Call for auditions: SA Youth Orchestra

Applicants will be advised on dates as soon as possible and the deadline for applications is 23 February. Applications are now open and can be completed online on the official website.

Requirements:

• A non-refundable application fee of R50 is charged to each applicant to cover administration and processing costs.
• Only one application fee is required, regardless of how many programmes you wish to apply for or how many instruments you apply on.
• Candidates should prepare a solo piece and a study of their choice to demonstrate their standard and fluency on their instrument.
• Programmes (both study and piece together) should not exceed 4 minutes in length. Cuts can be made within the time limit.

No late applications or auditions will be accepted and accompanists are not allowed.

Candidates who are not available for the auditions may submit their own recordings on condition that they follow the recorded audition procedure. Own auditions are not encouraged, and the National Youth Orchestra does not pay for the recording. Participants need to get permission from the National Youth Orchestra Artistic Committee to send your ‘own audition’ to team@sanyo.org.za

Who is eligible?

Young musicians wishing to apply must:

• Play an orchestral instrument
• Be of at least Grade 7 music level (UNISA, ABRSM, Trinity)
• Be 25 years old or younger in 2018
• Be a resident of South Africa
• International applicants should include their passport numbers. There are limited seats for candidates from Namibia, Malawi, Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana and Zimbabwe

Here are the audition guidelines and FAQs.

In order to qualify for a National Youth Orchestra course, participants need to:

• Meet the eligibility criteria as specified for each programme
• Make themselves available for the full period listed for each course 


Instruments

Participants may audition on the following instruments: flute, piccolo, oboe, English horn, clarinet, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon, saxophone (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone), French horn, trumpet, tenor trombone, bass trombone, tuba, euphonium, percussion, timpani, harp, violin, viola, cello and double bass.

Wind instrument candidates are encouraged to also audition on their respective doubling instruments: piccolo, English horn, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet and contrabassoon.

Participants will notified if they have been accepted for National Youth Orchestra courses and related programmes by email, SMS or post.

If you have not yet received notice, please email team@sanyo.org.za.

Formed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Sir James Galway, Sir Roger Norrington, Barbara Hendricks and Judith Sephuma, this year’s orchestra will get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to take part in a side-by-side, five-day interaction with the Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra – a first major US orchestra to tour the country with its internationally acclaimed Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä.

Click here for more information about this call.