Auditions

Auditions are required for:

2024 Auditions

Auditions for orchestras and violin and cello choirs will be in-person and take place August 24 and 25. SignUp Genius links will be sent out only to the students planning to audition who are registered by August 12. Students may send an audition recording to be considered, however priority will go to in-person auditions if there are space limitations. Only in-person auditions will be considered for orchestra leadership and the DUSS Ciompi Quartet Collaborative. See our DCC webpage to view spots open for auditions this year.

All new and returning chamber students interested in playing in a chamber group will submit an assessment video following the same audition guidelines as for orchestras. When submitting your assessment video for chamber group placement, include Chamber audition, student name, and instrument in the email title. In the email body, include student's name, age, and previous chamber experience, including pieces previously played in the body of the email.

Leadership excerpts will be posted on the ensemble blogs no later than August 3rd.

Deadline for ensemble video submissions:  Thursday, August 22, 2024, 11:59pm.

Deadline for DUSS chamber music video submissions: Thursday, August 29, 2024, 11:59pm.

Audition Guidelines: Students wishing to move to the next ensemble, move up from violin 2 to violin 1, or play in the DUSS chamber music program or DUSS Ciompi Quartet Collaborative should follow the ensemble guidelines for piece and scale selection. Memorization of the selected scale and piece is preferred but not required. Priority for placement in an ensemble will to go in-person auditions if there are space limitations.

Students submitting an audition video should confirm their scale and piece selection with their teacher. Students working on lengthy solo pieces need only record a maximum of 5 minutes of the piece. Students with shorter pieces should record the entire piece.

Students wishing to audition for leadership (ISO, CSO, YS) in their current orchestra only need to prepare leadership excerpts posted on their ensemble's "news" pages, linked on each ensemble webpage. Students will be asked to play a scale, excerpts excerpts, and sight read in leadership auditions, but they do not need to play a solo piece.

Students wishing to audition for a new ensemble/section and leadership role should prepare the appropriate scale, piece, and leadership excerpts.

Videos submitted must be from recordings made between April 1, 2024 – August 24, 2024.

Please note that students are placed in ensembles based on their ability level, not their age.

There are 2 ways to submit a video:

1. Upload a scale and solo piece to YouTube and send the video link(s) to: dukestringschool@gmail.com. We recommend you make the video “unlisted” so that it is not public. Include the student’s full name, piece title, and what they are auditioning for in the email.
2. Upload the scale and solo piece to your own Google Drive Folder and share the folder with dukestringschool@gmail.com with “edit access." In the sharing settings, also mark down "anyone with link can access the video" so that teachers on different computers can view the video. Include the student’s full name, piece title, and what they are auditioning for in the shared Google Drive folder.

Note: Do not delete the video for 1 month so that we can have access to it. If you delete the video from your Google Drive, we will not be able to view it. You may receive multiple emails from teachers’ emails requesting permission to view the video.

Note: When submitting your assessment video for chamber group placement, include Chamber audition, student name, and instrument in the email title. In the email body, include student's name, age, and previous chamber experience, including pieces previously played in the body of the email.