Davis High School Orchestra Program
2021-2022 Audition Requirements
Symphony Orchestra and Baroque Ensemble

Post Audition Information

Congratulations to everyone for completing your DHS Orchestra Program Placement Audition! We had a record number of students working hard to be accepted into either the DHS Symphony Orchestra or the DHS Baroque Ensemble. I appreciate all your dedication and effort towards improving on your instruments. Please see the completed rosters both for the 2021-22 DHS Symphony Orchestra and Baroque Ensemble.

Symphony Orchestra  |  Baroque Ensemble

If you were not accepted this round of auditions, I’d encourage you to continue to work hard this coming year and audition again in the spring of 2022. We’d love to have you as a member of one of our audition orchestras in the future. Also, in the fall please plan to join our non-audition DHS Chamber Orchestra. The DHS Chamber Orchestra will be a fun and musically challenging ensemble to continue working on all the musical skills necessary to re-audition the following year.

To complete the audition process, if you DO NOT plan to accept your ensemble placement you must email Mr. Moreno by Wednesday, March 17th at amoreno@djusd.net. It is very important to communicate any scheduling conflicts you may have for next year because your seat will need to be filled by our “Wait List”. When you email me, please indicate your full name, instrument, student ID #, the orchestra you were accepted into, and your reason for not accepting. If you need an extension of time to decide, email me your request and give me the date by which you expect to make your decision.

If you DO plan to accept your placement in your assigned audition orchestra, there is nothing more for you to do. I will send your name to the counselors who will automatically add you to the class for next year.

Looking forward to working with all of you next school year IN PERSON!

Mr. Moreno
DHS Orchestra Program Director

All DHS Orchestra Auditions will be held over ZOOM from March 1st-5th.  Click on the link below to sign-up and choose your individual audition times.  Auditions are for all in coming 10th grade students, continuing 11th grade students, and 12th grade students not currently in an audition group.

Audition Schedule

If you have a conflict with your posted audition time, or still need an audition time please contact Mr. Moreno immediately at: Email: amoreno@djusd.net, Cell Phone: 530-400-7614.

Pre-Audition Day Preparedness:

  1. Practice tuning to an electric tuner perfectly, checking your 5ths in between each string.
  2. Practice routinely daily your Major Scale, Melodic Minor Scale, Solo, and sight-reading skills.
  3. Practice performing them all in that order within a 10 min period of time, back-to-back.
  4. Send Mr. Moreno a scanned copy of your solo via email at amoreno@djusdn.net in the body of the email provide your name, audition day, and time.

Audition Day Preparedness:

  1. Tune to an electric tuner perfectly, checking your 5ths in between each string.
  2. Give yourself plenty of warm up time prior to logging in to your Zoom audition meeting. I recommend an hour of focused practice.
  3. Adjust all Zoom audio settings to optimize your tone.
  4. Frame yourself in your Zoom camera window so your body, both of your hands, and instrument can be seen.
  5. Balance the lighting in your performance space and position yourself away from windows so lighting is clear.
  6. Do not block any part of your body with your music stand. Position your music stand out of view of the Zoom camera window.
  7. If you are a violin or viola player, you should stand when you perform your audition.
  8. Have audition materials well organized on your stand and in the order of the audition process:
    • -Major Scale
    • -Minor Scale
    • -Solo
    • -Sight reading (I will screen share that with you and give you a few moments to prepare playing it mentally in silence, then I will ask you to play it out loud.)
  9. Once you login to the Zoom meeting you will be placed in the waiting room until I admit you. Continue checking your tuning and warming up while you wait for your audition to begin.
  10. Once I admit you, listen carefully to my instructions from start to finish so we can keep the audition schedule moving forward.

Zoom Meeting Links

Keyboard Players Auditioning for a Harpsichord position in the Baroque Ensemble

Contact Mr. Moreno directly at amoreno@djusd.net to set an audition time. If you are a string player who also plays keyboard and would like to audition for harpsichord sign up for two time slots back to back.

Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion

All Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion students who are interested in auditioning for the DHS Symphony Orchestra see audition requirements online at dhsbandboosters.com. Information will be posted soon. All Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion students interested in participating in the DHS Symphony Orchestra must be members of the DHS Symphonic Band.

Description of The Davis High School Symphony Orchestra

The Davis High Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Angelo Moreno, is an advanced full symphony orchestra including strings, winds, brass and percussion. The group will study and perform music for symphony orchestra from the classical to modern eras. In recent years, the Symphony Orchestra has performed Beethoven’s Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, Dvorak’s Eighth and Ninth Symphonies and Elgar’s Nimrod, amongst many other pieces of music from Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Schubert, Schumann, Haydn, Brahms and many other composers.

Description of The Davis High School Baroque Ensemble

The Davis High Baroque Ensemble, under the direction of Angelo Moreno is a unique string orchestra which includes the following instruments: violin, viola, cello, bass, and Key Board players who are interested in learning to play the Harpsichord. Students will perform on Baroque instruments, which include string instruments converted to Baroque style with gut strings and Baroque style bows. The group will study and perform music from the Baroque Era, including composers such as Bach, Vivaldi, Corelli, Telemann, and Handel.

Recommended Level of Ability

It is recommended that all players have previous ensemble and or performance experience and be well advanced in the command of their instrument. Confidence in sight-reading and advanced control of intonation and tone quality is expected.

Audition Requirements

Strings – Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass:

  • 3 octaves of any major scale in quarter notes, at a tempo of 144 (Basses 2 octaves)
  • 3 octaves of any melodic minor scale in quarter notes at a tempo of 120 (Basses 2 octaves)
  • 3-4 minute excerpt of an unaccompanied solo (skip over long rests) that demonstrates your ability.

Key Board Players Auditioning for Harpsichord:

  • 3 octaves of any major scale in two hands- in quarter notes, at a tempo of 144
  • 3 octaves of any melodic minor scale in two hands-  in quarter notes at a tempo of 120
  • 3-4 minute excerpt of an unaccompanied solo (skip over long rests) that demonstrates your ability.

Additional Notes

  • All players will be asked to sight read
  • All instruments – consult your private instructor or school music teacher when deciding on solo literature
  • Required: Please provide a copy of your solo music the day of your audition for the adjudicator

You can view and download a PDF of the audition information here. If you have any questions, Contact Mr. Moreno at (530) 400-7614 (cell) or by email: amoreno@djusd.net.