Membership in the KU Symphony is by blind audition and is open to all qualified students at the University.

Winds and Percussion

For winds and percussion, auditions take place the first week of classes fall semester and again at the end of fall semester for placement in the spring, and are heard by the conductors and the appropriate applied music Professor.

Strings

For strings, auditions take place the first week of each semester and are heard by the conductors and the appropriate applied music Professor. Auditions consist of prepared excerpts and sight-reading (excerpts are available for download below). All auditions take place behind a screen, and placement will be based on how you perform. The Director of Orchestral Activities and the applied faculty member for your instrument will score your audition.

Audition Policy for strings

The KU Symphony Orchestra is open to all KU students who pass an audition. Auditions are required for placement into KU Symphony Orchestra. All instrumental music majors, music minors, MEMT majors, and all music scholarship recipients are required to take the audition. In addition, nonmajors who would like to be considered KU Symphony must take the audition. For non-music majors, taking the audition is not a guarantee of admittance.

Click here for more information on KU Orchestra rehearsals and perforrmances.