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Audition Requirements

All instruments are required to learn a solo and scales. Strings also have a sight reading component.

VIOLIN, VIOLA, CELLO, and BASS

Auditions for strings are in-person on January 17, 2026 at Hough High School. Students are responsible for the following components for a total of 120 points. The solo excerpt and major scale will be announced on the Tuesday before auditions.

Click here for the Scoring Rubrics that will be used by the judges - Audition Rubrics for Strings

Solo - 60 points
Scales - 30 points
Sight Reading - 30 points

2025-26 Solos

Students are responsible for learning the entire solo for their instrument linked below. An excerpt from the solo will be chosen an shared on this website four days before the audition. The solo does not need to be memorized and students may bring a printed copy of the music into the audition.

PLEASE NOTE: Students may use their choice of fingerings, but will be expected to follow the printed bowings in the solos linked below.

*Solos are on a 4 year rotation: Please see: Solo Rotation Document.

Sight Reading

The sight-reading selections will be 8 measures in length and grade IV in difficulty. New selections will be composed for auditions each year. Each student will be allowed a 30 second preview period to finger or air-bow but may not play their instrument. The judges will use a metronome to provide the correct tempo before the preparatory period begins, and again before the student begins to play. The metronome will not be used during the preparatory period or during the sight-reading performance. To view samples of past sight reading, visit this link: Past Sight Reading Samples

Scales and arpeggios

Students will play 2 scales with arpeggio: one will be chosen from the list below on the day of auditions by the judges, and the second is any melodic minor of the student's choice. Two melodic minor examples are shown on the sclae sheets below, but the student may pick any melodic minor. Students should perform all scales as sixteenth notes and arpeggios as triplets at a minimum tempo of quarter note = 50. Scales must be performed by memory. The tonic may be repeated in each octave. See below for acceptable bowing variations and scale sheets.

Violin: C, G, D, A, B-flat Major 3 octaves; F Major 2 octaves; any melodic minor of the student’s choice 3 octaves. Slur scales 4 notes per bow and arpeggios 3 notes per bow. Violin Scale Sheet

Viola: C, G, D, F Major 3 octaves; A, B-flat Major 2 octaves; any melodic minor of the student’s choice 3 octaves. Slur scales 4 notes per bow and arpeggios 3 notes per bow. Viola Scale Sheet

Cello: C, G, D, F Major 3 octaves; A, B-flat Major 2 octaves; any melodic minor of the student’s choice 3 octaves. Slur scales 4 notes per bow and arpeggios 3 notes per bow. Cello Scale Sheet

Bass: C, G, A, F, Bb Major 2 octaves; D Major 1 octave; any melodic minor of the student’s choice 2 octaves. Slur scales 4 notes per bow and arpeggios played with separate bows. Bass Scale Sheet

WINDS, BRASS, and PERCUSSION

Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion auditions are due via video submission by 11:59 on Wednesday January 7, 2026

The required scales and solos for each instrument are the same as the 11/12 All State Band audition requirements found here: 2025 - 26 Band Requirements. The required solo cuts for the NCMEA Western Regional Orchestra for each instrument are:

Snare Drum Solo and Snare Drum and Auxillary Percussion Etude

Mallets

Videos must be unedited and continuous.
The first major scale should be slurred, the second should be tongued and alternate in this manner for the remainder of the major scales. The chromatic scales must be slurred except for trombones which are legato.
There will not be sight reading for this audition.
Student scripts and instructions for submitting audition videos can be found here: Director Responsibilities

PIANO

We are auditioning for one piano player for the WRO Honors Orchestra this year.

Piano auditions are due via video submission by 11:59 on Wednesday January 7, 2026

Students auditioning on piano should submit both of the following selections from the WRO Honors repertoire:

Shostakovich Excerpt and Mascagni Harp Part

Videos must be unedited and continuous.
There will not be sight reading for this audition.
Audition videos should be submitted by the student's sponsoring director and can be found here: Director Responsibilities

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