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JOINING OUR GROUP - AUDITIONS:
Audition Sign Ups for Sinfonietta and Senior Groups are now available.

Auditions for the 2020/21 season are:
Sunday, August 30, 2020 from 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm and Monday, August 31 from 11:00 am – 6:00 pm. Click the Sign Up button on the left to choose a date and time slot for your audition.
Students wishing to join an orchestra after the start of the season may request an audition with the respective conductor at any point. Please email: [email protected] for further information and to coordinate.

Preparing for Your Audition:
General Information:
Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestras (BIYO) holds annual auditions to place students in one of two orchestras, the Sinfonietta and the Senior Orchestra. All students, new and returning, are required to audition each year. Below are the items students should prepare for auditions.

Please prepare the following for the audition:
1. Scales:
  • Sinfonietta: 2 octave D major scale and a 1 octave minor scale of your choice. Woodwinds and Brass: Two scales of your choice, one major and one minor.
  • Senior: 3 octave major scale of your choice and 2 octave minor scale of your choice.
  • Scales should show your best tone, intonation and consistency of tempo.

​2. Solo - strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion:
Prepare up to four minutes (2-3 minutes for Sinfonietta) of a solo of your choice. You can choose to play a piece from the Suzuki books, a sonata, a concerto or any other piece of music that best displays your technical ability and the depth of your musical expression. No accompanist is needed and your solo does not need to be memorized.

3. Sight reading - strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion:
A short excerpt will be provided at the audition. Suggested minimum requirements to play in the Sinfonietta:
  • Be at a level equivalent of Book 2 of Suzuki.
  • Be able to read notes in the keys of C, G, D, A.
  • Be able to play in tune in first position. Experience in third position and beyond is recommended.
  • Be able to sight-read simple rhythm patterns in common meters such as 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4.
Additional requirements to play in the Senior Orchestra:
  • Ability to shift into 3rd and 4th positions with notes in tune. Extended position work highly recommended.
  • Ability to play in tune in keys with four or more sharps or flats.
  • Ability to play with beautiful tone.
  • Ability to play different articulations, bowings and performance styles.
  • Ability to sight-read simple melodies with dotted rhythms and syncopation.
100% of your donations go directly to the orchestra, accounting for 30% of our budget. We can't do it without you!
BIYO is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Your gift is tax ​deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
The Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestra, founded in 2001, is a training program for young musicians seeking an orchestral ensemble experience.  It has evolved into a three-tier orchestra program providing music education for all levels, from the emerging reader to the advanced musician.  BIYO's goal is to train the student musician in the craft of orchestra playing while instilling a deep love for music and fostering development of a well-rounded individual.
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