MARIN SYMPHONY YOUTH PROGRAMS 2024-25 SEASON
We hope you’ll join us in your musical journey!
Youth ensemble annual auditions occur each September, with an option to audition mid-year in January.
OVERTURE STRING ENSEMBLE
TUITION: Overture $750 (full year)
REHEARSALS: Sundays, 11:30 – 12:45pm
LOCATION: College of Marin, Kentfield; Room PA 75
Program Requirements:
Ages 8-13. Must study privately with a teacher on your orchestral instrument. Click Here for a List of Qualified Private Teachers. We strongly encourage all of our students to participate in their school music programs.
Eligibility guidelines for Overture are:
-Completion of at least one year of study on violin, viola, cello or bass with a private teacher and/or in a school music program. Players must have begun studies with a private teacher on their orchestral instrument by the first rehearsal.
-Proficiency in reading rhythmic values from whole to eighth notes and rests.
-A basic understanding of accidentals and key signatures and their effect on fingerings.
-Some knowledge of shifting is helpful but not necessary.
Audition Requirements:
In the performance of your solo and excerpts, please skip over rests longer than 2 measures. Count rests less than 2 measures.
1. Scales (do not need to be memorized):
• One major scale in as many octaves as the player is comfortable, followed by the arpeggio.
• One melodic minor scale in as many octaves as comfortable, followed by the arpeggio.
2. Solo piece:
• One solo piece of your choice representing your current abilities, approximately 2-4 minutes in length, unaccompanied. Cuts can be made to include contrasting sections, or play through until the allotted time.
3. Required excerpts:
• Click here for Overture excerpts. String players please follow all bowings that are marked on the music. Your attention to bow direction, use, speed, and technique will count toward your audition results.
4. Sight reading:
• Players will be asked to play a short, simple sight reading excerpt. Sight reading ability will not be a factor considered for entrance into the orchestra but may be a consideration for placement within each section.
CRESCENDO ORCHESTRA
TUITION: Crescendo $850 (full year)
REHEARSALS: Sundays, 1:00 – 2:40pm
LOCATION: College of Marin, Kentfield; Room PA 75
Program Requirements:
Ages 10-17. Must study privately with a teacher on your orchestral instrument. Players must have begun studies with a private teacher on their orchestral instrument by the first rehearsal. Click Here for a List of Qualified Private Teachers. We strongly encourage all of our students to participate in their school music programs.
Audition Requirements:
In the performance of your solo and excerpts, please skip over rests longer than 2 measures. Count rests less than 2 measures.
1. Scales (do not need to be memorized):
• One major scale in as many octaves as the player is comfortable, followed by the arpeggio.
• One melodic minor scale in as many octaves as comfortable, followed by the arpeggio.
2. Solo piece:
• One solo piece of your choice representing your current abilities, approximately 2-4 minutes in length, unaccompanied. Cuts can be made to include contrasting sections, or play through until the allotted time.
3. Required excerpts:
• Click here for Crescendo excerpts. String players please follow all bowings that are marked on the music. Your attention to bow direction, use, speed, and technique will count toward your audition results.
4. Sight reading:
• Players will be asked to play a short, simple sight reading excerpt. Sight reading ability will not be a factor considered for entrance into the orchestra but may be a consideration for placement within each section.
MARIN SYMPHONY YOUTH ORCHESTRA
TUITION: MSYO $900 (full year)
REHEARSALS: Sundays, 3:00 – 6:00pm
LOCATION: College of Marin, Kentfield; Room PA 75
2024-25 is the MSYO Austrian Tour! Note: Everyone enrolled in MSYO will be expected to participate. Cost is $5323 per person. Financial aid is available (click here for scholarships).
Click here for MSYO Repertoire, Schedule, Important Dates, and Audition Procedures.
Program Requirements:
Ages 13-18. Must study privately with a teacher on your orchestral instrument. Click Here for a List of Qualified Private Teachers. We encourage all of our students to participate in their school music programs. Most members in the orchestra have been playing their instrument for four years or longer. Students are required to set aside time outside of rehearsals to learn their music and are strongly urged to work on their parts with private teachers at their teachers’ convenience.
Audition Requirements:
Each audition will go in this order: 1) solo 2) excerpts 3) scales and arpeggios.
All excerpts must be performed with the metronome, following the markings given below. Students should bring their own metronome to the audition. Multi-measure rests in excerpts: for 4 or fewer measures, count the rests while the metronome plays; for 5 or more measures, it’s ok to skip to the next passage.
1. Solo piece:
• One solo piece of your choice representing your current abilities, approximately 3-5 minutes in length, unaccompanied. Cuts can be made to include contrasting sections, or play through until the allotted time.
2. Required excerpts:
• Click here for MSYO excerpts. String players please follow all bowings that are marked on the music. Your attention to bow direction, use, speed, and technique will count toward your audition results.
All violinists will play excerpts 1 and 2. Those auditioning for the front of the seconds will play excerpts 1, 2, and 3. Those auditioning for the front of the firsts will play all 5 excerpts. Note on Tchaikovsky parts: use version B on IMSLP, which is the 8-movement version.
Tempos for excerpts:
Beethoven I: quarter = 116
Rossini introduction (mm. 1-24): eighth = 96
Rossini Allegro (mm. 25-224): half = 88
Rossini coda (mm. 225-end): half = 116
Ravel: quarter = 56
Tchaikovsky mvmt. 1 (Scène): quarter = 80 Tchaikovsky mvmt. 2 (Waltz):
dotted half = 76 Tchaikovsky mvmt. 6 (Danse espagnole): quarter = 130
Tchaikovsky mvmt. 8 (Mazurka): quarter = 170
3. Scales:
• All non-percussion instrumentalists will play the following concert-key scales and arpeggios ascending and descending for at least one octave:
– F major
– E major
– F# melodic minor
The number of octaves, articulation, speed, and vibrato are left to the discretion of the student and their private teacher. Scales will be graded primarily on intonation and tone quality. That said, students demonstrating fluency with speed and range will earn extra credit, provided intonation and tone quality remain at a high standard.
Contact Andrei Gorchov, Youth Programs Administrator at 415.479.8105 or education@marinsymphony.org.
Marin Symphony Youth Programs
c/o The Marin Symphony
4340 Redwood Highway, Suite 409c
San Rafael, CA 94903
Phone: 415.479.8105