Interested in Orchestra at Luther?
Luther College offers three orchestral ensembles for students from any field of study:
- Symphony Orchestra. Conducted by Daniel Baldwin, Symphony Orchestra performs on and off campus, travels to Vienna every four years for a 26-day residency, plays during Christmas at Luther every December, and performs music from the standard orchestral repertoire.
- Chamber Orchestra. Conducted by Daniel Baldwin, Chamber Orchestra performs for opera workshop in alternating spring semesters, and performs music from the standard chamber orchestra repertoire. String players who join Chamber Orchestra must also be members of Symphony Orchestra.
- Philharmonia. Conducted by Spencer Martin (professor of viola), this ensemble is designed to serve the needs of students who enroll at Luther with less extensive musical training.
Orchestra Audition Schedule for Fall 2023
Sign-ups for audition times will be posted on the Orchestra Room door. Audition dates are below:
- First-year and transfer string players should plan to attend an important informational meeting on Monday, August 28, 4:30 – 5:00 p.m. in the Jenson-Noble Orchestra Room.
- Orchestra placement auditions for string players will take place from Tuesday, August 29-Thursday, August 31.
- Orchestra placement auditions for winds, brass, and percussion players will take place Tuesday, August 29-Thursday, August 31.
Full rehearsals will begin the week of September 4.
Audition Information for String Players:
- Download the info letter for first-year string players.
- Download audition excerpts for: Violin, Viola, Cello, Harp, and Double Bass.
- Special note for first-year and transfer string players: Plan to attend an important informational meeting on Monday, August 28, 4:30 – 5:00 p.m. in the Jenson-Noble Orchestra Room.
String players and harpists who plan to audition for Symphony Orchestra should prepare one minute of a solo piece in addition to orchestral excerpts.
String players who plan to audition for Philharmonia should simply prepare a solo of your choice, 3-4 minutes in length. No excerpts are required for Philharmonia.
Audition Information for Wind, Brass, and Percussion players:
- Download the info letter for first-year winds, brass, and percussion players.
- Download audition excerpts for: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Trumpet, Horn, Tenor Trombone, Bass Trombone, Tuba, and Percussion.
Winds, brass, and percussionists who plan to audition for Symphony Orchestra and/or Chamber Orchestra should prepare the above audition excerpts. No other music is required for the audition–no solo, no sight reading. Just excerpts.
Questions? Please contact Daniel Baldwin, director of orchestral activities.