NZSO audition process

Well, when there’s a particular need for a specific instrument, that’s advertised around the country, and then if you play that instrument like a violin or the percussion, you come along and you do what’s called an audition. That’s where you demonstrate your ability on your particular instrument all by yourself, in front of people who play that instrument as well as the conductor, and a few other members of the orchestra who know something about that instrument family. So if you are a violinist who wanted to be in the NZSO, you’d practice all the music that you’d be required to play, you’d show up and you’d stand on our concert platform in Wellington, and you’d play to an empty concert hall. And way tucked in the corner would be eight or 10 people on the audition panel who would be hidden away from you, so you can’t see them, so they don’t distract you, and you play your very best, and we listen to 10 or 15 different violinists just for one job. And that’s where it becomes difficult, because we hear so many talented musicians, that we only have the opportunity to pick just one, and that can be a long process, and so we ask you to play three and four and five times in an afternoon, to constantly play your very best, and then we try to choose one player to fill that vacancy.