When you move on to Issaquah High School, all incoming freshman are automatically enrolled into the Concert Band. Ambitious students have the opportunity to audition in February of their 8th grade year for the Wind Ensemble and/or the Evergreen Philharmonic. If you do not win a spot in one of those auditioned groups as an incoming freshman, you have 3 more years to audition for those ensembles. Most members of the Wind Ensemble and Evergreen Philharmonic are juniors and seniors.
There are 3 bands and a percussion ensemble class at Issaquah High School. All percussionists join the Percussion Ensemble class and perform with the bands at the concerts. All band members (woodwinds, brass and percussion) join together to form the Eagles Marching Band.
Concert Band: All non-percussion Freshman, unless they are accepted into Wind Ensemble
Symphonic Band: Sophomores, juniors and seniors
Wind Ensemble: Any grade level, by audition. Mostly juniors and seniors.
The Evergreen Philharmonic is the Full Symphonic Orchestra of the Issaquah School District. Students are selected by audition from across the entire district; Skyline High School, Issaquah High School and Liberty High School. The string players have Evergreen at each high school as one of their academic classes. The full orchestra with all members throughout the district (strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion) meet after school at Issaquah High School every Friday after school. Some Evergreen winds and brass take the academic class daily along with the strings, but most of the winds, brass and percussion players are part of their school band program. Note: you must either be enrolled in the daily Evergreen class at your school or be enrolled in your band class to be a member of Evergreen Philharmonic.
To audition for the Evergreen Philharmonic, prepare the HS All-State audition material linked here:
If Auditioning for 2023-24 school year, play set "B": https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yJ_Fq55MB4WbUwhMlb8finyXUkSpAy6T/view?usp=share_link
If Auditioning for 2024-25 school year, play set "C": https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lNv0mhdYNulmo2GcnmngQpigX70MzOhN/view?usp=share_link
If Auditioning for 2025-26 school year, play set "A": https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GmnBZ5TqxKovSaPZSibZo9K-XaYBYXYF/view?usp=sharing
Wind Ensemble Auditions!
To audition for the Wind Ensemble, you can use the same material as for Evergreen, or you can use the WIBC audition material, A set: http://bandworld.org/pdfs/WIBCAuditionSetA.pdf
***You MUST record ALL material from the chosen source of auditions material. For example if your chose the WIBC Flute audition. I would record the Sonata, Chromatic Scale and Danny Boy.
***You MUST play each excerpt without interruption or editing. You MUST submit just ONE file (ex. Track 1,2 and 3 on one file). If any of these are incorrectly submitted, you may not be considered at the time of submission. You will be contacted and aske to resubmit in the correct format, but not guaranteed a spot in the ensemble.
***VIDEO RECORDING: Your instrument and face must be in the recording. Please do NOT add any reverb or special sound alterations to your video.
Link to the audition application AND materials (in the description).
https://forms.office.com/r/KqrXQtHgNf
"The deadline was Feb 14th, 2025 ....I've extended it to March 12th at 11pm." - Mr. Holen
Evergreen Philharmonic Auditions!
Hello musicians!
Auditions for Evergreen Philharmonic are due by February 16 @ 11PM. Auditions are open to all woodwind, brass, percussion, and string players who will be in grades 9-12 in the 2024-2025 school year and attending a high school in the Issaquah School District. Homeschool students in those grades are also invited to audition. You will make a video of your excerpts, post them to Youtube (see directions below) and e-mail the video link(s) to me at evergreenauditions@gmail.com along with the other information contained in the instructions below.
· You must be visible in the frame of the video, including both hands.
· Each excerpt should be played in one take, but you may do a separate video for each excerpt.
· Announce your piece for the solo excerpt (if applicable).
· Any splicing of individual tracks with result in disqualification. You may put all excerpts together in one video.
· Your Youtube video should be marked “unlisted” if you do not want it public. DO NOT mark it private- I will not be able to access your video, even with the link.
· Your e-mail submission subject should read: Instrument, last name, first name
· The body of your e-mail submission should contain your video link(s), your name, instrument, current grade, current school. If you are studying privately, include the name of your teacher.
When considering submitting an audition for Evergreen, please understand the time commitment involved. Evergreen Philharmonic performs 7 to 9 times each year. Friday afternoon rehearsals are required and we have a very fun and demanding performance schedule.
High school schedules *may* be selected prior to the audition due date. You should sign up for the non-audition orchestra/band and put Evergreen as your alternate class. For wind/percussion players, there are some situations which allow for you to be in both band and Evergreen. **IF you are a string player heading to Issaquah High School, you may submit ONE audition that will put you in consideration for BOTH Evergreen and Chamber Strings. If you are heading to Skyline or Liberty, you must submit separately to those chamber groups according to their instructions, which may differ from those of Evergreen.
**** Auditions are due by the Friday before February break at 11PM. Late submissions will not be heard, please do not wait until the last moment to submit.
Audition materials: Available from your current teacher. If unable to attain them from your teacher, e-mail weitzsackerl@issaquah.wednet.edu
Best of luck,
Ms. Leah Weitzsacker
Orchestra Director, Evergreen Philharmonic
Greenwood Orchestra and Issaquah Chamber Strings