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Masterclasses & Competitions

2023-2024
MASTERCLASS SERIES

Each year WYSO hosts a series of amazing musicians who conduct masterclasses both virtually and in-person.
Many times the series features WYSO alumni who are now working as musicians nationally and internationally.

Stay tuned for the 2023-2024 Masterclass Series!

Masterclass Series

2021-22 Guest masterclass artists are pictured above (from left to right):  Derek Powell, Alicia Lee, Naha Greenholtz, Samantha Rodriguez, Susan Babini, Sonora Slocum and Megumi Kanda.

Master classes are funded by the James R. Smith Guest Artist Fund. *Denotes WYSO Alumni.

Competitions

Each year, WYSO holds the Concerto Competition for Youth and Philharmonia Orchestra members. Students will compete for the prizes of soloing with the Youth and Philharmonia Orchestras in the the Winter or Spring concert.

TIMELINE

2023 – 2024 Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition:

    • September 16, 2023: Applications open.
    • Select your repertoire. Refer to the list of pre-approved repertoire for Youth Orchestra and and contact Yanzel Rivera at yanzel@wysomusic.org ASAP if your choice is not on the list.
    • October 13, 2023: Online Application DUE with $50 Fee.
    • October 28 : In-person Auditions will be held at Madison Country Day School between 10:00 am – 6:00 pm.
    • Honorable Mentions will perform at the WYSO Honors Recital on February 10, 2024 at 7:00pm.
    • March 2, 2024: Winners will perform with the Youth Orchestra at the Diane Ballweg Winterfest Concert at 4:00pm
    • This competition is also used to apply for the Murphy Family Interlochen Scholarship, a $1,000 scholarship to assist with the six-week camp tuition. (Members may audition for the Interlochen Scholarship only, the Concerto Competition only, or both. This is the last question on the form.)

    Click here for Youth Orchestra Submission Form!

2023 – 2024 Philharmonia Orchestra Concerto Competition:

    • December 1, 2023: Applications open.
    • Select your repertoire. Refer to the list of pre-approved repertoire for Philharmonia and and contact Yanzel Rivera at yanzel@wysomusic.org ASAP if your choice is not on the list.
    • January 8, 2024: Online Application DUE with $50 Fee.
    • January 21, 2024: In-person Auditions will be held at the WYSO Center for Music from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.
    • Honorable Mentions will perform at the WYSO Honors Recital on February 10, 2024 at 7:00pm.
    • May 18, 2024: Winner will perform with the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Bolz Family Spring Concert on May 18, 20234 at 7:00 pm.

Philharmonia Orchestra Submission Form will open December 1, 2023!

AUDITION DETAILS

    • Your choice of repertoire must be approved before your application will be accepted. Refer to the list of pre-approved repertoire for your orchestra and contact Yanzel Rivera at yanzel@wysomusic.org ASAP if your choice is not on the list.
    • Members who have previously won the competition with a specific WYSO orchestra may not compete with the same orchestra again.
    • Auditions are limited to 8 minutes of an approved concerto. Competitors should prepare a section or movement of their concerto that fits within this time frame and best represents their ability. The time-keeper will indicate when time is up. (Winners will perform their concert/movement without cuts, although pieces should be limited to 12 minutes for Philharmonia and 18 minutes for Youth.)
    • Competitors must secure an accompanist for the audition. Please inform the accompanist in advance that the auditions will be recorded for study purposes.
    • Memorization is encouraged but is not required.