Candidates are required to demonstrate good facility in all the major and minor scales listed below (and their arpeggios) at a tempo set by the auditors. For general qualification, 2 octaves are required. For leadership and 1st violin positions, candidates must demonstrate good facility in playing 3 octave scales and arpeggios.

C Major - a minor
G Major - e minor
D major- b minor
F Major - d minor
Bb Major - g minor
A major

Candidates must be able to play scales using the following four bowings:
1. Slow long bow: one note per bow, from frog to tip and tip to frog, without losing tonal quality and sound projection.
2. Slurred bowing: up to 1 octave per bow, without losing tonal quality and sound projection.
3. Short bowing: martele (short accented notes)
4. Short bowing: detache (short but smoothly connected notes)

II. Required Sight- reading

Sight-reading materials will be given to the candidate at the audition. The materials will include passages with various kinds of double stops.

III. Orchestral Excerpts

Orchestral excerpts will be given at least 2 weeks prior to audition date to all candidates. All applicants must meet the required technical evaluation requirements (I and II above) before the excerpts will be listened to by our COS audition panel. Pieces other than those listed below may be substituted at the discretion of the music director.

excerpts from early Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven symphonies
excerpts from short orchestral works by other composers
excerpts from Brandenburg Concerto #3 by Bach (unabridged version)

JUNIOR SYMPHONIC ENSEMBLE (Strings)*

I. Required Scales and Arpeggios
Candidates must demonstrate good facility in playing all the major and minor scales listed below (and their arpeggios) at a tempo set by the auditors. For general qualification, 3 octaves are required. For leadership and 1st violin positions, the additional requirement is 3 octaves in scales marked with *

C Major - a minor
D Major - b minor
F Major - d minor
Eb Major - c minor
A Major -f #minor
Bb Major- g minor
F major*- c# minor*
Ab major*- f minor*

Candidates must be able to play scales using the following four bowings:

1. Slow long bow : one note per bow. From frog to tip and tip to frog, without losing tonal quality and sound projection.
2. Slurred bowing : up to 2 octaves per bow, without losing tonal quality and sound projection.
3. Short bowing: martele (short accented notes)
4. Short bowing: detache (short but smoothly connected notes)

II. Sight- reading

Sight-reading materials will be given to the candidate at the audition. The materials will include passages with double stops.

III. Orchestral Excerpts

Orchestral excerpts will be given at least 2 weeks prior to audition date to all candidates. All applicants must meet the required technical evaluation requirements (I and II above) before he/she is listened to by our COS audition panel. Pieces other than those listed below may be substituted at the discretion of the music director.

excerpts from Mozart, Symphonies #35 and #40
excerpts from Beethoven, Symphony #1
excerpts Haydn, Symphonies #88 and #100
excerpts from Schubert, Unfinished Symphony
excerpts from Mendelssohn , Symphony #4 ("Italian")

YOUNG SYMPHONIC ENSEMBLE (Strings)*

I. Required Scales and Arpeggios

Candidates are required to demonstrate good facility in all the major and minor scales listed below (and their arpeggios) at a tempo set by the auditors. For general qualification 3 octaves are required. For leadership and 1st violin positions, 4 octaves are required on the scales marked with *.

Ab Major* (for violin)- f minor
Eb Major* (for viola and cello) - c minor
A Major - f# minor
E Major - c# minor
Bb major - g minor

Candidates must be able to play scales using the following three bowings:

1. Slow long bow: one note per bow. From frog to tip and tip to frog, without losing tonal quality and sound projection.
2. Slurred bowing: up to 3 octaves per bow ascending, three octaves descending, without losing tonal quality and sound projection.
3. One octave ascending, in one up-bow staccato

II. Sight-reading

Sight-reading materials will be given to the candidate at the audition. The materials may include passages with artificial harmonics, left hand pizzicato, and double stops.

III. Orchestral Excerpts

Orchestral excerpts will be given at least 2 weeks prior to the audition date to all candidates. All applicants must be able to perform the required technical evaluation requirements (I and II above) before he/she will be listened to by the COS audition panel. Pieces other than those listed below may be substituted at the discretion of the music director.

excerpts from Tchaikovsky Symphony # 5
excerpts from Brahms Symphony #4
excerpts from Bernstein Candide Overture
excerpts from Rossini Sonata #5 in Eb for Strings
excerpts from Bartok Romanian Dances for String Orchestra
excerpts from an etude with double stops