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At a website called Violinist.com, Pasadena Symphony player Laurie Niles has been chronicling her bid to try out (as one of 500 applicants) for a section violin opening with the Los Angeles Philharmonic - as she terms it, the Big Orchestra In Town.
She announced her intentions in January, writing "because I’m insane and because I’d desperately love to be a part of that group, I’m giving it a go." She flew to Denver for a private lesson with her former teacher -- help with the two and a half hours of material she had to learn for a seven-minute audition. She's been practicing three hours a day.
Today Niles posts that the Big Orchestra sent back her $100 deposit and won't invite her to audition.
I kind of wonder what was deficient with my resume - I do have those nice degrees from Northwestern and Indiana University. And I've been playing professionally non-stop since graduating. Of course, none of my playing has been with, say, the Cleveland Orchestra, but nonetheless, I am a seasoned, veteran section-violinist.They did provide more than the normal number of opportunities for people to bail out of this audition. (Did I mention they got 500 applications?) First they wanted a resume, then they provided an application to fill out. When they sent the scary Berg and Adams excerpts they noted, "If you wish to withdraw your application, please let us know, ASAP." Then a month ago came a letter saying they would be issuing "invitations" Feb. 18. (And, "If you wish to withdraw your application, please let us know, ASAP.") Of course, one has to commit to this kind of audition well in advance of a month, so I went ahead and practiced my tail off.
As a consolation, she can go standby and attend the four days of auditions waiting for a time slot to open up: "Am I deterred? Well, of course not! I will stand by for 120 hours so they can hear my eight bars of Mozart 39. And it's going to be damn good!"