Audition excerpts and schedule posted
Any String Players auditioning will use the SAME selections from Fall 2025
Audition registration opens
Audition Timeslots Open in Asimut
Large Ensembles Syllabi Posted
Registration closed for all instruments
(Winds, Brass, Percussion, & Harp) Large ensemble placement auditions begin
Recorded String Auditions due by 12:00pm - incoming string students only
First day of the Winter 2026 semester
First day of rehearsals: USO, UPO, SB, CB
Audition Registration for Winter Term 2026 will open by Friday, November 7th. All students auditioning must complete the registration form. This is separate from registering for the course and both are required.
Once you complete the registration form, it takes roughly 24-48 hours to PROCESS your information; once your form has been processed, you will be able to choose an audition time using the Asimut interface.
It is your responsibility to keep checking back to see if you've been added yet. You will NOT be emailed separately once you have been added to the system.
Winds, Brass, Percussion, & Harp Registration Form
String Players Registration Form
(Incoming string players only)
If you go to the Championships, yes, we will accept your recorded audition if you will not be present for audition day. You will be assigned an audition timeslot AS IF you were Auditioning in person - your audition will be played by the proctor for the judges during your scheduled time.
Please follow the instructions in the section below for Submitting a Recorded Audition.
Information will be made available to students approximately 4 weeks prior to the audition.
Winds, Brass, Percussion, and Harp 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.
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.
All placement results will be announced the following day.
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.
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.
Submission of a recorded audition may be requested for the following reasons:
You are a String Player who DID NOT audition in the Fall 2025 Term
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 Monday, November 24th 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, and the audio quality of that recording, may affect your placement results.
You must complete the W/B/P/H Registration Form or Strings Registration Form linked above on this page.
You must complete the Recorded Audition Information Survey, stating your reason for missing the auditions (String Players, you are exempt from this for the Winter Term).
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 (String Players, you are exempt from this for the Winter Term).
The audition must be video recorded in one single take and submitted as a file shared via Google Drive.
W/B/P/H - your videos are DUE no later than 48 hours prior to your instrument’s scheduled audition date.
Strings - your videos are DUE by 12pm EST on Tuesday, January 6.
Recorded auditions must include all excerpts listed for your instrument.
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]
*String selections for incoming students are the same selections from Fall 2025.
** Any incoming pianists should contact Professor Harding directly at chcm@umich.edu.