Division Information | Orchestra Audition Procedures

ORCHESTRA DIVISION

SENIOR DIVISION AUDITION PROCEDURES

Electronic Devices Prohibited: The student use of all electronic and/or mechanical devices to include, but not limited to, metronomes, tuners, cell phones, and audio/video recording devices is prohibited in all IMEA audition rooms.

DISTRICT AUDITIONS – Strings

1. The NOMINEE FORM must be filled out completely, typed or neatly printed, and must be returned to the District President by the deadline date. Any sheet that is improperly filled out will be eliminated from consideration.
2. Each school submitting Nominees is assured representation at the District Festival, providing at least one student from that school auditions and meets minimal performance standards.
3. ALL Senior Level Violin players, in ALL Districts, are to be nominated for Violin (not for Violin I or Violin II).  Junior Level Violins will be nominated as determined by policy established at the District Level.  See District President's Newsletters and other Information.
4. The District Orchestra Chairperson is responsible for setting up the audition procedure for his/her specific District.
5. Auditioners must be sure to fill out all parts of the audition section of the Nominee Sheets. Final scores and ranks must be written in ink, and any changes must be initialed by the District President.
6. The District President will then notify, and bill, those Directors who have Selectees.

DISTRICT AUDITIONS – Winds and Percussion

1. Follow BAND AUDITION PROCEDURES.
2. All students wishing to be considered for the District Orchestra MUST check the proper boxes on the Nominee Form to indicate that willingness.
3. Only District Orchestra participants will be considered for assignment to the All-State Orchestras.
4. Winds and percussionists not chosen for the All-State Orchestras MAY BE assigned to All-State Bands.

DISTRICT AUDITIONS – Harp (Note Addition of Excerpt Requirement)

Harp auditions will be held at the District site. Harpists will be expected to perform the etude and orchestral excerpt as indicated in the listing of required audition materials (See Orchestra Division Required Music).   Orchestra Representatives will provide taping equipment. An auditioner will record the audition and submit the tape to the District Representative.  They, in turn, will forward the tape(s) of the selected harpist(s) to the State Orchestra Division Vice President for the purpose of All-State Selection.

The harpist must perform with a District performance organization, if assigned to one, in order to remain eligible for All-State.

If the District repertoire does not require harp(s), the selected tape(s) will be forwarded to the State Orchestra Division Vice President and selected student(s) are not required to attend the District Festival.

ALL-STATE AUDITIONS
Strings, Winds, Percussion and Harp

1. All District Orchestra participants are eligible to be recommended for the All-State organizations, provided they have indicated a desire to participate and are eligible in every other way.

2. The Division Vice President will examine each Nominee Form for discrepancies.

3. Each District is allowed a percentage of participants, based on the number of schools in their District that participated in the District Orchestra.

4. Selections for All-State are made from the Selectee Sheets on the basis of their rank in the section at the District Festival, eligibility by participation in their District’s Orchestra, and NOT on their audition scores.

5. Audition requirements for STRING players will include the Orchestra Required selection AND excerpts from EACH of the major works to be performed by the Honors and All-State Orchestras. Excerpt music will be sent to the director of each All-State string selectee. In addition, each student must prepare the 7 Major AND 2 melodic minor scales listed in the required audition materials (See Orchestra Division Required Music).  At least one Major and one melodic minor will be chosen. Sightreading is also required at the All-State Conference audition.

6. Four STRING BASS PLAYERS will be assigned to the All-State Bands at the Selection Meeting. They will audition on only the required two-octave Major and melodic minor scales and excerpts, or complete parts, from the All-State Bands’ Concert Selections. Band repertoire excerpts will be sent to the director of each All-State Bands string bass selectee by the Division Vice Presidents. Sightreading is also required at the All-State Conference audition.

7A. ORCHESTRA WOODWIND AND BRASS SEATING ASSIGNMENTS

Placement of students into the two orchestras and chair assignments within each orchestra will be based on the performance of:

1. the IMEA required scales
2. one of the IMEA required etudes
3. sight-reading
4. prepared excerpts from the current performance repertoire.

Students will be sent applicable excerpts (not complete parts) along with the All-State invitation. The complete excerpt list will be posted on the ILMEA web site after the selection meeting at the end of November.

Please note: If the orchestra division leadership does not identify and distribute audition excerpts with the acceptance letters then the state audition for winds will be identical to the district audition.

7B. SOLO PASSAGE ASSIGNMENTS

Solo passages in any part are assigned to the player who earns that chair. However, if needed to assure a quality performance, parts may be reassigned among the players in that section.  Audition judges and orchestra division leadership may suggest changes of solo assignments. The final decision regarding assignment of solo passages for any instrument rests with the conductors.

This policy is subject to the constraints of copyright law and permission granted by the copyright holders.

8. HARP: If the repertoire requires harp(s), students will be selected from the submitted audition tapes and notified with other selectees in early December. If the repertoire does not require harp(s), the Orchestra Division Vice-President will notify the District Representatives not to submit audition tapes or the selected harpists may be notified by the Orchestra Division Vice President that a harp master class has been scheduled as part of the All-State Conference.

State Orchestra Division Vice President
Clark Chaffee

A. E. Stevenson High School

1 Stevenson Drive

Lincolnshire, IL  60069

(847) 415-4759

cchaffee@d125.org