A Little History...

Years ago, the Binghamton Youth Symphony regularly invited guest soloists to play in their concerts. However, it became increasingly difficult to find good soloists at a cost the Youth Symphony could afford. Conductor Emeritus Bernard Shifrin and the Board of Directors concurred that our own musicians should be offered the opportunity to solo. So began the yearly audition process to select one or more talented musicians. Being selected as a soloist has been both a goal for our musicians to work toward, and a reward for their quality and dedication.

The Competition...

The Binghamton Youth Symphony conducts an annual competition to choose soloists to perform with the Symphony Orchestra at the annual Winter Concert held in January of each year. The soloists must be members of the Binghamton Youth Symphony Orchestra. The concerto soloists are chosen by audition in an annual competition held within several weeks of the beginning of rehearsals in September of every year. The musicians participating in the competition should have prepared a piece of music and have piano accompaniment for the audition. The piece should be suitable for use as a concerto solo with orchestral accompaniment. Musicians should bring an original copy of the score / part for the judges to use while listening to the audition.

Frequently Asked Questions...

I just joined the orchestra this year. Am I eligible to participate?

• Yes. There is no minimum tenure requirement.

I am only in ninth grade. Can I audition?

• Yes. There is no minimum age requirement.

The instrument that I play was used in a concerto last year. When will my instrument be eligible again?

• There is no instrument rotation. The judges choose the musicians with the best performances on the day of the competition. Please audition when you are ready to perform.

I play multiple instruments. Can I audition on an instrument that I do not play in the Orchestra?

• Yes. You do not have to audition on the instrument you play in the Orchestra.

How many judges are there?

• Three, each with different expertise. We select judges who are unfamiliar with Orchestra students.