From hotels to concert halls: the evolution of the North American orchestral hall audition

Abstract

To secure a seat in a symphony orchestra, musicians across North America face a rigorous and demanding audition. While there are resources suggesting audition strategies, there is little documentation about the history of the audition process and how this has impacted personnel selection over the years. Furthermore, with technology instigating rapid developments in the tools and the accessibility of music, training has changed dramatically this millennium. This project compiles literature on orchestral auditions as well as presenting interviews with forty-two professional hornists and horn pedagogues across North America to create a unique compilation of expert advice, anecdotes and statistics on horn auditions. The project addresses several aspects of the professional horn audition: it summarizes the history of orchestral horn auditions in the United States and Canada, documents notable changes and trends, specifically regarding location, repertoire, the role of the American Federation of Musicians, procedure, artistic demands and surveys the types of technological resources and preparation tools used by applicants today. Through this contextualization, it examines the strengths and weaknesses arising from the orchestral audition’s evolution and from candidates’ ability to access resources, ultimately reaching conclusions on the state and structure of today’s auditions.