1. What determines a successful audition
2. What happens at the typical orchestral audition in the USA
3. Preparing excerpts for orchestral auditions
4. Preparing yourself for orchestral auditions
5. A final audition thought

If your goal is to play in an orchestra you must prepare for orchestral auditions as a student. Besides pondering the ideas presented below (ideas based on my own audition and performance preparation, hearing auditions as an orchestral player, and on my teaching) to guide your practice see also the Orchestral Excerpt Checklist.

1. What determines a successful audition

A successful audition is more than hitting the notes. What one presents to listeners in any performance or audition is a package. One element of this package for an audition is potential, and in a school audition potential could be defined differently than in a professional audition. For the professional, the audition committee is not hiring based on what potential for progress they estimate the candidate has; instead, it is a question of the potential to keep playing on the same high level or better for many years. In a school audition the committee is trying to estimate potential for progress as an element of the package, but also in relation to where the applicant is now, i.e., for their age. In either type of audition one hopes to successfully minimize the red flags and to hit the total package as well as possible.

In a successful audition a horn player above all makes music, with an effortlessness that indicates that they know their scales and they know how to make rhythm flow properly. The sound is a good, centered, and full sound and they sound and look relaxed as they play on pitch. Melodies are sung on the horn with good control and dynamic contrast. There is a personality shown both in the music and outside the music. By actions they show that they are focused on the goal of playing the horn well and they show potential to reach and maintain this goal. Beyond that, they show that they are making the most of the musical situation they are currently in.

In an unsuccessful audition, in contrast, a horn player demonstrates above all an ability to play the notes only, if that--perhaps even miss many notes. The music is not effortless sounding and would indicate that they do not know their scales or have not learned them well enough. Rhythm is unsteady and would not fit with a metronome; sound is only so-so and not centered, and they look and sound tight. In terms of pitch they get sharp in high range, are always sharp, or are sharp here and there—the tuner is not their friend. Musically they just play the notes, all at very nearly the same volume with either no personality or a quirky personality. By actions they show a lack of focus or unrealistic dreams of greatness, with no foundation of hard work evident. Finally, they show little proof that they are making the most of their current musical situation.

As in all of life, horn players have many choices. To a large extent, the ability to play the horn well is based on hard work and building the musical package block by block over many years. 

2. What happens at the typical orchestral audition in the USA

Usually, major and regional orchestra positions in the USA are advertised in The International Musician, the newspaper of the American Federation of Musicians. If interested in a position, one writes to the orchestra advertising an opening, sending a one page resume and a short cover letter. Based on the resume they may invite you to audition, or they may request a recording, although today this practice seems to be less common. Hopefully you won’t receive the “discouraging letter” that most orchestras send out to applicants from time to time.

Be sure to send a very well polished resume. Get feedback from a teacher or colleague who has been through the audition process before it is sent out. Think about the fact that the committee probably does not know you at all and soon will be reading your resume forwards, backwards, and sideways trying to get a sense of who you are, where you have been, what kind of colleague you might be in the future, etc. Be clear and honest with everything in the resume, as the committee can tell if it seems padded or like you are stretching the truth. It seems like this should not be the case but a well written, honest resume can certainly tip the balance between two otherwise acceptable candidates. A good resume is a good sign for the committee, saying to them clearly that you are a professional that can do this job well if given the chance.

Prepare the full audition list carefully. On the audition day, anywhere from perhaps 50 to well over 100 people may attend the audition. It will be divided into several rounds, most commonly three. The first and second rounds will usually be behind a screen, depending on local union contract specifics. For the second round, perhaps 12 people will be invited to stay. The finals usually do not see over 5 candidates left from the playing day. Ideally, a winner will be chosen that day based on how well the candidates play. Certainly every audition committee hopes to hire someone; they really don’t want to go through the process more often than absolutely necessary.

Depending on the contractual situation of the orchestra, the winner, after being hired by the orchestra, is normally offered tenure in their position after one or two seasons--if they are satisfied with not only their playing but also with how they fit into the orchestra and the horn section as a colleague. 

3. Preparing excerpts for orchestral auditions

There are three basic areas to work on in the preparation of orchestral excerpts. They are:

1. Rhythm
2. Rhythm
3. Rhythm

Seriously, there are several things to watch carefully in excerpt preparation.

Rhythm is one of the main stumbling blocks with excerpts and solos at auditions. Many if not most candidates that are dismissed in an early round at professional auditions are dismissed because of faulty rhythm. Rhythm must be perfect!! Audition preparation must include preparation with a metronome and recording yourself to analyze carefully if the rhythm is correct. An audition committee can typically forgive small flubs of notes, at least in the early rounds--if the rhythm is right on the money. If the rhythm is off however one won't advance even if the notes are perfect. A rhythm problem is seen as being a problem that the candidate is probably not aware of and can't fix. In addition to things like triplety dotted eighth/sixteenth figures, I find myself frequently talking to students about "hidden" rhythm problems around the rests and breathing points. Many excerpts must be quite metronomic, and even excerpts in freer tempi must have the right flow. Check rhythm very carefully.

Closely related to rhythm is tempo. This must be right. Tempos vary somewhat between conductors, but by listening to several recordings and consulting with teachers one can come up with a pretty standard tempo that sounds "right."

Finally, we have style to consider. Dynamics are an element of this--the overall volume must sound realistic. Tone is another part--one must play with the kind of tone appropriate for the literature. Musical lines and phrases are the final main element--they must sound "right."

The goal is to play in a manner that it sounds like your horn playing will fit in with the orchestra perfectly and will be comfortable and easy for the current members to play with as well.

I did not yet mention intonation or accuracy. These are assumed to be there from the preparation for the audition. At the least the people on the audition committee have a very strong sense of pitch or they would not be where they are; be aware that someone on the audition committee may actually be watching a tuner to check the accuracy of pitch. It really must be in tune; don't take it for granted that you have good intonation if it is working well in the ensembles that you usually play in, as it is not uncommon for pitch to rise as one plays without the pitch reference of other players in an ensemble situation. Make a recording of the excerpts and listen to it with tuner in hand. What are the tendencies? Observe and work them out.

As for accuracy, work the pieces out well and trust that the notes are there. Primarily go for the style and make music. The notes will happen. Trust yourself.

Besides the excerpts, be sure, very sure, that the solo is great. Many players get so keyed up about their excerpts that the solo (most commonly Strauss 1 or Mozart 2 or 4 are requested) sounds like they have not worked on it seriously since they took it to contest in high school; it is performed at some sort of deep “default mode” instead of at a polished level equal to that of the excerpts. Commonly the solo is the first thing requested at professional auditions, so you want to get off to a good start. Play a great solo with great phrases, style, rhythm, and intonation.

4. Preparing yourself for orchestral auditions

As I took auditions--over 25 professional auditions!--I developed a routine for audition preparation. The key is aiming to peak at the audition. While I will describe below my routine for an orchestral audition (adapted from ideas initially presented to me by Eli Epstein, second hornist of the Cleveland Orchestra), there is no reason that one could not adapt the same plan for recital, solo concerto, or jury preparation as well.

In the weeks before an audition I would cycle through the solo and the excerpts alphabetically, focusing somewhat on the spots I expected to most likely be asked but not ignoring anything, aiming for three practice or performance sessions a day. I viewed this time as a period when I was in training, like an athlete, and I tried to also exercise and get plenty of sleep. Recording myself was also a must; I wanted to know what my tendencies were and I was very aware to try not to do them. Instead of mock auditions (something I do certainly recommend) I personally relied before auditions on lessons with several teachers, gaining from this varied, honest feedback on what I was working on. Playing the same excerpts for three or four teachers can be very helpful, if one already has them ready to bring to a fine polish.

Two days before the audition was always my last regular practice day. By that point my feeling is one simply knows the music as well as one ever will. The next day I would sift gears and do things I enjoyed. I have long been interested in the hobby of model railroading; I saved model railroad magazines to read that day and during breaks at the audition. The day before an audition I would not practice more than an hour, just warm up well and touch spots. It is a rest day, and I did not want to overplay--the goal is lots of chops the next day. Get plenty of rest. If you see long lost friends at the hotel, set up a time to talk with them after the audition. And don't practice Ein Heldenleben in the parking garage! Resting is a part of being in training.

The day of the audition I would do no more playing than needed to warm up well before the first round, hopefully with no long gap of time between warming up and playing the first round. I felt that when I followed this basic method I would have lots of chops that day when they were needed. For me careful preparation and knowing I have plenty of chops helps a great deal in relation to confidence and nerves. In contrast, if one gets little rest and then overplays the day of an audition, warming up furiously for three hours the morning of an audition, one simply won't have chops and as a result will certainly have plenty of reason to feel nervous.

Be ready to “zone out” quietly when waiting to play in spite of the folks practicing furiously next door and sounding great. So often these players peak in the practice room. The idea is to set up your day to peak on the stage. Relax when you can relax and go for it when it counts.

Mental preparation is also a very critical element. In my own audition taking I read and reread the now classic Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey many times. I still like the Gallwey book a lot, and there are other, newer resources that are well worth reading as a part of the process of focusing in toward any audition.

5. A final audition thought

While many strive to be the best, I would instead suggest striving to be your best. It is perhaps a subtle difference, but striving to be your best looks simply to do the best that you can do in any situation with your God-given abilities. Striving to be the best on the other hand invokes a sense of comparison that is irrelevant to actually doing your best job. Our heightened sense of our own shortcomings can also get very much in the way and, besides, there is always someone better than you out there in some way. Let others make their own comparisons and just aim to do your best in every situation.

This thought especially relates to performances and auditions. It is very helpful to take an audition and to really be ranked as to how you perform--you will gain perspective as to how good you really are and will also certainly see areas to work on--but it is really out of your hands as to what others will think of your playing. Don't live or die by those rankings. Just strive to do your best.

Copyright John Ericson. All rights reserved.

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