RSYO Auditions Announced Calling All Young Musicians!

If you know a high-school aged musician who would like to be part of a premiere youth orchestra, then RSYO is the answer! The Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra will be holding its annual auditions for the 2008-2009 season as follows:

Saturday, May 31, 2008    2-5:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 1, 2008      2-5:30 p.m.

Auditions are scheduled by appointment only. For further information, or to schedule an audition call (815) 972-2939 Monday-Friday between 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Auditions for the Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra take place annually in the spring for the next concert season. However, student may audition by appointment between semesters for admission in the spring semester.

Auditions take place at the Riverfront Museum Park located at 711 N. Main St. in Rockford, IL 61103.

As part of the audition process, students will be asked to play a solo or étude of their choice that shows their technique and musicality. Students should also have scales ready, and may be asked to sight-read. Specific requirements are as follows:

Violinists: Demonstrate shifting ability through fifth position.

Violists: Demonstrate shifting ability through third position.

Cellists: Be familiar with tenor, bass and treble clef, have some introduction to thumb position, and shifting through sixth position.

Bass: Be familiar with positions up through fourth, up to the half string harmonic.

Winds, Brass and Percussion: Be prepared to play the Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) scales and possibly the IMEA studies/audition material.

The Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra (RSYO) is an exceptional orchestral training available for young musicians in the area. RSYO is comprised of students from all across Northern Illinois, including Belvidere, Rochelle, Dixon, Pecatonica, Freeport and Rockford, who have a love of classical music and a desire to improve their skills while performing as an ensemble. The program, now in its forty first year, is a challenging and fun music education experience for approximately seventy high school students who make up the orchestra. RSYO rehearses weekly on Sunday afternoons from 2-4:30 PM and performs for the public periodically throughout the year.

Tuition for the 2007-08 season is $175 per semester. There are some scholarships available. If you have any questions or would like more information, please feel free to call Lorie Langan, RSO Education and Community Relations Director at 815.972.2939.