For the chair
you haven't won yet.
A serious resource for orchestral and conservatoire auditions: what to bring, what tradition to play in, what the committee actually listens for, and which equipment decisions matter at the audition (and which don't). Compiled from working principal players' practice and the Concierge's audition-prep files.
Six months out,
three weeks out,
the day of.
The equipment decisions
Confirm your instrument is the right tradition for the chair (rotary for German orchestras, piston for North American; French oboe vs English; etc.). If you need to upgrade, this is the only window to do it — later changes destabilise your playing. Identify the orchestra's repertoire patterns and confirm your equipment serves them.
The repertoire work
By now, equipment is decided and you're not changing it. Focus shifts entirely to the audition list: excerpts, tempo, tradition (what the orchestra you're auditioning for plays them like), and committee priorities. Run mock auditions. Record. Listen. Repeat.
The delivery
Your equipment is set, your prep is done. Day of is logistical: warm up to your usual pre-concert routine, walk the building if possible, arrive 90 minutes early, hydrate, check reeds / bow / mouthpiece are settled, and trust the work you've done over the previous six months.
What's in the case.
The Brass audition
- Primary instrument: in the right tradition for the orchestra (rotary for German, piston for American)
- Backup instrument: if a key change is in the audition list (Bb if asked for piccolo Bb, etc.)
- Mouthpieces: 1–2, well-broken-in, no new mouthpiece on audition day
- Mutes: only what's specified in the audition list (straight, cup, harmon, plunger as applicable)
- Valve oil / slide cream: full bottle, not nearly empty
- What not to bring: a third instrument "just in case", new gear that hasn't been played in
The Woodwind audition
- Primary instrument: French or German tradition matched to the orchestra
- Mouthpiece & ligature: well-broken-in setup, no surprises
- Reeds: 4–6 broken in, rotated through for two weeks before; one fresh as backup
- Reed case & humidity: reed case with humidity control if travelling
- Cleaning swab: for between excerpts in the warmup room
- What not to bring: a brand-new mouthpiece, reeds that haven't been broken in, a "lucky" 5-year-old reed past its life
The String audition
- Instrument: with current setup (strings, bridge, sound post)
- Bow(s): primary plus a known backup; not a new flagship that hasn't broken in
- Rosin: your usual brand, fresh enough not to crumble
- Strings: a spare set in the case (don't change them on audition day)
- Mute: if any excerpts call for it
- What not to bring: a brand-new bow, a new string set installed less than a week before
The universal kit
- Pencil: for last-minute marks on the music
- Music in a binder: not loose pages; sturdy enough to handle warm-up rooms
- Water bottle: hydration matters more than you think
- Layers: warm-up rooms are often unpredictable temperatures
- Snack & printed schedule: long audition days happen
- What not to bring: opinions about other candidates, your phone in the warm-up room, last-night's caffeine excess
Knowing which orchestra
you're playing for.
The Austro-German orchestral tradition
Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio, Munich Philharmonic, Hamburg, Frankfurt. Rotary brass, dark French oboe alternatives or German oboes, longer phrasing, broader rubato, blended sectional sound. Bruckner, Brahms, Strauss are the spiritual repertoire.
The Anglo-American tradition
NY Phil, Cleveland, Boston, LSO, Philharmonia, BBC, Toronto. Piston brass, French oboe, brighter overall colour, more articulated attack, faster tempos in many works. Stravinsky, Copland, Bernstein and the 20th-century repertoire often shape the sound.
The French tradition
Orchestre de Paris, Radio France, Lyon, Toulouse. French oboes, lighter brass, more soloistic chamber-influenced phrasing, attention to colour and spectral detail. Debussy, Ravel, Dutilleux are the centre of gravity.
What players worry about
that doesn't matter.
"I need a brand new instrument for the audition"
You need a well-broken-in instrument that you know intimately. A new instrument introduced inside the prep window is destabilising; the committee hears uncertainty, not newness.
"The committee can tell what brand I'm playing"
Almost never. The committee hears tradition (rotary vs piston, French vs German voicing) and quality of musical execution. The specific maker rarely registers unless something is acoustically wrong.
"I should change my mouthpiece / reed setup to match the orchestra"
Only if there's six months of break-in time. Otherwise: bring what you can play. A familiar setup played confidently beats an unfamiliar setup played correctly.
"I need to play it exactly like the orchestra's principal does"
Closer to the tradition, yes. Carbon-copy of one specific recording, no — committees often discount imitation. Show that you understand what the tradition asks for; the principal's exact phrasing is not the test.
"My older instrument hurts my chances"
Not unless there's something acoustically broken. A 25-year-old well-maintained Marigaux 901 has won as many auditions as any newer instrument. Maintenance matters; vintage doesn't.
"I should sound like everyone else at the audition"
You should sound like you, in the right tradition, executing at audition standard. Personality wins after technique is unimpeachable. Don't lose your voice to fit a stereotype.
Audition prep is a private file.
Pre-audition equipment review, demo loans on flagship instruments before the audition, urgent reed restocks, last-minute setup adjustments. The Concierge keeps audition files open through the prep window. NDA available.
Open a Concierge file →