“Thank you, next…”

The word “audition” is enough to make any seasoned musician skittish. It’s a vital part of the music world, the musical version of a job interview. A musician shows up with dozens, if not hundreds, of colleagues, all vying for the single vacant seat in a symphony, opera or ballet orchestra.

Musicians who are actively on ‘the audition circuit’ take dozens of auditions every year in search of a job that provides a livable wage. Auditions are taken solely at a musician’s expense (a far cry from corporate America where job applicants are frequently flown in at the company’s expense for interviews!) Musicians often spend thousands of dollars per year on plane flights, hotels and expenses to be able to take auditions.

Not all auditions are alike. The audition process is outlined for each ensemble within its Collective Bargaining Agreement. There are very specific guidelines and procedures that are followed to ensure equal opportunity and fairness to the greatest extent possible.

The auditions are first posted and advertised, most often in the International Musician, the official journal of the American Federation of Musicians, as well as the AFM’s website and other websites like musicalchairs.info  Usually, individual orchestras have listings on their website with audition information and repertoire as well. Musicians interested in a particular job are often asked to submit a one-page resume outlining the musician’s playing experience, education, etc.

Because of the large number of applicants, some larger orchestras require applicants to submit a tape in addition to a resume. With these materials, audition committees review resumes and determine which players to invite to the audition.

Repertoire for auditions varies vastly from orchestra to orchestra and from position to position. A principal trumpet audition in an opera orchestra will include different repertoire than in a symphony orchestra. Though there is certainly overlap, each job involves a different skill set and requires mastery of different musical repertoire. Virtually all audition lists consist of one or two pieces of solo literature and a list of orchestral repertoire.

Orchestral excerpts are sections of larger works that feature difficult music for the particular instrument in question. Audition lists attempt to cover many different facets of playing, so that a committee can get the best idea possible of a candidate’s abilities in a very short time.

There will be music that is fast, slow, technical, lyrical, high, low, loud, soft, etc. Some orchestras send a list of specific parts to candidates (Beethoven, Symphony No. 7, horn I, measures 93-104). Others send a list of complete works (Beethoven, Symphony No. 7) and require the candidates to be prepared to play any portion of the piece. Audition lists can contain anywhere from a dozen specific excerpts to 30 to 40 complete orchestral works.

The Arizona Opera sends a packet of specific excerpts to each candidate. The number of excerpts varies from audition to audition, but are usually drawn from somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 or 20 pieces. In addition to the specified list, many auditions also include sight reading: putting an excerpt in front of the candidate that was not on the list. This is done to test how familiar a candidate really is with the repertoire as a whole for his or her instrument, not only the material required for the audition.

When a musician arrives for an audition, they check in and are ushered to a large communal warm-up room full of other candidates. Usually, this room is full of other musicians (many trying to show off and play their repertoire as high, fast, and loud as possible). About 15 or 20 minutes before the assigned audition time, musicians are taken into a private room to warm up and prepare alone without the distraction of the other candidates.

There are usually multiple rounds in an audition. The first round involves 5 or 10 minutes of playing a few selected excerpts for an audition committee and conductor. Typically these rounds are ‘screened’; a  large screen made of cloth, curtain or similar material separates the candidate from the audition committee so that the committee cannot see or visually identify the candidates.

Since performing classical ensemble repertoire is all about sound, it isn't really necessary to see the candidates ... unlike American Idol where stage presence is a major part of the show!

Beyond this, a screened audition assures a level of anonymity and fairness.

However in some cases, the final round of an audition is conducted without a screen. Often the final round involves each candidate playing along with members of the orchestra section, so at this point anonymity is not maintained.

During the screened rounds, candidates are asked to wear soft-soled shoes to prevent the audition committee from determining whether the candidate is male or female.

High heels clicking on a stage floor are a dead giveaway that the candidate is female. At some auditions, a long carpeted path is adhered to the stage with duct or gaffer's tape - all the way from the stage door to the candidate's seat.

Each candidate is assigned a unique number to identify them throughout the process. They are not allowed to speak or identify themselves during the process while behind a screen. If communication is necessary, an onstage moderator conveys the candidate’s question to the committee.

If a candidate needs a drink of water, a table with cups and a pitcher of water is sometimes provided onstage near the auditioner's chair.

To ensure a fair and unprejudiced outcome, Arizona Opera Orchestra has adopted procedures like these: to maintain anonymity and to make candidates as comfortable as possible with the process. 

Audition committee voting is different in each orchestra, but the audition committee (made up of musicians from the orchestra) and conductor are able to vote. Usually the conductor has a weighted vote. Sometimes the audition committee vote is only a recommendation and the conductor has the final say in hiring.

If a candidate receives a sufficient number of votes, they advance to the next round. The number of rounds is often dictated by the number of candidates and the amount of time the audition committee requires to reach a decision. In Arizona Opera auditions, the audition committee is comprised of seven orchestra members, each with one vote, and the principal conductor, whose vote is weighted and counts as three votes.

Candidates must receive at least six votes to advance from one round to the next, or to be hired after the final round. In some auditions, the committee may dismiss a candidate as soon as it is apparent that the candidate does not possess the ability required for the job.

Then come the fateful words of dismissal that every musician shudders to hear;

“Thank you, next…”

When all is said and done, after hours on flights, sleepless nights in hotels, hundred of dollars spent and combating tremendous amounts of nerves, one lucky individual will find the end of an audition day (or days) resulting in a new job.

That is, unless the audition committee decides not to hire anyone and go through the audition process all over again…