Last Update: 2023-05-27

PYS Auditions:

Auditions for orchestra membership in the 2023-2024 season are being planned for Saturday, August 26th and Sunday, August 27th, 2023 (one weekend prior to Labor Day weekend)

We plan to begin rehearsals on the Sunday AFTER Labor Day, Sunday, September 10th, 2024 . Any change in the audition weekend or rehearsals due to unavailability of the facility will be communicated on this web site and also via email to registrants. If you are interested in auditioning for an orchestra, please submit the online registration form below. You will receive notice of your assigned audition day and time by mail, approximately one week prior to your audition.

Please come prepared to pay the $25 audition fee at the auditions sign-in table. Audition fees are used to help defray the specific costs of renting the facility and paying the adjudicators for the audition weekend. They are non-refundable, but will be credited toward the student's fees for the season if the student joins one of our orchestras.

In recent years, we have been assigning auditions in blocks according to instrument and orchestra...

  • Auditions for Symphonic Strings violins have been scheduled on the Saturday morning.
  • Auditions for Pinellas Youth Philharmonic violins have been scheduled on the Saturday afternoon, extending into the early evening.
  • Auditions for Pinellas Youth Symphony violins have been scheduled on the Sunday afternoon, extending into the early evening.
  • Auditions for violas, cellos, and bass viols, for all three orchestras, are scheduled for the early afternoons, but whether their blocks are scheduled on Saturday or Sunday varies from year to year based on the numbers of students auditioning.
  • Auditions for all brass and woodwind players have been scheduled on the Saturday morning, extending as far into the afternoon as needed.
  • Auditions for percussionists typically are set for early afternoon on one of the first rehearsal days, rather than the same day as the other instruments are auditioning.

    Students are strongly encouraged to participate in their school music programs where available and encouraged to seek private instruction. Study of assigned music and practice outside of rehearsal insures the advancement of the orchestra as a whole during rehearsal time.

    Click here for the Online Audition Registration Form

    Directions For Playing Excerpts Posted On This Website:
    You will be asked to play from the audition requirements below and in addition you will be expected to perform excerpt(s) as appropriate for your instrument. It is suggested that you look at the music listed for your instrument and play the excerpt(s) that are most challenging for you. Also be aware you may be asked to perform an excerpt or two directly below the level of your chosen excerpt(s).

    You must be prepared to play all of the specified requirements when auditioning. Please understand that the adjudicators may choose to omit some items during the actual audition.

    Click here to find the excerpts

    Follow this link to read the Audition Requirements in PDF format

    AUDITION REQUIREMENTS
    2023 / 2024 Season

    ORCHESTRA LEVEL:

    		 Introductory Intermediate Advanced
    Includes… Includes… Includes…
    Symphonic Strings Pinellas Youth Philharmonic Pinellas Youth Symphony
    &     Serenade Strings
           

    SOLOS:

    		 A  1 minute solo or etude of your choice One solo at least 2 minutes in length, or the All-State Lyrical Excercise. One solo at least 2 minutes in length, or both the Lyrical and Technical All-State Excercises.
      NOTE: Solos are unaccompanied.
    SCALES: For Strings

    C, D and F - 1 octave  G - 2 octaves

    Quarter note = 60-120 The 9 Major Scales & Arpeggios from 4b through 4#, 2 octaves (Bass: E, F, and G - 2 octaves, all others 1 octave

    Quarter note = 72-120 The 9 Major Scales & Arpeggios from 4b through 4#, 3 octaves (Bass: E, F, and G - 3 octaves, all others 2 octaves)
    For Woodwinds and Brass

    N/A

    Quarter note = 60-120 These 7 Major Scales & Arpeggios: concert G,C,F,Bb,Eb,Ab,Db; 2 octaves when practical. Chromatic scale by memory.

    Quarter note = 72-120 The 12 Major Scales & Arpeggios. Chromatic scale by memory - quarter note = 88.
           

    SIGHT READING:

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes
           

    PYS EXCERPTS:
     download from the PYS website  www.pysmusic.org

    No

    Yes

    Yes
           
    PERCUSSION AUDITION REQUIREMENTS:

    Snare Drum:

    Prepared piece or etude of student's choice, examples of which may be found in Whaley Fundamental Studies for Snare Drum, Whaley Musical Studies for the Intermediate Snare Drummer, or Goldenberg Modern School for the Snare Drum.

    Keyboard Percussion:

    Major scales,  one octave.  Student will play  several  scales of their choice after which the adjudicator may ask for several more.

    Timpani:

    The  Adjudicator  will  sound  several  notes on a pitch source and ask the  student to  tune them  on the Timpani.  The  student  will play an an etude or orchestral excerpt for two timpani, without tuning changes, examples of which may be found in the Whaley Fundamental Studies for Timpani, Whaley Primary Handbook for Timpani, or Goodman Modern Method for Timpani.

    Note:

    Students may substitute a prepared  piece on keyboard percussion or timpani  for  the  prepared   piece  on  snare  drum.  In  this  case  the adjudicator  may  ask them  to sight read  a  brief  snare  drum  etude similar to the examples listed above.