The South African National Youth Orchestra is holding auditions and calling hundreds of young musicians under the age of 25 to apply.
The orchestra establishes a new team every year at  the National Youth Orchestra Courses and comprises the top talent South Africa has to offer. The member of the orchestra are chosen on merit through anonymous auditions – the first, a recorded audition which held in audition centres across South Africa for acceptance to the orchestra courses and the second, a behind screen audition at the orchestra course.
The courses help to prepare young people with the skills to perform in a professional musical environment, and introduce them to a necessary network of fellow musicians, students and professionals.
The National Youth Orchestra Winter Course will take place from 11 – 17 July in Cape Town. This is an intensive programme filled with challenges and excitement for the National Youth Orchestra: this year the musicians will perform Mahler’s Fifth Symphony conducted by Polish conductor Ewa Strusinska.
The advanced National Youth Wind Orchestra and National Youth String Orchestra Course runs from 8-17 December in Johannesburg.
Applications are now open, and can be completed online on their website atwww.sanyo.org.za. Applications close on 12 February 2016. Young musicians wishing to apply must play an orchestral instrument, be of at least Grade 7 music level and be a resident in Southern Africa.
Audition requirements include excerpts from Mahler’s Fifth Symphony and a piece and a study to demonstrate the candidate’s musical level and strengths.
The Audition will take place at the following dates and venues:
  • 22 and 24 Feb: Cape Town at the SA College of Music, University of Cape Town
  • 23 Feb: Stellenbosch at the Stellenbosch Konservatorium
  • 26 Feb and 5 March: Johannesburg at the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company
  • 27 Feb and 7 March: Pretoria at the Department of Music, University of Pretoria
  • 27 Feb: Durban at the Durban Music School
  • 29 Feb and 1 March: Port Elizabeth at the NMMU Department of Music
  • 3 March: Bloemfontein at the University of the Free State
  • 4 March: Potchefstroom at the NWU School of Music & Conservatory