UNC Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition

Guidelines

Important Dates

Auditions: Sunday, December 3, 2023, Moeser Auditorium
Performance: Thursday, February 29, 2024, Moeser Auditorium

Who May Audition

Auditions are open to junior and senior music majors and non-majors who have completed at least one year of applied study for credit in the Music Department and are sponsored by their current UNC-CH applied instructor and area head. Applicants should also have one year of Department ensemble experience and must be actively participating in studio activities. Faculty should sponsor only those students who are fully prepared for the responsibility of a public performance with the orchestra.

At the discretion of a studio instructor, an entry with multiple soloists will be eligible for the competition and may include one sophomore member. All members of the entry will be considered to have used one of their two years of eligibility and, if chosen to perform, forfeit further opportunity to compete. The Concerto Committee may, at its discretion, rule a previous winner eligible to compete again if the medium of performance changes sufficiently, e.g. voice to piano. Exceptions should be presented to the Committee by the sponsoring faculty member.

Depending on the total number of applicants, the Committee may require preliminary auditions to be held in specific areas no later than two weeks prior to the competition itself.

Selection Process

A panel of three outside professional judges will select and rank all entries they designate as potential winners. The orchestra director will accommodate as many qualified soloists as possible, whose combined selections will total 35-45 minutes of music, while devising a program of educational and musical value to the orchestra and its audience.

Memorization

Solos must be memorized at audition time.

Suitability of Repertoire

Faculty members must consult with the orchestra director to ensure that music is both available and appropriate for performance with the UNC Symphony Orchestra in a given season. The Committee suggests a guideline of eight minutes minimum and sixteen minutes maximum for the performance length of entries. However, auditions will be limited to ten minutes per person and faculty should assist students in preparing cuts and determining precise timings to avoid interruption at the audition. Three copies of the audition music must be provided for the judges. Winners are required to perform the selection they played in their audition. Faculty are discouraged from serving as accompanists, particularly of their own students.

Deadline for Audition Entry Forms

Audition entry forms approved by the sponsoring teacher and the area head must be submitted by the auditioning student by 5:00 pm, on Wednesday, November 15, 2023. Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.