Philadelphia Youth Orchestra is Now Accepting Pre-Recorded Online Auditions

The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra organization, one of the oldest and most respected orchestra programs in the nation, is now accepting pre-recorded online auditions for the first time in its 80-year history. Music students, age 6 to 21, are invited to participate in one of PYO's five, large ensemble programs. The students will experience music education and performance at the highest levels. Student training goes beyond music as their education provides the potential for them to become tomorrow's leaders, both on and off the stage, while developing responsibility, discipline, and character skills that promote future success.

The five ensemble programs that accept online auditions are:

The anchor group is the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO), conducted by President and Music Director Louis Scaglione, featuring 130 gifted instrumentalists who range in age from 15-21.

Young musicians 13-18 years old are featured in PYO's companion ensemble, the Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra (PYAO), which is led by Director and Conductor Maestra Rosalind Erwin, who is Music Director and Conductor of Drexel University Orchestra.

Philadelphia Young Musicians Orchestra (PYMO), directed by Maestro Kenneth Bean, is a beginning to intermediate-level full symphonic orchestra that provides most students with their first introduction to large orchestral playing featuring students age 11-17 years old.

Bravo Brass, directed by Curtis Institute of Music Dean, Paul Bryan, is an all-brass ensemble for promising middle and high-school instrumentalists.

PRYSM (Philadelphia Region Youth String Music) and PRYSM Young Artists ensembles provide string large ensemble and sectional master class instruction for beginning and intermediate musicians age 6-14. The director and conductor of PRYSM is Gloria DePasquale, cellist with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and conductor of PRYSM Young Artists is Andrea Weber.

Maestro Louis Scaglione, President and Music Director of PYO, talked about this new audition process and said, "In this unprecedented year when we have extended and modified our music rehearsals to a digital format, we decided to move forward and include the audition process in our revised virtual programming. Auditions are such an important part of a music student's experience and in our selection of candidates for the 2020-2021 season. We wanted to be sure we kept within our annual rehearsal schedule with the expectation and hope that in September we will be able to proceed with in-person rehearsals and performances."

The audition process is the first step in joining one of the ensembles. With the guidance from their private studio and/or school music teacher, students are encouraged to review the required scales and excerpts and to select the appropriate set that will best demonstrate their current level of technical and musical ability. Students will be placed in the appropriate orchestra program based on their submitted audition materials, as well as prior orchestra experience. Respective program and audition information links for all program divisions are posted below. Financial aid is available for qualified families. Additional instructions and details about how to submit audition applications online is available online at www.pyos.org/audition/

Priority review will be given to students who submit their audition materials by the following deadlines:

Friday, May 15, 2020

Friday, May 22, 2020

Friday, May 29, 2020

Auditions submitted after these deadlines will then be reviewed on a rolling basis.