Join RSYO

The RSYO is still accepting auditions for the 2024/25 Season:

Please fill out the Audition Interest Form to be contacted for audition times.

For additional questions, email Education and Community Engagement Director Blakeley Menghini at bmenghini@rockfordsymphony.com

Auditions will take place in the Rockford Symphony Offices:
711 N. Main St, Rockford IL 61103

Auditions are accepted on the following instruments:

Flute/Piccolo
Oboe/English Horn
Clarinet/Bass Clarinet
Bassoon/Contrabassoon
French Horn

Trumpet
Trombone
Tuba
Percussion (all instruments)
Harp

Violin
Viola
Cello
Bass

Audition Guidelines

The RSYO is an advanced ensemble intended for young musicians who have been playing for a minimum of three years. The typical RSYO member has been playing for five years or more, and is taking private lessons on the instrument that they play in the orchestra.

Each audition will last approximately 10 minutes.

Musicians will be asked to play:
1) Two contrasting solo pieces (concerto movement, etude, etc.) of 3-5 minutes length.  One piece should be fast and demonstrate virtuosity and technical skill, the other should be slower to show the applicant’s musicality and quality of tone.
2) Scales— from memory preferred—  Major and minor 0-4 flats and sharps, plus chromatic scale.  At least two octaves, 3 preferred.
3) Sight-reading- will be provided.

Auditions are judged according to six categories:  Musicality, Intonation, Technique, Tone Quality, Scales, and Sight-reading.

Additional Audition Criteria

Strings

Violin: Demonstrate shifting ability through fifth position.
Viola: Demonstrate shifting ability through third position, comfort reading treble clef.
Cello: Be familiar with tenor, bass and treble clef, have some introduction to thumb position, and shifting through sixth position.
Bass: Be familiar with positions up through fourth, up to the half string harmonic.

Woodwinds

Flute: Ability to double on piccolo.
Oboe: Ability to double on English Horn.
Clarinet: Comfort with transposition (A, C clarinets, etc.); ability to double bass clarinet.
Bassoon: Comfort reading tenor clef.

Brass

French Horn and Trumpet: ability to transpose at sight from original-key parts.
Trombone: comfort reading tenor clef.

Percussion

Comfort with a variety of instruments, including mallet keyboard instruments, snare drum, crash cymbals, and timpani, including tuning.