Audition Excerpts

The following is a list of Audition Excerpts required by the Spartanburg Philharmonic for acceptance into the orchestra as a titled, section, or substitute member. There are different requirements for each position/role in each section, so sub-headers have been added to help clarify. If no such distinction is written, please assume that all excerpts for an instrument are required for the open posted position.

Please refer to the list of open auditions page before applying. Below is only a list of excerpts and does not reflect current openings.

Perc/Hp/Pno

Woodwinds

Flute

  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 7, Vivace (beginning to 89)

  • Brahms: Symphony No. 4, mvt. 4, measures 89-105

  • Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night’s Dream, Scherzo (2 before P to end)

  • Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 (Classical Symphony) (last movement)

  • Ravel: Daphnis et Chloe, Suite II (176 -179 and 2nd fl/pic 214 to end)

  • Stravinsky: Petrouchka (beginning to 3) (1911 version)

Oboe

Oboe 2 & Substitute:

  • Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Haydn, the first statement of the theme with all repeats (Oboe II)

  • Mozart: Serenade in Bb, no. 10, K. 361, III. Adagio, measures 2-25 (Oboe II)

  • Prokofiev: Symphony no. 1, mvt. II, measures 58-63 (Oboe II)

  • Mahler: Symphony No. 3, mvt. II measures 1-9 (Oboe I)

English Horn:

  • Berlioz: Roman Carnival, Andante Sostenuto to letter 4

  • Dvorak: New World Symphony, mvt. II, m. 1-18

  • Respighi: Pines of Rome, mvt V, Opening Solo from Pines of the Appian Way

  • Debussy: Nocturnes, No. II Fetes

  • Debussy: La Mer, Mvt. 1 Figure 1 through 8, Mvt. 2 Figure 16 through 22

  • Sibelius: The Swan of Tuonela, Letter D to the fifth measure of letter E

Clarinet

Clarinet:

  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 8, Trio

  • Brahms: Symphony No. 3 mvt. II (beginning to ms. 23)

  • Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night’s Dream, Scherzo

  • Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnole, Mvt 1 solos, Mvt 3 solos, Cadenza

  • Ravel: Daphnis and Chloe, Suite II, Rehearsal # 155-158, #201-204, and #214-218

Bass Clarinet

 Clarinet excerpts:

  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 8, Trio

  • Brahms: Symphony No. 3 mvt. II (beginning to ms. 23)

  • Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night’s Dream, Scherzo

    Bass Clarinet excerpts: 

  • Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite, No. 3 On the Trail, figure 12 to 4th measure of 13

  • Verdi: Aida, solo Act IV, Andante Sostenuto Solo

  • Stravinsky: Rite of Spring bass clarinet, figure 5-12 and 48-49

  • Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel Lustige Streiche bass clarinet, 10th measure of 31 to 32

Bassoon

Bassoon:

  • Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4, 2nd mvt. (Ms. 274-290)

  • Mozart Overture to Marriage of Figaro (ALL)

  • Stravinsky: Firebird
    Reh #150 Play 6 measures AND begin at reh #155, play 8 measures

  • Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique:

    • 4. Statz Der Gang zum Richtplatz - Allegretto non troppo Meas. 49-63

    • 5. Satz - Beim Hexensabbat - Allegro, Measure 67-84

  • Stravinsky: Rite of Spring (Beginning to 3 after figure 3)

Contrabassoon:

  • Ravel: Ma Mere L’oye, Valsee modere Dotted Half note = 50, begin at reh #2, end at 9 measures after 5

  • Brahms: Sinfonie Nr. 1 Allegro Dotted quarter note = 96, Meas. 46-51, AND 161-181

  • Beethoven Sinfonie Nr. 5 - Allegro half note = 92, Meas. 28-34, 41-1st beat of 49, 80-91, 144-150, 238-240, 250-258 (1st beat), 334-336

Horn

  • Solo (not needed for substitute audition): First movement of Mozart 2nd or 4th Concerto, or 1st movement of Strauss 1st Concerto

  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, mvt. III Trio (Horn 2)

  • Brahms: Symphony No. 3, mvt. III (solo at B)

  • Ravel: Bolero (5 and three after 8-9)

  • Shostakovitch: Symphony No. 5, mvt. I (three after 17 to 20)

  • Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel (6-20)

  • Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5, mvt. II (8-28)

Trumpet

  • Beethoven: Lenore Overture measures 272-277

  • Mahler: Symphony #5, 1st movement - beginning to 6 after #1, and 1 before #13 to #14

  • Musorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition - opening Promenade

  • R. Korsakov Scheherazade - movement IV, #T to #U

  • Respighi: Pines of Rome - offstage solo (#10 to #11)

  • Stravinsky: Petrouchka - Danes de al Ballerine (#69 to #70)

  • Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker - Divertissement: Le Chocolat (measures 5 to 20)

Trombone

Tenor Trombone

  • Berlioz: Romeo & Juliet, Introduction (Recitative, fourteen before 4 to fourteen after 5)

  • Mozart: Requiem (Tuba Mirum, 2nd trombone)

  • Ravel: Bolero (solo, two after 10-11

  • Rossini: La Gazza Ladra Overture (measure 116 to end)

  • Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (60 to three before 66)

  • Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries, first B Major section [page 1], Act III, Scene I

Bass Trombone

  • Berlioz: Hungarian March (measure 94 - measure 110)

  • Brahms: Symphony No. 1 (mvt. 4, measure 47 - measure 61)

  • Delilbes: Coppelia (measure 139 - measure 153) (third measure after 28 [tempo primo] - measure 176)

  • Wagner: Lohengrin (measure 45 - 60)

  • Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries, first B major section [page 1], Act III, Scene I

Tuba

  • Berlioz: Hungarian March (reh 4 to 2 after reh 5)

  • Mahler: Symphony No. 1 (Mvt 3, 4 before reh 3 to reh 4)

  • Wagner: Overture to Die Meistersinger von Nurnburg (reh J to reh L) 

  • Wagner: The Ride of the Valkyries

  • Brahms: Symphony No. 2 (Mvt. 4, reh O to reh P)

  • Gershwin: An American in Paris (reh 66 through reh 67)

  • Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 (Mvt 1, reh 3 to reh 6)

  • Respighi: The Fountains of Rome (pickup to reh 11 through bar 1 of reh 14)

Brass

Percussion, Harp, & Piano

Timpani

  • Brahms: Symphony No. 1 - 4th movemem

  • Beethoven 7: 1st movement

  • Stravinsky: Rite of Spring Danse Sacrale - 186 - end

  • Elgar: Enigma Variations - mvmt. 7

  • Mozart: Symphony: No. 39 - mvmt 1

  • Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 - mvmt. 1

Percussion

Snare drum

  • R. Korsakov: Scheherazade

    • mvt. III

      • D-E

      • five after F to mvt. IV

    • mvt. IV

      • C-D

      • Four before N to nineteen after N

      • P - R

      • S - U

 Xylophone (auditionee chooses either Gershwin —OR— Kabalevsky)

  • Gershwin: Porgy and Bess Overture

  • Kabalevsky: Colas Breugnon Overture

 Glockenspiel (auditionee chooses either Debussy —OR— Dukas)

  • Debussy: La Mer

    • beginning to 19

    • 25 - 32

  • Dukas: Sorcerer’s Apprentice, 17-24

Cymbals

  • Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet, E to twelve after E

  • Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4, mvt. IV, G to end

Tambourine

  • R. Korsakov: Scheherazade, mvt. 4

    • F - G

    • 8 before M

  • Bizet: Carmen, Suite No. 1a., Aragonaise, (first 18 measures)

 Triangle

  • Brahms: Symphony No. 4

    • 5 before B

    • pick-up to C - 6 before E

Harp

  • in addition to the following orchestral excerpts, a concerto of player’s choice is required for section/Principal but is not required for subsitute

  • Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, mvt. II

  • Britten: Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (Theme A), (Variation I and J), (Fugue - letter I to J)

  • Korsakov: Capriccio Espangnol, mvt. IV (cadenza), mvt. V (measure 50 to end)

  • Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker (cadenza to Waltz of the Flowers)

Strings

Violin

Assistant Concertmaster & Principal 2nd Violin

  • Solo: Exposition from a standard concerto of choice

  • Strauss, Don Juan, beginning to 14 measures after D

  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 movement III, m. 99-114.

  • Brahms: Symphony No. 4, movement IV, letter B – D

  • Debussy: La Mer, reh. 19-20 & reh. 33-38

  • Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Scherzo, m. 16 to 15 before Reh. E

  • Mozart Symphony No. 39, movement II, beg. - m. 27 and movement IV, beginning to A

Violin – Section/Substitute 

  • Solo (not needed for substitute audition): Exposition from a standard concerto of choice

  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 movement III, m. 99-114.

  • Brahms: Symphony No. 4, movement IV, letter B – D

  • Debussy: La Mer, reh. 19-20 & reh. 33-38

  • Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Scherzo, m. 16 to 15 before Reh. E

  • Mozart Symphony No. 39, movement II, beg. - m. 27 and movement IV, beginning to A

Viola

Associate Principal Viola

  • Solo: Exposition from a standard concerto of choice

  • Strauss: Don Quixote (Kalmus Ed.)

    • measures 142 to 160

    • measures 285 to 300

  • Elgar: Enigma Variations, VI. Ysobel, 2 measures after Reh. 20 to Reh. 22

  • Enesco: Rumanian Rhapsody no. 1 (Kalmus Ed.), 1 after Reh. 7 to Reh. 8

  • Berlioz: Roman Carnival, 1 after Reh. 1 to 1 after Reh. 4

  • Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night’s Dream, Scherzo movement, beginning to D

  • Mozart: Marriage of Figaro Overture, beginning to measure 5

  • Strauss: Don Juan, beginning to D

  • Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5

    • Reh. 15 - Reh. 17

    • 3 after Reh. 22 - Reh. 25


Viola – Section/Substitute

  • Solo (not needed for substitute audition): Exposition from a standard concerto of choice

  • Beethoven: Symphony no. 5, mvt. 4, Andante

    • beginning to measure 10

    • pick-up to measure 50 through 59

  • Berlioz: Roman Carnival, 1 after Reh. 1 to 1 after Reh. 4

  • Brahms: Symphony No. 2

    • movement I, 4 before E to 19 after E

    • movement II, letter C to measure 55

  • Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night’s Dream, Scherzo movement, beginning to D

  • Mozart: Symphony no. 35, mvt. IV Finale

    • beginning to measure 37

    • measures 124 through 138

  • Strauss: Don Juan, beginning to D

  • Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5

    • Reh. 15 - Reh. 17

    • 3 after Reh. 22 - Reh. 25

Cello

Cello – Principal

  • Solo: Exposition from a standard concerto of choice

  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 movement II

    • beginning to measure 10

    • measure 49 to 59

    • measure 98 to 106

    • measure 114 to 124

  • Brahms: Symphony No. 2, movement II, opening to A

  • Debussy: La Mer, 2 before 9 to 6 after 9 (top line)

  • Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night’s Dream, Scherzo movement

    • Reh. C to Reh. D

    • Reh. N to Reh. O

  • Mozart: Symphony No. 35, movement IV

    • beginning to measure 30

    • measure 57 to 67

    • measure 134 to 140

  • Strauss: Don Juan

    • beginning to measure 9

    • 3 before Reh. G to Reh. H

    • Reh. R to Reh. T

Cello – Section/Substitute 

  • Solo (not needed for substitute audition): Exposition from a standard concerto of choice

  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 movement II

    • beginning to measure 10

    • measure 49 to 59

    • measure 98 to 106

    • measure 114 to 124

  • Brahms: Symphony No. 2, movement II, opening to A

  • Debussy: La Mer, 2 before 9 to 6 after 9 (top line)

  • Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night’s Dream, Scherzo movement

    • Reh. C to Reh. D

    • Reh. N to Reh. O

  • Mozart: Symphony No. 35, movement IV

    • beginning to measure 30

    • measure 57 to 67

    • measure 134 to 140

Bass

Bass – Section/Substitute

  • Solo (not needed for substitute audition): A solo of player’s choice

  • Mozart: Symphony No. 39 mvt. 1

    • measure 13-21

    • 14 measures before A - C

  • Brahms: Symphony No. 2, mvt. 1

    • 11 measures after A - 1 measure after B

    • letter E - F

  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, mvt. 4, Recitative to 16th measure of Allegro Assai

  • Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4, mvt. I, P to 2nd measure of Q

  • Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, mvt. I, 22 to four before 27