This page outlines our audition requirements, including guidance for recording and submitting your audition video.
Audition Requirements
If you are a new member, or did not join us in 2024, to audition for the National School Symphony Orchestra courses in 2025, we ask that you:
- EITHER attend our free in-person audition day at Malvern College on Sunday 2nd November. You will be asked to select a timeslot when you complete your application form.
- OR send us a continuous, unedited video, as follows:
- For Philharmonic and Sinfonia applicants: two contrasting pieces of approximately 4-5 minutes each in length, with or without accompaniment.
- For Academy applicants: two contrasting pieces of approximately 2-3 minutes each in length, with or without accompaniment.
Don’t worry if your video is a little bit longer or shorter than the guidelines above. Full instructions on where/how to upload your videos will be provided by email once your application is confirmed.
If you are a returning member, you do not need to re-audition. However if you wish to apply to play in a different orchestra from the one you previously played with, we ask that you submit a recent video recording (taken within the last 3 months) of you playing your instrument.
Audition process
Once we have confirmed a place is available and you have paid your deposit, we will email you with instructions of how to submit your video audition. We aim to confirm audition results within 2 weeks of submission, but at busy times of the year this may take longer.
If, having submitted your audition, you are not offered a place, you will be refunded your deposit.
Guidelines
That all seems simple enough! But, here are a few guidelines to help you make the best possible recording, in order to do justice to your application.
Preparation:
- Most smartphones, tablets and laptops will be suitable for making the recording.
- You can film in landscape or portrait format, but make sure that you are central to the picture – avoid very wide shots with lots of background and you as a small dot in the middle! Take care, too, not to film yourself close to a bright light source.
- Make sure that you tune your instrument properly before you start recording.
- Once you start the recording you should not stop it until the end of the audition. The video must not be edited in any way before you submit it.
Performance:
- If the composer wrote an accompaniment (e.g. piano) you should perform with it; you can use a backing track if you have one.
- Announce the name of the composer and the title of the work before each of the two pieces.
Checking You’re Happy:
- When you have finished everything, check that you are happy with your performance and the quality of the recording before submitting it for the audition.
- In assessing your recording we are looking for your personal musical qualities – technical achievement and expressive understanding – not the production values of the recording.
Technical Criteria
Before submitting your audition video, please check your video complies with the information below:
- Ensure the file is no bigger than 2GB in size.
- The file format should be one of the following: .MP4, .MOV, .WMV or .MPG.
- The video file name should contain the first and last name of the player auditioning and the instrument. E.g. John-Smith-Violin.MP4
Submit Your Audition
We will confirm the arrangements for uploading your video once a place is confirmed and your deposit is paid. Please do NOT email videos to us as the file size will clog up our mail server!