Orchestral excerpts

At all NJO auditions (and first round EUYO auditions when combined with NJO), musicians will be asked to play a selection from the NJO orchestral excerpts listed below.

Candidates ONLY applying for EUYO (both 1st and 2nd rounds) need to prepare EUYO excerpts.

Although candidates may be asked to play only a selection of the orchestral excerpts, all of them should be prepared. Read more about the auditions on our Audition information page and the underlying pages.

Please note:

  • Woodwind players should prepare all orchestra excerpts for their main instrument; preparation of orchestra excerpts for auxiliary instruments is not mandatory, but strongly advised. Read all about auditioning for auxiliary instruments in How to prepare.
  • The list with excerpts may be subject to change, so please make sure you prepare the right excerpts. If you have any questions, please contact NJO Orchestra Manager Twan Dubbers twan njon.nl

You will find the list of orchestral excerpts below. 

Violin

Violin concertmaster / (co-)principal
Brahms - Symphony No. 1 - II

Violin
Brahms - Symphony No. 4
Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Mozart - Symphony No. 39
Strauss - Don Juan

Viola

Viola (co-)principal
Stravinsky - L'oiseau de Feu
Strauss - Don Quixote

Viola
Strauss - Don Juan
Shostakovich - Symphony No. 5 - I
Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Bartók - Concerto for Orchestra

Cello

Cello (co-)principal
Brahms - Piano Concerto No. 2

Cello
Strauss - Ein Heldenleben
Beethoven - Symphony No. 5
Brahms - Symphony No. 2 - II
Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream

Double bass (orchestral tuning)

Double Bass (co-)principal (orchestra tuning)
Mahler - Symphony No. 1 - III
Stravinsky - Pulcinella - VII

Double Bass (orchestra tuning)
Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 - III
Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 - IV
Mozart - Symphony No. 40 - I
Strauss - Ein Heldenleben

Flute

Flute
Dvořák - Symphony No. 8 - IV
Prokofiev - Peter and the Wolf
Rachmaninov - Symphonic Dances - I
Shostakovich - Symphony No. 6 - I
Tchaikovsky - Piano Concert No. 1 – I, II, III

Flute: Piccolo
Bizet - L'Arlésienne Suite
Dukas - The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Ravel - Bolero (1st piccolo)
Ravel - Piano Concerto - I

Oboe

Oboe
Strauss - Don Juan
Rossini - Scala di Seta (The silken ladder)
Ravel - Le Tombeau de Couperin
Beethoven - Symphony No. 3
J.S. Bach - Ich habe genug BWV 82 (until the fermata; up to and including measure 34)

Cor Anglais
Dvořák - Symphony No. 9 - II
Rossini - Guillaume Tell

Clarinet

Clarinet
Beethoven - Symphony No. 6
Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique
Ravel - Daphnis et Chloe
Verdi - La Forza del Destino

E-flat Clarinet
Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique
Ravel - Bolero

Bass Clarinet
Shostakovich - Violin Concerto
Mahler - Symphony No. 6

Bassoon

Bassoon
Brahms - Violin Concerto - II
Mozart - Le Nozze di Figaro
Shostakovich - Symphony No. 9 - IV - V
Stravinsky - Le Sacre du Printemps

Double Bassoon
Mahler - Symphony No. 4 - I - II
Ravel - Ma Mère l'Oye

French horn

French Horn High
Strauss - Ein Heldenleben
Ravel - Bolero
Mahler - Symphony No. 9
Brahms - Symphony No. 2 - II

French Horn Low
Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 - III
Shostakovich - Symphony No. 5 - I
Strauss - Don Quixote

Trumpet

Bartók - Concerto for Orchestra
Donizetti - Don Pasquale
Mahler - Symphony No. 5 - I
Stravinsky - Petrushka

Tenortrombone

Rossini - Guillaume Tell
Mozart - Requiem - Tuba mirum
Ravel - Bolero
Wagner - Die Walküre

Bass trombone

Rossini - Guillaume Tell Overture
Wagner - Die Walküre
Stravinsky - Petrushka
Schumann - Symphony No. 3
Haydn - Die Schöpfung

Tuba

Bass tuba F/Eb
Stravinsky - Petrushka
Wagner - Meistersinger
Mahler - Symphony no 1 3rd mvt
Berlioz - Damnation de Faust

Contrabass tuba CC/BBb
Hindemith - Symphonic Metamorphosis Turandot
Bruckner - Symphony no 9
Wagner - Das Rheingold Valhalla Motif
Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries

Harp

Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake cadenza
Stravinsky - Symphony in 3 Movements (172 - 177 and 192 - end)
Verdi - La Forza del Destino Overture
Wagner - Tristan und Isolde (Isoldes Liebestod until Hh)

Piano/celesta

Stravinsky - Petrushka - Danse Russe
Tschaikovsky - Nutcracker Suite - No. 1
Stravinsky - Symphony in 3 Movements
Bartók - Music for Strings Percussion and Celesta

Timpani / Percussion

Timpani
Bartók - Concerto for Orchestra
Strauss - Burlesque
Beethoven - Symphony No. 9
Beethoven - Symphony No. 1 - III
Mozart - Die Zauberflöte Overture

Bass drum
Mahler - Symphony No. 3

Snare drum
Delécluse - Test-Claire

Xylophone
Stravinsky - L'Oiseau de Feu
Gershwin - Porgy and Bess
Messiaen - Les Oiseaux Exotiques

Bells
Dukas - L'Apprenti Sorcier
Debussy - La Mer

Cymbals
Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet

Saxophone

Alto Saxophone

Alban Berg - Violin Concerto
Sergei Rachmaninov - Symphonic Dances
Leonard Bernstein - West Side Story

Tenor Saxophone

Sergei Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet 
Maurice Ravel - Boléro
Ralph Vaughan Williams - Sixth Symphony in E minor

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