PUO and Sinfonia Audition Results 2026-27
Dear Princeton Musicians,
Thank you for coming out for this year’s auditions. Now more than ever we feel humbled by the level of talent that flourishes on this campus. We will be reaching out to the ensembles with more information soon. As there may be some questions, please do not hesitate to be in touch.
The first PUO rehearsal is Wednesday, September 9 at 4:30 in Lee Rehearsal Hall
The first Sinfonia rehearsal is Thursday, September 10 at 8pm in Lee Rehearsal Hall
Both ensembles have exciting seasons ahead – it will be such a rewarding year for us all!
Michael Pratt and Ruth Ochs
PUO roster 2026-2027
Sinfonia roster 2026-2027
Princeton University Orchestra and Sinfonia Auditions 2026-27
Welcome to the new season! Here are the audition procedures.
The auditions will start on Monday August 31 and finish Saturday September 5. Returning students go first, then potential new members. Auditions will be held in 10-minute time slots.
Sign up for an audition time slot here.
Please bring two items to play: 1) a short selection of your choice that shows both technical proficiency and musical expression and 2) a page of audition excerpts that can be found here. If you are auditioning for Sinfonia you need not prepare the excerpts. Members of the class of 2027 need prepare only the excerpts (unless you want to play something else too).
The auditions are for placement in one of our two orchestras, Princeton University Orchestra or Princeton University Sinfonia. The personnel lists for each will be posted in this space on Sunday September 6.
Present at the auditions will be Michael Pratt and Ruth Ochs, conductors of PUO and Sinfonia respectively, and Dan Hudson, Manager and Librarian of PUO.
We are looking forward to greeting old friends and new!
Orchestral audition excerpts
(https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fP6lwrb8ZJSlJ0nSAFgRUFuU5Zz4rQA3?usp=drive_link)
The material for this part of your audition is almost always drawn from current repertory, in this case Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, with a bit from Dvorak 8 and Tchaikovsky 6. There are timings and metronome markings for almost all of the excerpts.
For Mahler these refer to a specific recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=friX3ZSJYPI&t=31773. The performers are Michael Gielen and the SWR (Southwest German Radio) Symphonieorchester. If the excerpt is on the first page of a movement no timing is given.
It is so important that everyone listens to the recording at least twice, one in its entirety, following with the part (found on IMSLP) and then go to the precise location and listen to the excerpt as much as you need to. Mahler’s harmonic pallet is very complex, and one needs the context if it is to make sense.
Here’s what we’ll be listening for:
-Technical accuracy, as close to the indicated tempo as possible. Most excerpts are accompanied by a metronome indication. If you don’t have a metronome, there are free apps.
-Sound quality and sense of color appropriate to the piece. For Mahler, this means rich and dark.
-A sense of the character of what you’re playing. Light? Heavy? Passionate? Expressionless? Character is often indicated in Mahler’s written instructions. Here is a decent glossary, and there is always Google translate. Know what they mean. https://www.orchestralibrary.com/reftables/mahler2gloss.html
-Auditions may include a little coaching on what you play from one of us.
Good luck to all!!