High school clarinet, horn, bassoon and string players invited to audition for Hoff-Barthelson Music School’s Festival Orchestra

Hoff-Barthelson Music School’s Festival Orchestra to Hold Auditions

High school clarinet, horn, bassoon and string players invited to audition to be part of 2017-2018 season

 High school clarinet, horn, bassoon and string players are invited to audition for Hoff-Barthelson Music School’s Festival Orchestra for the 2017-2018 season. Auditions will be held at the School, 25 School Lane, Scarsdale, on Wednesday, September 6, 2017, beginning at 6:30 pm.

The Festival Orchestra is a full symphonic orchestra for high school students at the highest level of technical ability and musical artistry. Lauded as one of the finest high school orchestras in the United States by the New York State Council on the Arts, the Festival Orchestra is open, by audition, to students in grades 9-12, regardless of where they study music.

Under the direction of Conductor Jun Nakabayashi, the Festival Orchestra performs three concerts annually; two are with guest artists of international stature in full-length concerto performances. The final concert of the season is held at the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College. Members participate in the New York Philharmonic Academy Jr. Program which includes attending a New York Philharmonic rehearsal and post-rehearsal discussion at Lincoln Center and an evening of sectional coaching at the School by members of the Philharmonic.

Repertoire for the 2017-2018 season includes:

• Beethoven: Coriolan Overture and Symphony No. 3 “Eroica”
• Haydn: Cello Concerto in D
• Mahler: Adagietto
• Milhaud: Chamber Symphony No.2 and No.3
• Mozart: Flute Concerto in G
• Rossini: Overture to Il barbiere di Siviglia
• Wagner: Siegfried Idyll

Repertoire subject to change.

2017-2018 Concert Dates:

• December 9, 2017
• March 11, 2018
• June 9, 2018

Audition requirements:
Applicants must perform a 2 minute section from a piece written for their instrument that is comparable to a NYSSMA Level 6 piece; scales; and prepared excerpts. Excerpts can be downloaded at http://hbms.org/festival-orchestra.php

For additional information, or to schedule an audition:
To schedule an audition, contact Orchestra Manager Mark Kushnir at 845-429-1032 or e-mail festivalorchestra@hbms.org.

About the New York Philharmonic Academy Jr.:
Hoff-Barthelson Music School is the only music school in the tri-state area to have been selected by the New York Philharmonic as a partner in its Philharmonic Academy Jr. Program, which involves training of pre-college students by Philharmonic musicians in partnership with institutions in New York committed to strong orchestra programs.

 About Hoff-Barthelson Music School:
Hoff-Barthelson Music School has achieved national recognition as a premier community music school for its unsurpassed leadership in education, performance and community service. With a faculty drawn from the region’s most talented teachers and performers, the School has long been one of Westchester County’s most cherished cultural resources. Open to people of all ages and abilities, Hoff-Barthelson serves as a center where anyone can pursue their interest in music and reach their highest potential. Students encounter a vibrant, nurturing community of music-makers, often forming relations that last a lifetime. The School will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2019-2020.

Photo credit and caption: Hoff-Barthelson Music School’s Festival Orchestra. Photographed by Steven Schnur.