Auditions

Orchestra members are paid professionals, many of whom are members of their local unions.

To schedule an audition for a position in the Dearborn Symphony, contact Personnel Manager John Hartwick at jhartwick@dearbornsymphony.org or 313.565.2424. 

 

Upcoming Auditions:

Wednesday, September 10, 2025: Principal Clarinet, Principal Trombone

Thursday, September 11, 2025: Associate Concertmaster, Principal Second Violin, Section First Violin (two positions), Section Cello

 

Audition Requirements

Below are performance requirements. A resume must be submitted by TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, along with the specific position(s) for which you are auditioning. 

Auditions will take place behind a screen for the initial round. The screen may be removed for subsequent rounds at the discretion of the audition committee.

All applicants must be eligible to work in the United States.

Associate Concert Master

  1. SOLO REPERTOIRE
    • First movement (with cadenza) of one standard concerto, such as:
      • Beethoven
      • Brahms
      • Mendelssohn
      • Bruch
      • Tchaikovsky
      • Sibelius
      • Prokofieff #2
    • First movement (without cadenza) of one of the following Mozart concerti:
      • No. 3, K. 216
      • No. 4, K. 218
      • No. 5, K. 219
  2. ORCHESTRAL REPERTOIRE
    • FIRST VIOLIN EXCERPTS
      • BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9
        • 2nd movement, mm. 21-77
        • 3rd movement, mm. 99-114
        • 4th movement, mm. 656-730
      • BRAHMS: Symphony No. 4
        • 4th movement, mm. 33-81
      • MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 4
        • 1st movement, beginning-m. 110
      • MOZART: Symphony No. 39
        • 2nd movement, beginning-mm. 60
      • PROKOFIEFF: Symphony No. 1
        • 1st movement, beginning-4th measure of H
      • J. STRAUSS: Don Juan
        • Beginning – m. 62
    • SOLO EXCERPTS
      • BACH: St. Matthew Passion
        • Coro (Orchestra) 1, No. 47 “Erbarme dich, mein Gott”
          • Beginning – m. 8
      • BRAHMS: Symphony No. 1, Mvt. 2 Solo mm. 90-end
      • RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Capriccio Espagnole solos

Principal Second Violin

  1. SOLO REPERTOIRE
    • First movement (with cadenza) of one standard concerto, such as:
      • Beethoven
      • Brahms
      • Mendelssohn
      • Bruch
      • Tchaikovsky
      • Sibelius
      • Prokofieff #2
    • First movement (without cadenza) of one of the following Mozart concerti:
      • No. 3, K. 216
      • No. 4, K. 218
      • No. 5, K. 219
  2. ORCHESTRAL REPERTOIRE
    • FIRST VIOLIN EXCERPTS
      • BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9
        • 3rd movement, mm. 99-114
      • BRAHMS: Symphony No. 4
        • 4th movement, mm. 33-81
      • MOZART: Symphony No. 39
        • 2nd movement, beginning-mm. 60
      • J. STRAUSS: Don Juan
        • Beginning – m. 62
    • SECOND VIOLIN EXCERPTS
      • BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9
        • 4th movement, mm. 187-207
        • 4th movement, mm. 435-525
      • BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 1
        • 3rd movement, mm. 238-263
      • MOZART: Symphony No. 41
        • 4th movement, mm. 272-313
    • SOLO EXCERPTS
      • BACH: St. Matthew Passion
        • Coro (Orchestra) 2, No. 51 “Gebt mir meinen Jesum wieder”
          • Beginning-m. 13
      • STRAVINSKY: Pulcinella Suite
        • 4th movement “Tarantella,” whole movement

Section First Violin

  1. SOLO REPERTOIRE
    • First movement (with cadenza) of one standard concerto, such as:
      • Beethoven
      • Brahms
      • Mendelssohn
      • Bruch
      • Tchaikovsky
      • Sibelius
      • Prokofieff #2
    • First movement (without cadenza) of one of the following Mozart concerti:
      • No. 3, K. 216
      • No. 4, K. 218
      • No. 5, K. 219
  2. ORCHESTRAL REPERTOIRE
    • FIRST VIOLIN EXCERPTS
      • BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9
        • 2nd movement, mm. 21-77
        • 3rd movement, mm. 99-114
        • 4th movement, mm. 656-730
      • BRAHMS: Symphony No. 4
        • 4th movement, mm. 33-81
      • MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 4
        • 1st movement, beginning-mm. 60
      • MOZART: Symphony No. 39
        • 2nd movement, beginning-mm. 60
      • PROKOFIEFF: Symphony No. 1
        • 1st movement, beginning-4th measure of H
      • J. STRAUSS: Don Juan
        • Beginning – m. 62

Section Cello

  1. SOLO REPERTOIRE
    • First Movement from a standard concerto
  2. ORCHESTRAL REPERTOIRE
    • Section Excerpts:
      • BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5
        • 2nd mvt, Theme mm. 1-10; Var I mm. 49-59; Var II mm. 98-106
      • BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5
        • 3rd mvt, Opening, Trio (mm. 1-52, 140-177) (no repeat)
      • BRAHMS: Symphony No. 3
        • 3rd mvt, 1-39 beginning to Rehearsal B
      • MENDELSSOHN: Midsummer Night’s Dream
        • 1. “Scherzo”: N-O
      • MOZART: Symphony N. 25, Mvt IV 134-181
      • R. STRAUSS: Don Juan, Op. 20
        • Beginning – Rehearsal D
      • TCHAIKOVSKY: Swan Lake
        • Act II, No. 13, Danses des cygnes: V. Pas d’action, cello solo
      • VERDI: Requiem No. 3
        • Offertorio: Beginning – end of m. 34

Principal Clarinet

First Movement from a standard concerto

    • BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 8 Mvt. III, Trio to D.C.
    • BRAHMS: Symphony No. 3 Mvt. I (14 after B to 3 after C), Mvt. II (beginning until 10 after B)
    • MENDELSSOHN: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Scherzo) (beginning to B; pickup to C to E)
    • RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Capriccio espagnol, Mvt. I, A to B; Mvt. III, 11 after K to end
    • RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Scheherazade, Mvt. II F to G

Principal Trombone

    • MOZART: Tuba Mirum from the Requiem
    • BERLIOZ: Hungarian March – 6 before #4 to end
    • RAVEL: Bolero, “solo”
    • SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 3, Mvt 4 – beginning to 3 after A
    • STRAVINSKY: Pulcinella Suite (Duetto)

 

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Substitutes
Contact the office at 313.565.2424 or jhartwick@dearbornsymphony.org.