2021 New York String Orchestra Seminar Application Information
The application will open on Monday, August 2, 2021, and close at midnight (ET) on Monday, October 4, 2021.
Application to the 2021 New York String Orchestra Seminar is a two-step process:
- Submit the application, proof of coronavirus vaccination, $25 application fee, and recorded audition (audio recording; mp3 files only) by the deadline, Monday, October 4, 2021. The recorded audition repertoire is found at the bottom of this page.
The application will open on Monday, August 2, 2021. (Please contact us at nsc@newschool.edu to inquire if you are eligible for a fee waiver due to financial hardship.)
- Based on the technical ability and musicianship demonstrated in the recorded audition, a select number of applicants are invited to audition live in October or November 2021. Specific dates and locations will be available on August 2, 2021.
To be considered for admission, you must pass both a recorded and a live audition. Repertoire requirements for live auditions differ from requirements for recorded auditions.
Only previous NYSOS participants and designated alternates are exempted
from the requirement to submit a recording with their applications. If you are unsure if you were a designated alternate, email the office at nsc@newschool.edu to confirm your status.
All others must
submit a recorded audition with their applications to be considered for a live audition.
The recorded audition is not simply a pre-screening. It is your first audition. Even if you have previously passed a New York String Orchestra Seminar
audition, you are not guaranteed a live audition. Please prepare with as much care as you would for a live audition.
Those who pass the recorded audition will be contacted by email to confirm a live audition time. You must pass a live audition
to be considered for participation; there are no exceptions.
Application and Deadline Information
The application, audition audio files, and application fee must be received by October 4, 2021.
We strongly encourage early application submission, as the audition time slots are often filled before the final deadline. Only applicants who audition
in person are considered for participation in the seminar.
The seminar will take place December 19-24, 2021.
There is no participation fee for those accepted to the program. Every accepted student receives free tuition, housing, meals, and local transportation (total value more than $3,750). Participants pay their travel costs to and from New York City.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Applicants must be between 16 and 24 years of age at the time of the seminar (we will require proof of age).
- Applicants must submit proof that they are fully vaccinated against coronavirus.
- Applicants must be advanced, technically proficient musicians with experience playing in an ensemble or orchestra.
- Applicants may have previously participated New York String Orchestra Seminar no more than once.
- Applicants must be current students or recent graduates. Professional musicians are not eligible to participate.
- Applicants must be living in the United States at the time of application and be either U.S. citizens or attending a U.S. institution on a current, valid student visa.
- All those accepted must provide proof of health insurance.
- All those accepted must agree to stay in the housing provided by the New York String Orchestra Seminar December 19-24, 2021.
The SlideRoom application will be made available on August 2 via a link here.
Recorded Audition Requirements
1. The application recording must be between 10 and 15 minutes long.
2. Audition recordings must be in mp3 format (we will not accept videos or other audio formats).
3. Accompaniment is not required but is allowed.
Required Recorded Audition
Repertoire
Violin
Viola
- One movement of your choice from any suite for solo viola by J. S. Bach
- Exposition of the first movement of a contrasting work of your choice
- Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night's Dream, first page of the scherzo (Beginning - Letter D)
Cello
- One movement of your choice from any suite for solo cello by J. S. Bach
- Exposition of the first movement of a contrasting work of your choice
- Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night's Dream, first page of the scherzo (Beginning - Letter D)
Bass
- Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, first movement, mm. 41 – downbeat of 90
- Mozart: Symphony 39, first movement, m. 40 - Letter C
- One movement of your choice from any suite for solo cello by J. S. Bach
- Exposition of the first movement of a contrasting work of your choice
Live Audition
Live auditions will take place on dates to be determined in October and November 2021. All applicants will be notified by email of the live audition result by November 15, 2021.
We strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with the entirety of each work, so that you understand the excerpts in context. Preparation and execution of the orchestral excerpts is often the deciding factor in an applicant's acceptance to the program.
Required Live Audition Cities and Dates
Live auditions for 2021 will take place in October and November 2021.
Dates and locations will be announced later this summer.
