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Flute

Oboe

Clarinet

Bassoon

Saxophone

Horn

Trumpet

Tenor Trombone

Bass Trombone

Euphonium

Tuba

Percussion

Harp

Violin*

Viola*

Cello*

Bass*

Piano**

*String selections for incoming students or those filling gaps in the USO Tour are the same selections from Fall 2024.
** Any incoming pianists should contact Professor Harding directly at chcm@umich.edu.

Winds, Brass, Percussion, & Harp Registration Form

String Players Registration Form - USO Tour Openings and Incoming Strings 

•  We will hold String Auditions the evening of Thursday, Dec 5.

• There are currently NO openings on the USO Tour for Cellos.

• There are openings on the USO Tour for Violas and Double Basses.

• While Violins are currently full, you are welcome to audition to be considered as an ALTERNATE; two alternates will be selected to play with the USO for the final concert of the term and attend the May rehearsal dates, however, an alternate would only go on tour in the event that someone was sick, injured, or otherwise unable to make the trip.

Audition Procedure - Winter Term

• Winds, Brass, Percussion, and Harp students audition once per term and new ensemble assignments are made for each semester. 

• String students usually only audition in the fall and maintain their ensemble placement for both semesters. As the USO is going on Tour this spring, there will be a few openings available for those who need to fill gaps in the section by non-returners. 

• ANY INCOMING string player must audition regardless of interest in USO Tour or UPO. 

Audition Materials

• Information will be made available to students approximately 4 weeks prior to the audition.  

• 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 (Winds, Brass, Percussion, Harp)

• 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 or staging area. 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.

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. 

• 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.

Audition Process (Winter Strings)

• PLEASE NOTE: This process is SUBJECT TO CHANGE based on the numbers needed for the USO TOUR. 

  • Students are ranked by both orchestral conductors, and sometimes and invited third adjudicator from the instrumental studio faculty or their representative. 

  • These auditions are sometimes held behind a screen and are blind to the adjudicators; other times the adjudicators are looking for specific features in your playing and will need to see you. 

  • These auditions are held on a separate day from the Winds/Brass/Perc/Harp auditions and are not always proctored.

Missed/Late Audition Policy

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

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

• All INCOMING String players MUST complete an audition if you did not audition in the Fall term. 

• Any String player not currently enrolled in USO who would like to be considered for the USO Tour MUST complete an audition.

• If you miss auditions, you must arrange a time to be heard by both orchestra conductors within the first 2 weeks of class for placement, however, you will NOT be eligible for the USO Tour. 

Recorded Audition Policy

• There will be no make up audition times. 

  • Any wind/brass/percussion/harp student who does not complete an audition will be automatically placed in CB; all string players MUST complete an audition. 

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

  • • Religious exemptions

    • Military obligations

    • Extenuating Circumstances with faculty approval

  • All requests must be submitted to the Large Ensembles Production Manager no later than two weeks prior to the audition date (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. 

Submitting a Recorded Audition

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

  • You must ALSO choose 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.  

  • 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 

  • Make sure to size your video so that it is LESS than 1GB

  • Please name the file using the following format:

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