Youth orchestras: how kids join and what they do

A youth orchestra is a full orchestra made up of young players. Most hold a rehearsal once a week through the school year and give a few concerts each season. Children join by audition, and many organizations run several levels, so a child with a few years of lessons can start in a training group and move up. Ask your child’s private teacher when and where to audition.

Who runs youth orchestras

• Independent nonprofit groups
• Professional orchestras, which run youth orchestras as part of their education programs
• Universities and conservatories
• Community music schools
• School districts, as regional or honor orchestras

The levels

Many organizations have two to five groups. The names vary. The pattern is common.

Level	Who it suits	What they play
Training or preparatory strings	String players with one to three years of lessons	Short pieces written for young string groups
Intermediate orchestra	Players who read music with ease and shift positions	Arrangements of orchestral music
Senior or symphony orchestra	Advanced players, often in high school	Full symphonies, overtures, and concertos as written

Some organizations add wind ensembles, percussion ensembles, and chamber music groups.

What a season looks like

Auditions. Many groups hold auditions once a year, in spring or late summer.

Weekly rehearsals. Young groups meet for an hour or so. Senior groups often rehearse for two to three hours.

Sectionals. The orchestra splits by instrument. A coach works with the violins, another with the brass, and so on.

Concerts. Many groups give two to four concerts a season.

Extras. Senior groups may add a weekend retreat, a concerto competition, a concert beside a professional orchestra, or a tour.

How auditions work

Each orchestra posts its own list. An audition often includes these parts.

• Scales. Major and minor scales in the keys listed for the level.
• A solo piece. One or two minutes of a piece that shows the player’s best work.
• Excerpts. Short passages from orchestra music, used for upper levels.
• Sight reading. A short passage the player has not seen.

Some training groups ask for a teacher’s recommendation in place of an audition. Many orchestras also hold seating auditions after players are accepted, to decide who sits where.

Which instruments are needed

An orchestra needs many string players and only a few of each wind and brass instrument. A senior orchestra may seat thirty violins and only two or three oboes. So wind and brass seats are harder to win.

Directors often look for violas, double basses, oboes, bassoons, and French horns, because fewer children play them.

What it costs

Fees. Most youth orchestras charge tuition for the season. Many offer financial aid. Ask early, since aid forms often have deadlines.

Time. Plan for the weekly rehearsal, the drive, and extra home practice on the orchestra music.

Other costs. Concert clothes, music folders, retreats, and tours may cost extra.

Rules. Many groups expect regular private lessons. Some ask members to stay in their school band or orchestra too. Read the attendance policy before you accept a place.

What children gain

A child in an orchestra learns skills that solo lessons do not cover: counting rests, following a conductor, blending with a section, and listening across the group. They play music too large for one player. They also spend time each week with other children who play.

Is my child ready?

A child is likely ready for a training group when they can:

• Read music in the keys they have studied
• Keep a steady beat while others play different parts
• Play in tune in first position, for string players
• Sit and focus through a rehearsal of an hour
• Practice at home on most days

Ask the teacher. Teachers know the local groups and their levels.

How to prepare for the audition

1. Get the audition list as soon as it is posted.
2. Ask the teacher to choose the solo piece.
3. Practice the scales with a metronome on most days.
4. Read one new line of music each day. See how to practice sight reading at home.
5. Hold a practice audition at home each week. Walk in, tune, play the list, and say thank you.
6. Record one run-through and listen to it together.
7. Track the days on a 30-day practice chart.

A child who does not get in this year can try again next year. Ask the orchestra whether it gives written comments.

Other ways to play in a group

• School band or orchestra
• Community bands and orchestras that welcome students
• Chamber music groups set up by a teacher
• Summer music camps
• Free neighborhood orchestra programs, where they exist

Learn the orchestra first

Read instruments of the orchestra for kids and the orchestra seating chart. Then read what a conductor does, since every player in an orchestra follows one. For the difference between the two kinds of school group, see band vs orchestra.