Spring Audition Requirements for Prep Large Ensembles
Please review the specific audition requirements below for each audition type. Please note that repetoire requirements can vary by instrument and audition type.
Choruses
Children's Choruses
Includes Preparatory Chorus, Children's Chorus, and Chamber Chorus.
All new students are required to audition. Returning students wishing to change choruses are required to audition. Boys with changing voices should audition in the fall. Returning students who wish to remain in the same chorus do not need to audition.
The Children's Chorus auditions serve as a placement meeting. This gives the director a chance to meet students and recommend the appropriate level for children's chorus here at NEC. Each student will have an individual audition to determine the proper placement. Age and grade are taken into consideration for placement, but are not the main factors.
Requirements: Students should come prepared to sing one or two songs of their choice. No accompanist is required. Folk songs, Happy Birthday, or anything else the student is comfortable singing are all acceptable.
Young Women's Chorale
Grades 7-9 as of September 2018.
Only new students are required to audition. Returning students will receive invitations to return in June and can confirm their positions at that time.
Requirements: Prepare 2 pieces of your choice. Please bring a copy of the piano part for the accompanist who will be available for the audition. There will be sight-reading at the audition.
Youth Chorale & Camerata
Grades 9-12 as of September 2018.
Only new students are required to audition. Returning students will receive invitations to return in June and can confirm their positions at that time. Auditions for Camerata will be held in September 2018 for accepted Youth Chorale students who are interested.
Requirements: Prepare 2 pieces of your choice: one in English and one in a foreign language. Please bring a copy of the piano part for the accompanist who will be available for the audition. There will be sight-reading at the audition.
CI A Cappella
Ages 13-18 as of September 2018
Only new students are required to audition. Returning students will receive invitations to return in June and can confirm their positions at that time.
Requirements: Prepare 2 pieces of your choice. There will be sight-reading at the audition.
Wind Ensembles
Wind ensemble auditions include Sr. MYWE, Jr. MYWE, and MYWE Concert Band. Audition requirements are determined by grade level for the 18-19 academic year.
*MYWE Percussion Students: All percussion students interested in auditioning for the wind ensemble program should sign up for an Orchestra (Percussion) audition.
Grades 10-12
As of September 2018. New and returning students are required to audition.
Requirements: Students should prepare two contrasting pieces at the All-State level. Additionally, students should be prepared to play scales up to 4 flats and 4 sharps plus a chromatic scale. There may be sight-reading at the audition.
Grades 6-9
As of September 2018. New and returning students are required to audition.
Requirements: Students should prepare two contrasting pieces at the Junior District Level. Additionally, students should be prepared to play scales up to 3 flats and 3 sharps plus a chromatic scale. There may be sight-reading at the audition.
Jazz
Youth Jazz Orchestra
New and returning students are required to audition each year.
Requirements: Prepare two jazz pieces of any sort, including (but not limited to) a part you played in your school band or other ensemble (you should not play a ballade). Please bring extra copies of music for the rhythm section (piano, bass, and drums), who will be prepared to accompany the audition. There will be sight-reading at the audition. Students who have experience improvising should demonstrate that, but it is not a requirement.
Chamber Music Intensive Performance Seminar
New and returning students are required to audition each year.
Requirements: Prepare two contrasting pieces, or two contrasting movements from the same piece. Students are required to prepare the chamber music excerpts available below. Students will also be asked to complete the supplemental form available below before their audition.
CHIPS Audition Excerpts - Violin
CHIPS Audition Excerpts - Viola
CHIPS Audition Excerpts - Cello
Required Supplemental Audition Form - Chamber Music Intensive Performance Seminar
Orchestras & Baroque Ensembles
All new students are required to audition. Returning students are recommended to audition every spring. The orchestra audition requirements below are the same for both our main orchestra track and our baroque ensembles.
Note: Returning orchestra students currently playing in an NEC Prep orchestra can choose to NOT audition in the spring if they would like to return to the same ensemble in the fall. Please contact prep@necmusic.edu request to opt out of your spring audition and stay in your current ensemble.
String, Wind, Brass, and Harp Players
Prepare two solo works or two movements from the same work that represent contrasting styles. Students will also be asked to sight-read and should be prepared to play 2 scales of their choice (any mode, any key). Due to limited audition time, students may be stopped before the end of a piece.
Please keep in mind the following when selecting solo pieces:
- One piece should be a fast, technical piece
- One piece should be slower, more lyric
- Avoid cadenzas or cadenza style selections of a piece—it is better to present the exposition of any movement
MOST important is that you present your best playing and select works that you (in consultation with your private teacher) have prepared in advance of your audition. Audition pieces should be works the student knows well and that demonstrate his/her range of technical abilities and musicianship. Your private teacher can help determine and prepare appropriate pieces for the audition.
Optional: the following solo concerti are examples of repertoire for string players that are good for large ensemble auditions. This is a guideline of works to consider for the audition. These are NOT required.
- Violin — Mozart, Haydn
- Viola — Stamitz, Hoffmeister, Telemann
- Cello — Haydn, Boccherini
- Bass — Dittersdorf, Dragonetti, Bottesini
Students who wish to be considered for placement in the Senior Orchestras (Youth Symphony and Youth Philharmonic Orchestra) must also prepare the orchestral excerpts available at the end of this page.
Percussion
Students should prepare three pieces: one on timpani, one on snare, and one on mallets. Please note that when you sign up for the auditions online, you are only able to enter two pieces in the form, but percussion students should still be prepared to play three different pieces. Students who are interested in the senior orchestras (Youth Symphony and Youth Philharmonic Orchestra) should also prepare the orchestra excerpts listed at the end of this page.
Youth Philharmonic Orchestra Callbacks
This audition is an opportunity to play live for the YPO conductor. There are two ways to become eligible for a YPO audition. If you are a member of YS or have previously had a YPO audition, you will be automatically invited for a YPO audition. All other students must first take an orchestra audition, and then selected students will be advanced to this final round audition.
In addition to the standard orchestra audition requirements (two solos and scales), students are asked to prepare the senior orchestras audition excerpts below. We recommend that all students interested in either YS or YPO prepare these excerpts.
Senior Orchestra Excerpts
Please note that current YRO and YS members who would like to advance to a higher level orchestra are required to learn these excerpts.
Violin
Brahms – Symphony no. 2, mvt. 1: letter E to m. 136.
Beethoven – Symphony no. 3, mvt. 3: m. 1-69.
Viola
Beethoven – Symphony no. 5, mvt. 2: m. 1-10, m. 49-59, and m. 98-106.
Brahms – Symphony no. 2, mvt. 1: m. 204-224
Cello
Mendelssohn – Scherzo from Midsummer Night's Dream: letter N to letter O.
Beethoven – Symphony no. 5, mvt. 2: m. 1-10, m. 49-59, and m. 98-106.
Bass
Beethoven – Symphony no. 5, mvt. 3: Trio, m. 141 with pick-up m. 177 (without repeat)
Brahms – Symphony no. 4, mvt. 1: m. 55-80
Flute
Beethoven – Leonore Overture no. 3: m. 328-360.
Dvorak – Symphony no. 8, mvt. 4: letter D to letter E.
Piccolo
Rossini – Semiramide Overture: 5 after letter G (m. 132) to letter H (m. 143) and m. 321 to letter U
Oboe
Brahms – Symphony no. 1, mvt. 2: m. 38-43
Rossini – La Scala di Seta Overture: beginning to m. 53
Clarinet
Beethoven – Symphony no. 8, mvt. 3
Rimsky-Korsakov – Capriccio Espagnol, mvt. 3
Bassoon
Mozart – Symphony no. 40, mvt. 1: m. 114 to m. 134
Tchaikovsky – Symphony no. 6, mvt 1: m. 1-12
Horn
Brahms – Symphony no. 1, mvt. 2: m. 90-99
Beethoven – Symphony no. 3, mvt. 3: m. 167-19
Trumpet
Mussorgsky – Pictures at an Exhibition: beginning to three after Figure 5
Shostakovich – Symphony No. 5: mvt. 1: 1 measure before Figure 27 to 1 measure before Figure 29
Trombone
Rossini – La Gazza Ladra Overture: 2 measures after Letter F to m. 291
Wagner – Tannhäuser Overture: Letter A to Letter B
Bass Trombone
Berlioz – Hungarian March from Damnation of Faust: 1 before figure 4 through 3 before figure 5
Schumann – Symphony no. 3, mvt. 4: beginning to 13 after A
Tuba
Berlioz – Hungarian March from Damnation of Faust: 1 before figure 4 through 3 before figure 5
Wagner – Meistersinger Overture; Letter J to letter L
Harp
Berlioz – Symphonie fantastique, mvt. 2: m. 28-36, m. 54-66, and m. 274-302
Britten – Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra: Variation I, and Fugue from letter I to letter K
Percussion
Timpani
Beethoven – Symphony no. 1, mvt. 3 Menuetto
Tchaikovsky – Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture: E to F, N to O, U to the end
Xylophone
Kabalevsky – Colas Breugnon Overture: 36 to 42
Stravinsky – Firebird (ballet): 46 to 48 and 127 to 133