Audition Materials

• Information will be made available to students approximately 6 weeks prior to the audition.  

• Winds, Brass, and Percussion students audition once per term and new ensemble assignments are made for each semester.  String students only audition in the fall and maintain their ensemble placement for both semesters.

• The required material within the excerpts are marked with [BRACKETS]. If there are no brackets shown on any given page, then any material from that page may be selected by the adjudicators. 

Audition Process

• On the day of your audition, all warm ups should take place in the Practice Room Wing

  • Check in with the proctor at least 5 minutes prior to your scheduled audition time slot

  • All audition spaces feature an adjacent “Green Room.” This space is not soundproofed, so please do not play in this space.

• Adjudicators will select the final audition materials the day of the audition and may include either selections or all of the exact excerpts in the packet provided. 

  • These will be posted outside the audition room immediately prior to the first audition. 

  • An identical set will be provided onstage as well, but you may use your own copies if preferred. 

  • The excerpts must be performed in the order indicated by the adjudicators.

• Callbacks will be held for principal string positions for both USO and UPO

  • Callbacks are generally scheduled directly after the main audition time slots have completed and will be announced as soon as rankings have been completed. 

  • Candidates wishing to be considered for a principal position must be present to play the callback.

• All placement results will be announced the following day.

Audition Policies

• Students are ranked by a minimum of three adjudicators, two of whom are conductors of the instrumental ensembles.  The third adjudicator is the invited instrumental studio faculty or their representative.  The percussion studio audition process is an exception in that the three adjudicators are members of our diverse percussion faculty.

• All auditions are held behind a screen and are blind to the adjudicators. 

  • Do not speak or otherwise identify yourself while onstage. 

  • If you have a question during your audition, please motion to the proctor provided. 

  • Note - the screens are removed for callbacks.

• If you miss your scheduled time slot, the proctor/audition coordinator will fit you into the time table as they are able - either in a previously scheduled gap between candidates or at the very end.  

  • You must be available for the remainder of the audition time slot so the proctor/coordinator can easily find you. 

  • If you have not checked in with the proctor by the end of the final audition candidate, you will not be heard and your ensemble placement will be according to the policies outlined below.

• If a family or medical emergency arises, contact Kate Johnson at kjkate@umich.edu to make alternate arrangements.

Missed/Late Audition Policy

• All students are expected to participate in the live audition process as part of their educational and professional development. 

• Submitting a recorded audition, and the audio quality of that recording, may affect your placement results.

• There will be no make up audition times for Winds, Brass, or Percussion. Students who do not audition or submit an approved recording will be placed in an ensemble at the discretion of the conducting faculty. 

• There will be no make up audition times for String Players. Any string player who cannot attend auditions MUST submit a recorded audition. 

Recorded Audition Policy

• Submission of a recorded audition may be requested for the following reasons: 

  • • • Illness with doctor's note

      • Death in the family

      • Military service conflict

      • Festival participation where ending date is in direct conflict with audition date

      • Extenuating Circumstances

  • All requests must be submitted to the Large Ensembles Production Manager no later than August 1st with any necessary documentation (excluding emergency situations).

  • Any requests made to instrumental studio faculty or conducting faculty will be automatically denied as it negates the fair and impartial blind audition process. 

  • If submitting a recorded audition, all excerpts must be included.

Submitting a Recorded Audition

• • Submitting a recorded audition, and the audio quality of that recording, may affect your placement results.

  • You must complete the Registration Form linked above on this page. 

  • You must complete the Recorded Audition Information Survey, stating your reason for missing the auditions (please specify if you are pursuing a Fall Term Waiver or will be Study Abroad). 

  • You will be assigned an Audition Timeslot through Asimut as if you were auditioning in person - your recorded audition will be played by the proctor during this time.

  • The audition must be video recorded in one single take and submitted as a file shared via Google Drive no later than 48 hours prior to your instrument’s scheduled audition date. (if you have issues with this link, please make sure that you are logged into your browser under your U-M Google account, rather than a personal one) 

  • Recorded auditions must include all excerpts listed for your instrument. 

    • (String Players Only: To be considered for a principal string position, candidates submitting a recorded audition should submit a full video recording of the callback material in addition to the main audition material.)

  • The following video formats are accepted: MPEG, MPG, MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV 

  • Please name the file using the following format:

Instrument - Last Name First Name [ex: Cello - Johnson Kate.MOV]