Auditions for Senior Orchestra, Festival Band and Young Sinfonia!

Published on 28/02/2023

Sign up now to audition for one of our amazing senior music groups!

Auditions this year for our senior groups will be held on Tuesday 18th April at  3:30pm - 7:30pm at Red Tape Central (Music Hub office).

Auditions will be for the following groups (click on the name to find out the entry requirements and rehearsal details for each group).

There are vacancies in ALL instruments, although some spaces are limited.

Senior Groups

Senior Orchestra
City of Sheffield Youth Festival Band
Sheffield Young Sinfonia

To book an audition please fill out the Googleform Apply now


You will need to select a 7 minute time slot between 3:30pm-7:30pm 

What to prepare for your audition

Please bring one piece of music that you can play really well.

We will ask you to play for around 3 minutes (the total audition is 6 minutes) – please note that there will be no piano available for an accompaniment and no other accompaniment is permitted (e.g. mp3, cd).

We will also ask you why you want to play in the group and any relevant experience you have (perhaps playing in a school group or one of our other groups) – you may want to think about your answer in advance!

Top Tips for preparing for an audition:

  • Talk to your teacher – this is really important - they will want to know and they will help you choose the best piece to perform. The most common reason for an unsuccessful audition is when the musician has not told their teacher!
  • Play something that shows how well you can play - it’s best to bring a slightly easier piece that you play perfectly rather than a harder piece that you struggle to play. We don’t make our decision on how difficult the piece is, we make the decision on how well you play your instrument and perform as a musician.
  • Perform your audition piece to as many people as you can in advance, this will build your confidence!
  • If you are not sure which group you would like to play in, or you would like to audition for more than one group you don’t need to sign up for two audition slots, we can cover all groups in one audition.
  • If you would like to audition but are worried you’re not good enough please don’t worry – have a go anyway! We are a friendly bunch and will try to guide you through the process as we go and help select the best group for you to develop your musical skills.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Ian Naylor, Head of Music Education Sheffield.

Good luck!