Orchestral Audition Excerpts

Please find below the links to the Orchestral Excerpts for your Young Mannheim Symphonists 2026 audition video. If you have not already submitted an application form, please do so via this link.

2026 APPLICATION DEADLINES:

  • Monday 25 August – Applications open, audition excerpts available here

  • Sunday 12 October – Applications close at midnight

  • Waitlist applications accepted after deadlines - contact operations@arco.org.au

ACCEPTANCE ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • Monday 10 November

AUDITION HOT TIPS

  • Download these excerpts NOW! Take them to your teacher.

  • Look at your schedule between now and 12 October. Decide when is YOUR best time to record the video.

  • Do not wait until the last week.

General audition information

A range of orchestral excerpts has been selected by the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra principal musicians who also form the audition panel.

You are required to perform your orchestral excerpts first, followed by your own choice piece (except for timpanists). You may restart the video recording before your own choice piece but you must perform all the orchestral excerpts in one take.

Your own choice solo piece must not be longer than 2 minutes. If the video is longer, our judging panel will listen to the first 2 minutes only.

We recommend that you take the time to listen to historically informed performances (on period instruments) of these works. As well as technical ability, tonal production and intonation, the auditions will be assessed on stylistic understanding and interpretation.

Make sure you perform the excerpts in the context of the work as a whole, paying careful attention to tempo, dynamics and articulations.

The excerpts are of varying difficulty. Don’t be disheartened by a difficult excerpt. You can play it more slowly if necessary.

The links below can be accessed on all devices. If you are accessing them on a mobile phone, you will need to have the Dropbox app.

HAVING TROUBLE UPLOADING?

Here are a few tips for troubleshooting your video upload.

  • Whichever device you are using, try switching off and rebooting. (An oldie but a goodie, works on 90% of tech-related problems!)

  • If uploading from a phone, try sending it to your computer (e.g. Airdrop, WeTransfer etc), then upload from there.

  • If uploading from a phone, keep this web page open rather than switching to another app (this worked for a 2025 applicant!)

  • Make sure you have saved/exported your video into your phone’s “Photos” - do not try to upload it as an iMovie project or similar.

  • If you are still having problems, please email Rosemary at operations@arco.org.au to explain and find a solution.