WELLINGTON YOUTH SINFONIETTA | Wellington Youth Orc

WELLINGTON YOUTH SINFONIETTA AUDITIONS 2025

WYS is intended for players who have reached approximately Grade 5 or equivalent. (Our other orchestra, Wellington Youth Orchestra, is for players who have reached Grade 8 or equivalent).

All players, both new and returning, must audition. Auditioning is an important learning and skill building experience for orchestral players – and will be needed by those who want to play in other orchestras like Wellington Youth Orchestra, NZ Secondary Schools’ Symphony Orchestra or the National Youth Orchestra.

Auditions for WYS 2026 are happening soon! Live auditions will take place on 29th and 30th November and recorded auditions must be received 9pm on Sunday 30th November 2025. The application form can be found here.

Audition Requirements:

1. Play a piece of your choice (2-3 minutes).

Choose something that is well prepared and shows your current level of playing. It is better to play something you can play really well than a more challenging piece that is still quite fresh.

2. Play the orchestral excerpt for your instrument.

You can download the excerpts HERE.

Live auditions will be held on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November 2025, at the Adam Concert Room, New Zealand School of Music. You can sign up for a time in the application form which should be available by the end of this week (7 Nov).

Recorded Auditions must be sent by Sunday 30th November 2025. Please start your recording by saying your name and date of birth so that we may be sure to identify you from the recording. You may send an audio recording or a video recording. Please see instructions below regarding how to prepare your video.

You will receive the outcome of your audition shortly after auditions take place. Seating allocations will be done prior to the start of rehearsal on 14 February 2026.

Late applications are welcome. Please ask admin@wyos.org.nz if there is a space available for your instrument. Please note there may be limited places available in some sections, so get in touch as early as possible.

Audition by video recording

Please start your recording by saying your name and date of birth so that we may be sure to identify you from the recording. 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 'Unlisted'.

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 Application Form when you apply.

General

There is also the possibility of coming along to one of the rehearsals. If you would like to do this then please make sure that you email us at admin@wyos.org.nz. This applies particularly if you wish to join WYS partway through the season.

If your playing is of exceptional standard, the audition panel may refer you to the auditions for a place in Wellington Youth Orchestra (WYO).

Please read the “WYS Subscriptions” section below.

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

WYS Subscriptions and Discounts 2025

Please note that 2026 annual subscriptions will be updated here as soon as possible.

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

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.

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.

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.