Fall Seating Auditions University Symphony Orchestra

All students who are registered for orchestra, or who would like to participate in orchestra, must play an audition for seating. If you are a new student, and you auditioned in the spring, please note that this audition is different from the audition that you had for admission and scholarship! These auditions will take place immediately before classes start and on the first day of classes.

Students do not need to be music majors to participate in orchestra. The University Symphony Orchestra welcomes students from all disciplines, who play an orchestral instrument, to audition. Rehearsals are MWF from 2-2:50 p.m. for full orchestra. String players have an additional sectional on Thursdays from 2-2:50 p.m. The USO gives approximately four concerts per year.

Auditions will be held each year will be held on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the weekend before classes start. You should sign up for a time on one of these days. Make-up auditions will be scheduled on Monday, and audition results will be posted on Tuesday. The first full orchestra rehearsal will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 27.

To sign up for an audition, go to the George and Boyce Billingsley Music Building and sign up on the list that is posted on Dr. Robert Mueller’s door, Room 238. Do not email Mueller asking for an audition time. If you can’t get there in person, have a friend sign you up.

There are four components to the audition:

1. A 5-minute selection from the solo repertoire that represents your best playing.
2. A major scale and a minor scale of your choice.
3. Two orchestra excerpts. These are available on the Eastern Music Festival website. Go to the website and select two contrasting excerpts for your instrument to prepare for the audition.  Each instrument listed on the website has a choice of 4 or 5 from which to select.
   
4. Sight reading

You must come by Mueller’s office (MB 238) to sign up for an audition time.

Students who are interested in joining orchestra in the spring semester only should email Robert Mueller at mueller@uark.edu in November to set up an audition time for spring seating.