Education
NZSO National Youth Orchestra
The NZSO National Youth Orchestra is the jewel in the crown of NZSO artist development activities for New Zealand’s young orchestral musicians.
A unique and incredible opportunity, it offers its members the chance to work with artists of international stature, as well as coaching from the Principals of the NZSO.
Since its inception in 1959, the NZSO NYO has played a vital role in providing a specialised training opportunity for the country’s most gifted young orchestral performers, many of whom have forged successful careers as orchestral players, soloists, chamber musicians and teachers.
2010 Application Procedures and Audition Requirements
The NZSO National Youth Orchestra is seeking members for the 2010 season.
| NZSO National Youth Orchestra Application Form - Download now! |
Live auditions will be held throughout New Zealand during April and May 2010. All applicants will receive written notification of their audition results in early June 2010.
Age limit: must be 25 or under as of 31 December 2010
Non-refundable Application Fee: $20
Course fee: $250
Application Deadline: Friday 12 March 2010
Audition Requirements
Solo piece of the applicant’s choice, without accompaniment, up to three minutes long. Applicants are not required to present complete works; an appropriate passage from a longer piece is also acceptable. (Percussion applicants please note that you are required to play solo piece of the your choice for xylophone)
Orchestral excerpts from the standard orchestral repertory, to be sent out on receipt of application.
Live auditions are encouraged as part of the NYO experience. However applicants from outside the centres listed below or those who are unable to audition on their scheduled day for certified medical reasons may submit a recorded audition.
In these cases an audio CD, digital audio tape or MP3 file is acceptable.
Instruments
The NZSO NYO is seeking applications for the following instruments:
Flute, Piccolo, Oboe, Cor Anglais, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon, Contrabassoon, French Horn, Trumpet, Tenor Trombone, Bass Trombone, Tuba, Percussion, Timpani, Harp, Piano, Alto Saxophone, Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass
Note: Woodwind instrument candidates are encouraged to also audition on their respective doubling instruments – Piccolo, Cor Anglais, Bass Clarinet and Contrabassoon.
Audition Timetable (excluding Percussion/Timpani)
Wellington 11 - 12 April
Dunedin 13 April
Christchurch 14 - 15 April
Hamilton 16 April
Auckland 17 - 18 April
Percussion/Timpani
Christchurch 20 April
Dunedin 21 April
Auckland 23 April
Wellington 14 - 15 May
Palmerston North 18 May
Napier 19 May
Hamilton 20 May
All auditions are independently assessed by the NZSO Principals. All decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into.
To apply
DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM
Please return completed application forms, including application fee to:
NZSO National Youth Orchestra
P.O. Box 6640
Wellington 6141
To request a hard copy application form, please contact 04 801 3862 or email nyo@nzso.co.nz
Important Dates
1 December 2009 applications open
1 February 2010 orchestral excerpts available
12 March 2010 closing date for applications
30 April 2010 closing date for receipt of all recorded auditions
4 June 2010 audition results mailed out, with statement of payments due.
18 June 2010 final date for residency acceptance
Accommodation
The NZSO NYO is not a residential programme. Accommodation and food expenses are not included in the course fee. Block bookings will be made by NYO for those requiring accommodation which will cost approximately $25 per night. Participants who are under 18 years of age will be billeted with home stay families unless prior written consent is given by a parent or guardian for them to be accommodated in the hostel. Accommodation will be at Wellington YHA and Auckland YHA.
Travel
It is the responsibility of NZSO NYO members to arrange and pay for travel to Wellington prior to the rehearsal period beginning on Thursday 19 August at 10.00am.
The NZSO NYO will arrange and pay for the following travel:
Friday 27 August: Travel from Wellington City to Auckland City
Sunday 29 August: Coach travel from Auckland City to Wellington City
2010 NZSO NYO season
Thursday 19 August – Saturday 28 August
The 2010 NZSO NYO season will feature the first New Zealand appearances of the Bulgarian conductor Rossen Milanov. Deeply committed to musical training and a musical force in his own right, Rossen Milanov is Music Director of no less than three orchestras and holds the role of Associate Conductor with the famed Philadelphia Orchestra.
Programme
NYO Composer-in-Residence Award 2010 (World Premiere)
Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Stravinsky Concerto for Piano and Wind
Adams The Chairman Dances
Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances
Concerts
Wellington, Thursday 26 August, 7:30pm, Michael Fowler Centre
Auckland, Saturday 28 August, 7:30pm, Auckland Town Hall
NZSO NYO is Sponsored by:
The Adam Foundation
NZSO National Youth Orchestra Composer-in-Residence Award
Now in it sixth year, the NZSO NYO Composer-in-Residence Award has provided a unique platform for some of the most exciting young musical voices in New Zealand to be heard. Previous winners have included Robin Toan, Claire Cowan, Karlo Margetic, Tabea Squire and last year’s winner Natalie Hunt.
The winning composer will join the NZSO NYO residency and will have their work performed in Wellington and Auckland. It will be recorded for broadcast by Radio New Zealand Concert and will be released on a souvenir CD of the NZSO National Youth Orchestra performances. The composer will be mentored by one of New Zealand’s eminent established composers and will also receive the most recent version of Sibelius music writing software with free training from MusiTech Ltd (NZ), a free subscription to CANZ and a 12 months membership to the SOUNZ library.
“It is hard to imagine a more exciting and rewarding opportunity for young New Zealand composers. Their music is played by the best musicians in their age group in concert halls around the country. Audiences, quite rightly, anticipate one of the most exciting concerts of the year and happily accept the inclusion of a New Zealand work in the context of major orchestral repertoire.
The NZSO NYO Composer in Residence Award is the perfect platform for launching the careers of young New Zealand composers. The composers who have been honoured with the residency have taken advantage of their opportunities and are continuing to develop and make an impact on the music scene.”
Ross Harris, 2009 Composer-in-Residence mentor
Qualifications for entry are
- Entrants must be a New Zealand resident or citizen.
- Composers must be 25 years of age or younger on 31 December 2010.
- Maximum 5 minutes duration.
- All entries must be submitted in computer generated format on unbound single-sided A4 paper. A complete instrumentation listing must be provided at the beginning of the score as well as the duration.
- One entry per person
- The entry must be for full symphony orchestra without soloists in a concert opener, overture/fanfare style.
- Maximum instrumentation is as follows:
3333 – 4431 – sax - Tmp+5 - Hp - Pf – strings (including piccolo, English horn, Eb clarinet, bass clarinet and contrabassoon) - The entry must be a fully original work, not previously offered to any other organisation. It must not have been performed in rehearsal, concert or workshopped.
The NZSO NYO reserves the right to disqualify any entry that does not adhere to these requirements.
Important dates
18 December 2009: Applications forms to be received
5 March 2010: Orchestral score to be received
3 May 2010: Parts and score to be delivered by selected composer.
19 August to 28 August 2010: NYO residency period
For more information please contact nyo@nzso.co.nz
