Youth Orchestra
Peter Zlotnick, Music Director
Ensemble Description
Youth Orchestra is a challenging, collaborative, and creative environment for advanced orchestral playing. Youth Orchestra is open to woodwind, brass, percussion, and string players up through grade 12. Youth Orchestra performs standard and contemporary orchestral repertoire in concert in Greensboro, and features additional projects such as tours, recordings, and other special events. Tuition is $300 per year with additional cost in years with tours; scholarships are available for both merit and financial need.
Prospective Youth Orchestra members:
– demonstrate musical responsibility and dedication to prepare challenging music outside of rehearsal.
– demonstrate technical ability to play at the level of repertoire on recent Youth Orchestra concert programs - linked here
– have substantial experience playing and reading music in a variety of meters, keys, and tonalities.
– are in good standing with their school’s band or orchestra program.
String players:
– play three octave scales.
– demonstrate knowledge of bow strokes used in standard repertoire.
– read all clefs for their instrument found in standard repertoire, including tenor and treble clefs for cellos and treble clef for violists.
Woodwind and Brass players:
– learn and perform independent parts.
– read and play in keys, transpositions, and clefs applicable to their instrument in standard repertoire.
Percussionists:
– have experience on timpani, snare drum, keyboard percussion, and standard accessories.
Audition Requirements
Youth Orchestra auditions consist of a solo and two orchestral excerpts
Solo Requirement:
A solo (or movement) of your choice from standard concerto, sonata, or other concert repertoire. Please prepare your selected work/ movement in its entirety. The conductors will select a two- to three- minute section to hear in the audition.
Woodwinds: if you play an additional instrument such as piccolo, alto saxophone, English horn, or bass clarinet, please prepare a short solo and the additional excerpt for that instrument.
Percussion, keyboard, harp: please note that there is no solo requirement, but please prepare all of the assigned excerpts.
Excerpt Requirements are updated for the 2025-2026 season auditions.
Prepare the excerpts for your instrument, available via the following links. If you have any difficulty accessing the linked folders, please email us via education@greensborosymphony.org. Please consider the audition preparation recommendations, available here.
Flute Piccolo Oboe English Horn Clarinet Bass Clarinet Bassoon Saxophone