MARYLAND CLASSIC YOUTH ORCHESTRAS Symphony

Simeone Tartaglione, conductor

The MCYO Symphony (SYM) orchestra is a full symphony orchestra conducted by Simeone Tartaglione. The MCYO SYM is comprised of very talented 8th through 10th grade instrumentalists who rehearse and perform standard orchestral repertoire from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras. In SYM, our musicians continue to hone their technical and musical abilities while performing challenging and exciting repertoire. The Symphony performs in the Music Center concert hall.

Rehearsals are on Wednesdays from 7:15–9:30pm at the Music Center at Strathmore

Audition Requirements

Grades in School:
Strings: 8–9th Grade
Winds/Brass/Percussion: 8–10th Grade

Minimum Solo Level (MMEA grade level):
Difficulty grade level 4-5 and higher

Musicians are required to learn the entire solo and will be asked to play a 3-5 minute excerpt from their solo. Solos must be played without piano accompaniment. Memorization of solos and excerpts is not required.

Musicians will sight-read parts which are comparable in difficulty to the orchestra repertoire.

Download the Orchestral Excerpts Here.
*Some excerpts may be multiple pages.

To be considered for MULTIPLE ensembles, you must prepare ALL excerpts required for the older ensemble plus ONE required excerpt from the younger ensemble’s excerpts.

You will be asked to play ALL the selections at the younger ensemble auditions.

Musicians must be able to play all the scales listed for their instruments (scales, arpeggios, etc).
Musicians must play tonic scale and arpeggio from memory.
All scales/arpeggios are to be played ascending and descending.
Adjudicators may ask musicians to play the scales:
- Faster, slower, staccato, and/or legato
- Off the string spiccato (each note 4 times)
- Martele (one note per stroke, middle to tip of bow)
- Hooked bows (each note once or twice)
Three octaves, to be played in triplets, slurring three eighth notes per bow, followed by a three octave arpeggio, in the same note pattern at the same tempo. (quarter note = 86) The minor scales, three octaves, to be played by slurring three eighth notes per bow. (quarter note = 86) There is no arpeggio for minor scales.
Two octaves, to be played by slurring two eighth notes per bow, followed by a two-octave arpeggio in the same note pattern at the same tempo. (quarter note = 92) The minor scales, two octaves, to be played by slurring two eighth notes per bow. (quarter note = 92) There is no arpeggio for minor scales.

Violin:
Major scales: 3 octaves / C G D A F Bb Eb Ab
Melodic minor scales: 3 octaves / A D

Viola:
Major scales: 3 octaves / C D ; 2 octaves / G F A Bb Eb Ab
Melodic minor scales: 3 octaves / C ; 2 octaves / A D

Cello:
Major scales: 3 octaves / C D G E ; 2 octaves / A F Bb Eb
Melodic minor scales: 2 octaves / A D

Bass:
Major scales: 2 octaves / E F G ; 1 octave / C D A Bb Eb
Melodic minor scales: 1 or 2 octaves / E G

Musicians must be able to play all the scales listed for their instruments.
Scales must be played from memory.
Adjudicators may ask musicians to play the scales faster, slower, staccato, and/or legato.
Scales are to be played evenly and smoothly in a 16th note pattern at a minimum metronome speed of quarter = 72. Musicians are welcome to hold the bottom and top notes (tonic and octave) as 8th notes, at the discretion of the musician’s private teacher.
All scales are to be played ascending and descending.

Flute:
Chromatic: 1 or more octave scales
Major scales: 2 octaves / C G D A E F Bb Eb Ab

Oboe:
Chromatic: 1 or more octave scales
Major scales: 2 octaves / D Eb ; 1 octave / C G A E F Bb Ab

Clarinet:
Chromatic: 1 or more octave scales
Major scales: 2 octaves / C G D A E F Bb Eb Ab

Bassoon:
Chromatic: 1 or more octave scales
Major scales: 2 octaves / C D ; 1 octave / G A E F Bb Eb

French Horn:
Chromatic: 1 or more octave scales
Major scales: 2 octaves / G F ; 1 octave / C D A E Bb Eb Ab

Trumpet:
Chromatic: 1 or more octave scales
Major scales: 2 octaves / C G A Bb Ab ; 1 octave / D E F Eb

Trombone:
Chromatic: 1 or more octave scales
Major scales: 2 octaves / F G ; 1 octave / C D A E Bb Eb Ab

Tuba:
Chromatic: 1 or more octave scales
Major scales: 2 octaves / F G ; 1 octave / C D Bb Eb Ab

Percussion: Musician will need to prepare a solo or etude for snare drum, mallets or timpani (Goldenberg, Podemski, Cirone, Delecluse, Firth, Peters, Schinstine, Whaley, Houliff, Wessels, Aleo, or equivalent) and the orchestral excerpts for the other 2 instruments (I.E. a mallet SOLO plus snare drum and timpani EXCERPTS). The student should be prepared to sight read on all 3 instruments as well as to demonstrate timpani tuning and basic snare drum rudiments (long concert roll, 5, 7 and 9 stroke rolls, flams, flam taps, flam accents, paraddidles and double paradiddles).

Harps: Musicians will need to enroll in to Harp Ensemble (Part of the Small Ensemble).
– Please prepare a solo that best represents your playing level/skills. If you are also interested in performing with the orchestras, prepare an orchestral excerpt that reflects current ability.