Fall 2025 Auditions for Boston College Symphony Orchestra and Instrumental Chamber Music Program.

Audition for the Boston College Symphony Orchestra and Instrumental Chamber Music Program!

For placement into the Boston College Symphony Orchestra and/or an instrumental chamber music group, all students (new and returning) should sign up for and play an audition in the first week of the semester. Your audition will serve as BOTH your orchestra audition and your chamber music audition; students may indicate which musical ensembles they are interested in on the audition survey (see below). 

The audition is informal, but an important chance for Dr. Anna Wittstruck, Director of BCSO and the Chamber Music Program, to hear you play individually and discuss one-on-one how best to support (and balance alongside your academics) your musical goals as an instrumentalist here at Boston College. 

All students interested in joining BCSO should plan to attend the first open rehearsal on Wednesday, August 27, 7:10-9:30 pm in Conte Forum Band Room – even if you haven't auditioned yet! All are welcome! If you haven't played an audition by that point but want to join the rehearsal, please email Dr. Anna (anna.wittstruck@bc.edu) with your name and instrument to let her know that you plan to attend, so that she can make sure there are enough chairs, stands, and music parts ready. 

Auditions for BCSO (or BCSO + Chamber Music) will be held in Lyons Hall Room 427 at the following times:
• Sunday, August 24, 5:40 pm-10:00 pm (directly following the Music Department Performing Ensembles Welcome Reception in Lyons 423 from 4:30 pm-5:30 pm - all are welcome to attend!)
• Monday, August 25, 10:00 am-12:30 pm; 1:30 pm-3:30 pm; 4:30 pm-6:00 pm; 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
• Tuesday, August 26, 9:30 am-1:00 pm; 4:30 pm-5:00 pm; 7:30 pm-9:00 pm
• Wednesday, August 27, 9:30 am-1:00 pm; 3:30 pm-5:30 pm (BCSO Open Rehearsal in Conte Forum Band Room at 7:10 pm - all are welcome to show up and play!)
• Make-up times (please use as last resort, reserved for new students who may need a bit more time to prepare their audition – for example, if you need to borrow/rent an instrument from campus or a local shop, and/or didn't have access to your instrument over the summer): Thursday, August 28, 11:00 am-1:00 pm; 4:30 pm-5:00 pm and Tuesday, September 2, 11:00 am-1:00 pm; 4:30-5:00 pm. If you need to schedule a later audition time than those listed, please email Dr. Anna directly (anna.wittstruck@bc.edu). 

Additional audition times for students interested in chamber music ONLY will be offered on Wednesday, September 3, 10:00 am-12:00 pm and 1:00 pm-2:00 pm, location Lyons Hall Room 406.

To audition for BCSO and/or Chamber Music, please follow the instructions below:

1. Please sign up for an audition time using this sign-up sheet.
2. Before your audition time, please have filled out this survey. 
3. Please prepare the following:
• String players: 3-5 min of solo playing of your choosing.
• Wind players: 2 short contrasting pieces (one lyrical, one technical), and a chromatic scale.
• Percussion: your audition time will just be a one-on-one conversation, with a chance to play on instruments at our first rehearsal.
• Pianists: 3-5 min of solo playing of your choosing. Please be prepared to  sight-read. 

The Boston College Symphony Orchestra meets on Mondays (strings only and/or sectionals) from 7:00-8:30 pm in Lyons 423, and on Wednesdays (full orchestra) from 7:10-9:30 pm in Conte Forum. The first BCSO rehearsal, which will take place on Wednesday, August 27, at 7:10 pm in Conte Forum, is open to any interested students who would like to play.

Small instrumental chamber groups (2-6 people) rehearse on their own and receive weekly coachings from a faculty member, scheduled at the discretion of the group and coach. 

SAVE THE DATE(S):

· Monday, September 8, 8-9:30 pm: Chamber Music Information Session / Pizza / Sight-Reading (meet your assigned group and coach), Lyons 4th floor

· Saturday, September 13–Sunday September 14: BCSO Overnight Retreat to Cape Cod