WELLINGTON YOUTH ORCHESTRA | Wellington Youth Orc

WELLINGTON YOUTH ORCHESTRA AUDITIONS 2025

WYO is intended for players who have reached approximately Grade 8 or equivalent. (Our other orchestra, Wellington Youth Sinfonietta, is for players who have reached approximately Grade 5 or equivalent). There is an upper age limit of 26, there is no lower age limit.

Please apply for a place in WYO for 2025 by completing the WELLINGTON YOUTH ORCHESTRA APPLICATION FORM. You will receive an acknowledgement of your application by e-mail.

You must audition for the coming season if:
- You are a new player, or you did not play in the previous season
- You are a wind, brass or percussion player

String players who played in the previous season do not have to audition again, but if you wish to be considered for a position as a string section principal or concert master, auditioning will increase your chances of being selected for those roles. In all cases, you must complete the Application Form.

For WYO auditions you have the option of a live audition or to submit a video audition. Details of how to submit your video recording are given below.

Live auditions this year will take place on Sunday 23 February in Room MS209, New Zealand School of Music, Victoria University.

Auditions, live or by video, are by playing the Audition Excerpts for your instrument. You can view and download the WYO audition excerpts from the Audition Excerpts page.

If you wish to join WYO part way through the season there is the possibility of coming along to one of the rehearsals. If you would like to do this then please make sure that you contact us first either through the WYS Orchestra Manager on the Contact us page, or by e-mail to admin@wyos.org.nz. Please complete the application form in any case.

Audition by Video Recording

For auditions by video, please prepare a video recording of you playing the full Audition Excerpts for your Instrument. Please start your recording by saying your name and date of birth so that we may be sure to identify you from the recording. The recording must be made in one take with no edits or cuts. Video recordings made on a smart phone are acceptable.

To make your video available to the audition panel, please upload it to YouTube as follows. Please be sure to mark it as Private.

Go to YouTube.
If you do not already have a YouTube account then create an account.
Sign in to YouTube.
Select Upload.
Set the privacy settings for the video to be ‘Public‘ and ‘Unlisted‘. the ‘Unlisted’ will mean that it is not found by any search and only people with the link will be able to view it. If you wish, you can delete the video once the auditions are complete.
Upload your audition video.
E-mail the link to your uploaded video to admin@wyos.org.nz or provide it via the Youth Orchestra Audition Application Form when you apply.

Please make sure that we have the audition recording by Wednesday 19 February 2025.

Please note that the submitted audition recordings will be reviewed together, in a batch, close to the date of the live auditions so please do not expect an immediate response.

In all cases, it is essential that you complete the audition application form so that we have up-to-date details and know that you wish to join the orchestra this year.

Please contact admin@wyos.org.nz if you have any questions about the auditions process.

WYO Subscription and Discounts 2025

Wellington Youth Orchestras is a volunteer organisation. We work hard to minimise costs but providing excellent training in orchestral playing for young musicians still involves significant costs, including professional coaching, rehearsal venue hire, music, storage, and the costs associated with presenting concerts.

The player subscription is a contribution towards covering those costs. We rely on concert proceeds, donations and grants to cover the difference, and also ask that all tertiary students and the parents of school-age players help with the practical running of the orchestras.

Full annual subscription (first full-subscription family player) – $220.00 (incl. GST)
Full annual subscription (second, third full-subscription family player) – $110.00 (incl. GST) each
Discounted annual subscription for full-time tertiary students – $110.00 (incl. GST)

WYO players have an option to enrol for 1 or 2 of the three annual projects, in which case subscriptions are:

One project (full-time tertiary student) – $45.00 (incl. GST)
One project (non full-time tertiary student) – $90.00 (incl. GST)

Two projects (full-time tertiary student) – $90.00 (incl. GST)
Two projects (non full-time tertiary student) – $180 (incl. GST)

Payment

Subscriptions are payable upon confirmation of acceptance in an orchestra and receipt of an invoice, and no later than one month after invoice is issued.

Orchestra fees will not be refunded from week 3 of the term or week 3 of the relevant WYO project.

Any players with outstanding invoices from previous years are not able to take up a place until those subscriptions have been settled.

Financial hardship

We want all musicians who are offered a place following audition to be able to participate in our orchestras. We understand that some families or students might find it hard to cover these costs.

For full subscription non-tertiary students, arrangements can be made for payment of the annual subscription to be made in 2 or 4 instalments over the year. Please contact admin@wyos.org.nz if you wish to take up this option.

In cases of financial hardship, you can apply for a partial or full fees grant. If you wish to apply, please select this option on the application form, or email us at admin@wyos.org.nz

Additional Notes

Family member players who are receiving a tertiary student discount or financial hardship grant do not count towards the family player discount.
Please advise us at admin@wyos.org.nz if a ‘second’ or ‘third’ player discount should be applied, particularly where family names are different.
Players who accept a place in both orchestras are not asked to pay an additional subscription for the second orchestra, although a donation is welcome.
‘Invited’ non-professional players are expected to pay the relevant subscription.
WYO ‘reserve list’ players are not asked to pay a subscription unless they are offered a place in a full project.