Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras Audition for MCYO

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN AUDITIONING FOR THE MARYLAND CLASSIC YOUTH ORCHESTRAS OF STRATHMORE!

Scroll down to review the steps to audition for MCYO

Participation in the Chamber Music Program is a separate application process, which can be viewed here.
Each season, all musicians (returning and new) must audition for the MCYO Orchestras. Our auditions take place in mid to late August (a week or two before MCPS school system resumes in fall).

Registrations will go online in mid-June, and all audition requirement updates and new orchestral excerpts will be posted at that time. We take auditions from all "common" orchestral instruments. (Harp is included, but does NOT include piano or saxophone).

Click for all available ensembles and an overview of the requirements

Part 1 Check your eligibility

Part 2 Explore Audition Requirements

Part 3 Schedule your Audition

Part 1: Membership Eligibility

Please be sure that your child can meet our MCYO eligibility requirements.

MCYO strongly encourages its’ musicians to participate in their school music programs. The daily ensemble experience greatly enhances our program.
MCYO requires that all musicians be currently taking private lessons on their orchestra instrument. It is essential that musicians receive this guidance throughout the entire season.
Applicants with noted absence or disciplinary problems in the past season(s) will require approval from the MCYO staff prior to being allowed to re-audition for MCYO programs. (Please contact the office if you have any questions regarding this.)
Each musician is assessed an annual tuition/membership fee.
FINANCIAL AID: Need-based financial aid is available for musicians to help pay for MCYO membership fees and/or provide private lesson stipends.

Part 2: Audition Guidelines and Requirements

All students will be assessed based on their performance of:

Auditions will be conducted this fall at the Music Center at Strathmore – August 13-20, 2025
CLICK FOR ENSEMBLE REQUIREMENT OVERVIEW
- Please click the ensemble(s) you are eligible for and check each ensemble's requirements carefully
Musicians will be invited to an audition schedule after the Audition Registration is completed. (Check "Schedule" > "My Timeslots")
Tips for preparing an audition

***Consideration for Multiple Ensembles: Musicians will need to audition TWICE, once for each ensemble.
During the audition registration, please select the "Would you like to be considered for multiple ensembles/orchestras?" option and select all the ensemble(s) the musician would like to be considered for. Once you've completed the registration, the admins will invite you to schedule the 2nd audition.

Exceptions to multiple ensemble auditions are for:

Our youngest String Ensembles (Future Stars, Preparatory Strings, and Chamber Strings). For example, if the musician is a rising 5th-grade musician, they will only need to audition ONCE for Chamber Strings, and they will automatically be considered for Preparatory Strings.
Kamerata! - A musician can audition directly for Kamerata! But if a string musician is in grades 9-12 and is auditioning for Symphony, Chamber Ensemble, or Philharmonic, they may automatically be considered for Kamerata!
Small Ensemble: A musician can audition directly for Small Ensemble. But if the musician is auditioning on Flute, Clarinet, or Tuba, they may automatically be considered for Small Ensembles.
Combined Auditions: There are a few combined audition options available for specific ensembles/instruments. ("Chamber Strings/Concert Orchestra Strings", "Concert Orchestra/Young Artists Winds", "Percussions", etc.) Please note the program names and schedule names as you are registering.

Part 3: Schedule your Audition

AUDITION REGISTRATION LINK - Applications will open on June 18
Deadline for Audition Registration – August 8, 2025, 11:59PM
Guide for First Time Registrants on Acceptd: Parent Account Creation Information, and Verification for Student Account
Audition Registration is a TWO-STEP process. You will first complete the audition registration and then schedule an audition time in the Schedule > My Timeslot menu.
Audition Registration Fee: $65
- Multiple Ensemble Consideration: An additional $15 fee if the musician would like to be considered for more than one ensemble.
- A late fee of $15 will be incurred starting August 9, 2025 for Audition Registration.
- These fees are Non-Refundable.
Fee Waiver: MCYO and Acceptd do offer financial assistance on the application fees, for eligibility please refer to Acceptd’s webpage.

Any other questions can be directed to MCYO, please contact us for questions.

Tips for a great audition from our directors

Be “conversant” in your scales. Think of scales as a means to introduce yourself to the conductor. They need to be played with confidence, with a big, full tone, and played well in-tune. Don’t ever take scales for granted! Competence in scales gives one a foundation for being able to play music skillfully. Scales are the vehicles for conquering the technical demands of your music and for conquering sightreading.

The next part of your audition is your solo. Are the conductors interested in technical solos? Yes, BUT not if MUSIC is sacrificed! We would prefer to hear something played with beauty and expression, with style and a lovely tone, and with excellent tuning, rather than a technical piece that sacrifices any of those qualities. Technique for technique’s sake is not music to us. Until you are playing expressively and in tune, lots of notes are not going to impress us. If you play fast and sloppy on your prepared piece, we must consider that your practice habits need improvement.

Since musicians generally work on their solos over a long period of time, it is important to us that you display thorough preparation, especially considering the fact that the MCYO orchestras rehearse only once a week, and there are only a few rehearsals before each concert. We must have confidence that you can prepare well.

Sightreading! You might say, ugh! But its importance cannot be emphasized enough. The first 2 aspects of sightreading that are important are: (1) recognition of the key of the piece (scale knowledge!) and (2) good reading of rhythms.

Not only the correct execution of rhythms, but the proper counting of note values is essential. Our orchestras are large in size in order to emulate the symphony orchestra setting.

Can you imagine a large group trying to play together without the fundamentals of good counting skills? One might say, "I can’t sightread well, but I can take the music home and work it out." Included in learning to play one’s instrument well are good sightreading skills, especially for the orchestra setting. Again, with so few rehearsals to prepare for concerts, it is essential that we sightread music well so we can start work right way. Time is of the essence.

We do expect you to take your music home to work on details, but that does not change the importance of skillful sightreading. Sightreading skills are developed just as normal reading skills are developed. As in every learned skill, there is a process. You learn your ABC’s (scales) and you start by reading easy music. You read more and more to build your "musical vocabulary." As you advance, you read with greater fluency and knowledge.

To reach a high level of proficiency in sightreading one must have an advanced vocabulary (scale knowledge, key signature and rhythmic recognition), and one must have the ability to include expressive qualities. This would put the sight-reading of the advanced musician near a performance level. You can practice for sightreading! Just do it! Start by reading something easy.

Be sure you

Observe the key signature
Count carefully
Watch for accidentals and rhythmic changes
Observe your dynamics
Play at a tempo where you feel you can get through the music without stopping (slower is better)
Try your best to be expressive!
Look up the words at the beginnings of your music, like "andante," "allegro," "maestoso," "giocoso," etc., since they are clues about the speed and/or style of the music.