Orchestra excerpts list

At all NJO auditions and at the first round of EUYO auditions, musicians will be asked to play one piece from the NJO solo pieces list and a selection from the NJO orchestra excerpts list below. 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.

Notes:

  • Double bass players should play their solo piece and orchestral parts in orchestral tuning.
  • Woodwind players should prepare a solo piece and 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.
  • For EUYO final round auditions, we refer to the EUYO orchestra excerpts list and to more information about EUYO auditions on the EUYO website.
  • Candidates only playing the EUYO first and/or second round auditions (and not the NJO auditions) need to prepare one solo piece from the NJO solo pieces list below and all EUYO excerpts.

 

You will find the list of orchestra excerpts below. This list has last been updated on 31 October 2022.

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
Ravel - Piano Concerto - I

Oboe

Oboe
Strauss - Don Juan
Rossini - Scala di Seta (The silken ladder)
Ravel - Le Tombeau de Couperin
Ravel - Daphnis et Chloe
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
Stravinsky – Le Sacre du Printemps

Clarinet

Clarinet
Beethoven - Symphony No. 6
Berlioz - Benvenuto Cellini
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

Piccolo trumpet
Stravinsky - Le Sacre du Printemps

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
Beethoven - Symphony No. 9

Tuba

F tuba
Verdi - Requiem
Wagner - Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Strauss - Till Eulenspiegel

Contrabass tuba
Wagner - Das Rheingold (Wurm solo only)
Prokofiev - Symphony No. 5
Hindemith - Sinfonische Metamorphosen

Harp

Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake
Stravinsky - Le Baiser de la Fee
Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique
Verdi - La Forza del Destino

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

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