff are committed to sharing the intercultural love of orchestral music, advancing, inspiring, and cultivating musical performance for lifelong learning with young adult musicians in grades 6 through 12. OCYS and OCYSE proudly serve as music ambassadors to each other and our local schools, districts, and communities throughout Southern California.

Audition Applications: Orange County Youth Symphony & Orange County String Ensemble 2023-2024 season are available from March through May 28, 2023!

Requirements: Active participation in your school music program (if available) during the 2023-2024 school year.

Applications: Audition fee, audition application, and audition video must be submitted no later than Sunday, May 28, 2023.

Audition Instructions:

Complete the OCYS/E audition application.
Submit the $30 audition fee.
Download & practice the required audition scale(s) and excerpt(s). See below for all scale(s) and excerpt(s).
Play for friends and family to build confidence and refine your performance.
Record a practice audition video and review it. Check for the best picture and sound. Adjust camera, lighting, and staging if needed.
Record a final video audition and submit to the final question on the OCYS/E audition application.

Enjoy the audition process. Best of luck to you in your musical endeavors!

2023-24 AUDITION FLYER

Audition Scale(s) and Excerpt(s)

Musical excerpts and scales are posted for each instrument below. Music does not need to be memorized.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions regarding our OCYS/E Audition Process? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions below:

Excerpt Preparation: Listen to a recording of the required excerpts. This will assist you to understand the excerpt, tempos, style, and emotional intent.

What Judges Listen For: Musical maturity, note and rhythmic accuracy, articulation dynamics, and expression.

Attire: Dress in professional but comfortable playing attire.

Video Setting: Check the lighting and surroundings in your room. A blank wall with limited distractions is best. Check the placement of your camera with lighting behind the camera and a full view of you in playing position.

Record a Test Run: Good sound, lighting, and positioning of your full playing position?

Record the Audition – Enjoy

Please follow the following procedure while recording your audition video:

State your name, age, and year in school (as of Fall 2023).
Perform audition excerpts in order as outlined in the audition information. Scale(s) first and excerpt(s) second.
Create your live, continuous, unaccompanied audition video in one sitting. Videos should NOT be edited.
Students should upload their video to their home Google Drive account or to a private YouTube account. Please do not use school accounts.
Ensure privacy settings are set so that the judges can view your video.
Copy the share link to the video and authorize permission to view.
Paste the link into your audition application. It will be the final question on the application, entitled ‘Audition Link.’

Results will be emailed to the email you have listed on this application by the end of June. Please set your email client and/or spam filter to accept any email from the e-domain @philharmonicsociety.org. Otherwise, you might miss crucial information.

In-person audition callbacks for Concert Master and/or Principals may be scheduled in August.

Final seating/adjustments will be determined at the first rehearsal.

Orange County Youth Symphony and String Ensemble

AUDITION INFORMATION: 2023-2024 SEASON

Audition Scale(s) and Excerpt(s)

Frequently Asked Questions