WCPSS Orchestra Festival

All-County Orchestra 2025-2026

Wake County Public School System - Orchestra

Overview: 

As the Orchestra Directors of the Wake County Public School System, we hope to create valuable and attainable musical experiences for the young musicians within our orchestra programs.  We see great value in creating and promoting an All-County Orchestra experience for our students.  Below key information your students will need in order to audition for one of the All-County Orchestra ensembles.  Students must use the music provided to them from their teacher for the audition and are only allowed to audition for one ensemble.

Event Dates:

• Audition Dates: 

  • November 21, 2025 - Audition Video Submissions Due

  • December 12, 2025 - Judging Completed/Results Communicated with Teachers

• Event Date: January 26, 2026

  • Location: Enloe Magnet High School

  • Rehearsal Time: 8:00am-4:00pm

  • Concert Time: 7:00pm

Clinic Ensemble Details:

• All-County Philharmonic Orchestra 

  • The All-County Philharmonic Orchestra will be the most advanced group.  The clinicians will be asked to program music with difficulty of grade 4-5.  Students will earn a spot by audition.  Seating will be determined by their audition submission.  Violins that receive an odd ranking will be first violins and all even ranking violins will be second violins, this will help distribute ability level evenly across the violin sections.

• All-County Chamber Orchestra 

  • The All-County Chamber Orchestra will be the next most advanced group.  The clinicians will be asked to program music with difficulty of grade 3-4.  Depending on how students audition, the clinician might be asked to program music around the grade 2 level. This group is expected to accommodate advanced middle school students and intermediate high school students.  Students will earn a spot by audition.  Seating will be determined by their audition submission.  Violins that receive an odd ranking will be first violins and all even ranking violins will be second violins, this will help distribute ability level evenly across the violin sections.

• All-County Orchestra Ensemble

  • The All-County Orchestra Ensemble will not require a formal audition as the groups above, but students will submit a video of the audition excerpt in order to determine seating.  All students who submit a video, will earn a spot in this ensemble.  This group is expected to accommodate beginning students or students that may have only 1-2 years of experience.  We believe this will be a great way to incorporate the elementary students as well as middle school students who may not be ready to perform at the grade 3-4 level.  The clinician for this group will be asked to stay around the 1-2 grade level for the music they program.

See back for audition requirements.

Audition Requirements:

• Philharmonic Orchestra: 

  • Violin: G Major Scale 3-octaves, G Melodic Minor Scale 3-octaves, Concerto No. 23 in G Major, 1st mvt, solo entrance to first tutti, Viotti

  • Viola: C Major Scale 3-Octaves, C Melodic Minor Scale 3-octaves, Viola Concerto, 1st and 2nd mvts, Telemann- The edition used must include the treble clef passage at the end of the  2nd mvt.

  • Cello: C Major Scale 3-Octaves, C Melodic Minor Scale 3-octaves, Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1, Courante, J. S. Bach

  • Bass: G Major Scale 2-Octaves, G Melodic Minor Scale 2-octaves, Etude No. 17, from 30 Etudes for the String Bass Player, Simandl

• Chamber Orchestra: 

  • Violin: G Major Scale 2-octaves, G Melodic Minor Scale 1-octave, Petite Bouree

  • Viola: C Major Scale 2-Octaves, C Melodic Minor Scale 1-octave, Petite Bouree

  • Cello: C Major Scale 2-Octaves, C Melodic Minor Scale 1-octave, Petite Bouree

  • Bass: G Major Scale 2-octaves, G Melodic Minor Scale 1-octave, Petite Bouree

• Ensemble Orchestra Seating Placement Requirements:

  • All instruments will perform a one-octave, D major scale and arpeggio.