Youth Orchestra

Auditions

Register for Prelude Strings and submit auditions for our Sinfonia, Philharmonia, and Youth Orchestra ensembles. More information on each ensemble's requirements are below.

AUDITIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE 26–27 SEASON!

YOUTH ORCHESTRA AUDITION INFORMATION

The South Dakota Symphony Youth Orchestra ensembles hold auditions every summer, submitted by recording. During the year, auditions may be submitted on a rolling basis. For audition requirements, deadlines, and more information, please see below.

For any questions or to ask for more information, please email the Youth Orchestra Manager. (connor.gibbs@sdsymphony.org)

Audition Deadline

Audition Submissions Due: July 31, 2026

Results Will Be Shared By: August 14, 2026

For students that are interested in auditioning but unable to participate in the fall due to other commitments, you may submit auditions for the 2026–2027 season and opt to start in January 2027. (Please indicate this on the Audition Form where prompted.)

During the season, auditions will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.

Requirements for each ensemble are listed below.

Prelude Strings Registration

There is no audition requirement for participating in Prelude Strings.

The registration form is separate and may be accessed at the end of this page.

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

Audition requirements for 2026–2027 are listed below.

NOTE: due to an error, the Violin excerpts for the Youth Orchestra ensemble have been updated on June 29 at 7:15pm CDT. We apologize for the inconvenience!

Conducted by Sasha Kandybin

Youth Orchestra Requirements Current for 26–27 Season ✅

STRING REQUIREMENTS

String students interested in participating in Youth Orchestra will be asked to play the following:

Scales
* Note: all scales should be played in quarter notes (quarter = 120). Use separate bows, do not repeat top note, and do not use vibrato.

  • Eb Major (3 octaves)
  • C Major (3 octaves)
  • B Melodic Minor (3 octaves)

Excerpts

  • A portion of a solo (1-2 minutes maximum)
  • All selected excerpts for their instrument, marked in brackets, from a selection of:
    • Camille Saint-Saëns’s Danse Macabre
    • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Pas de Deux from The Nutcracker
    • Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Petite Suite de Concert

Violin Viola Cello Double Bass

WIND REQUIREMENTS

Wind and brass students interested in participating in Youth Orchestra will be asked to play the following:

  • 2 or 3 octave scale of their choice (depending on instrument logistics)
  • A portion of a solo (1-2 minutes maximum)
  • All selected excerpts for their instrument, marked in brackets, from a selection of:
    • Camille Saint-Saëns’s Danse Macabre
    • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Pas de Deux from The Nutcracker
    • Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Petite Suite de Concert

Flute Oboe Clarinet Bassoon Horn Trumpet Trombone Tuba

PERCUSSION REQUIREMENTS

Percussion students interested in participating in Youth Orchestra will be asked to play the following:

  • All selected excerpts for their instrument, marked in brackets, from a selection of:
    • Camille Saint-Saëns’s Danse Macabre
    • Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Petite Suite de Concert

Note: students interested in auditioning for percussion but without access to instruments for a recording should fill out the form above before the registration deadline. SDSYO staff will follow up about an in-person audition.

Percussion

HARP REQUIREMENTS

Harp students interested in participating in Youth Orchestra will be asked to play the following:

  • All selected excerpts for their instrument, marked in brackets, from a selection of:
    • Camille Saint-Saëns’s Danse Macabre
    • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Pas de Deux from The Nutcracker

Harp

Conducted by Jeffrey Paul

Philharmonia Requirements Current for 26–27 Season ✅

STRING REQUIREMENTS

String students interested in participating in Philharmonia will be asked to play the following:

  • 3 Octave Scale of your choice
  • A portion of a solo (three minutes or less; a solo comparable to the end of Suzuki Book IV)
  • All selected excerpts for their instrument, marked in brackets, from Sleepers, Wake by J.S. Bach, arranged by Jerry Brubaker.

Violin Viola Cello Double Bass

WIND REQUIREMENTS

Wind and brass students interested in participating in Philharmonia will be asked to play the following:

  • 2 octave major or minor scale of choice
  • A chromatic scale demonstrating fluidity and range
  • A portion of a solo (three minutes or less)
  • All selected excerpts for their instrument, marked in brackets, from Sleepers, Wake by J.S. Bach, arranged by Jerry Brubaker.

Flute Oboe Clarinet Bassoon Saxophone Horn Trumpet Trombone Tuba

PERCUSSION REQUIREMENTS

Percussion students interested in participating in Philharmonia will be asked to play the following:

  • All selected excerpts for their instrument, marked in brackets, from Sleepers, Wake by J.S. Bach, arranged by Jerry Brubaker.

Note: students interested in auditioning for percussion but without access to instruments for a recording should fill out the form above before the registration deadline. SDSYO staff will follow up about an in-person audition.

Percussion

HARP REQUIREMENTS

Harp students interested in participating in Philharmonia will be asked to play a portion of a solo (three minutes or less). There is not a specific excerpt requirement for this audition.

Conducted by Andrew Travers

Sinfonia Requirements Current for 26–27 Season ✅

Students interested in participating in Sinfonia will be asked to play the following:

  • A two octave scale of your choice
  • A portion of a solo (no more than three minutes)
Register & Submit Your Audition

Audition Format

Auditions will be submitted this year as a video recording. Videos may be recorded in any format, including cell phone videos. Please upload your audition video to an online file hosting service such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, etc. A link to this file will be needed for the audition form. Please observe the following when submitting your audition materials:

■  Please rename the video file(s) with the student's name.

■  A single recording file is preferred, following an order of (as applicable to each ensemble): Scales — Solo of Choice — Excerpts.

■  For multiple file uploads, please rename each file accordingly,
e.g. “Student's Name - Chromatic Scale” (etc.)

NOTE: If submitting multiple files, the link you submit in the form should be to a folder where all of the files may be viewed.

Ensemble Placement

Students will be informed of their orchestra placement after all auditions have taken place and the conductors have deliberated.  Conductors will place students into the ensemble they feel will prove most beneficial to the student.

Seating and Results

Each student’s season placement audition will be used to determine their section chair placement for the first concert cycle of the regular season, so it is important that students play their very best when auditioning. Students will be informed of their section chair placement at the first regular rehearsal in September.

■  Students auditioning for percussion without access to instruments should still apply and be in contact with SDSYO staff about scheduling an audition.
■  All decisions concerning placement and participation in the SDSYO are at the sole discretion of SDSYO staff.
■  All placement decisions are final.

SUBMIT YOUR AUDITION HERE!

Registration Opens for January 2027 in Late Fall

PRELUDE STRINGS Registration

No auditions are required for Prelude Strings. Please fill out the registration form linked below. A confirmation email in receipt of your registration will be sent once your form is received by our office.

Registration will close shortly after the first rehearsal on January 4, 2027.

Note: some recommended background / experience / traits for Prelude Strings are included within the registration form, also listed on our Ensembles page.

REGISTRATION WILL OPEN IN FALL 2026