IMMEDIATE VACANCIES
Section Horn
$113.87/service* (2025-26 rates), approximately 42** services
DOWNLOAD FULL ANNOUNCEMENT BY CLICKING HERE
Section Horn Audition Date:
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Kepler Theater at Hagerstown Community College
11512 Kepler Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21742
Application:
Qualified candidates should complete the online application by clicking here to be received by May 13th, 2025.
Principal Percussion
$129.66/service* (2025-26 rates), approximately 34** services
DOWNLOAD FULL ANNOUNCEMENT BY CLICKING HERE
Principal Percussion Audition Date:
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Kepler Theater at Hagerstown Community College
11512 Kepler Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21742
Application:
Qualified candidates should complete the online application by clicking here to be received by May 14th, 2025.
Please note: All candidates must use MSO provided marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, vibraphone, and bass drum. The MSO will provide a 5.0 octave marimba.
REQUIREMENTS
Only highly qualified applicants should apply. The Audition Committee reserves the right to immediately dismiss any candidate not meeting the highest professional standards.
All candidates are responsible for obtaining audition repertoire from standard excerpt books, purchasable music, and orchestral scores. The Maryland Symphony Orchestra will provide a set of music for reference at the audition.
Candidates must not be subject to any visa or immigration status that would prevent lawful employment at the time of the audition. Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) is required before a contract can be offered.
AUDITION PROCEDURE
Candidates should be prepared to play all required repertoire for every audition round. Each round is held behind a screen; however, the Audition Committee may choose to remove the screen for the final round.
Reasonable efforts to provide notification of the audition results will be given at the audition or within six (6) days by letter or electronic mail. The Audition Committee may identify qualified substitutes from the audition; if so, they will be notified by e-mail and/or phone.
For the Principal Percussion audition, please note that all candidates must use MSO provided marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, vibraphone, and bass drum. The MSO will provide a 5.0 octave marimba.
HOW TO APPLY
Qualified candidates should complete the online application for their desired position.
Section Horn Online Application (deadline is May 13th, 2025):
https://www.cognitoforms.com/MarylandSymphonyOrchestra1/MarylandSymphonyOrchestraAuditionsSectionHornJune3rd2025
Principal Percussion Online Application (deadline is May 14th, 2025):
https://www.cognitoforms.com/MarylandSymphonyOrchestra1/MarylandSymphonyOrchestraAuditionsPrincipalPercussionJune4th2025
When completing the online application, candidates will be prompted to provide a one-page resume.
Resumes will be reviewed on a rolling basis. When a candidate successfully passes the resume round, they will be notified and prompted to submit a $50 deposit. Information on how to submit the deposit and secure an audition time will be provided upon notification of successfully passing the resume round.
Audition information will be e-mailed stating the candidate’s time slot and other important information once the deposit is received. Your application does not guarantee an audition.
Audition dates are subject to change with due notice.
TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT
The Maryland Symphony Orchestra does not reimburse travel expenses associated with auditions.
THE MARYLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The MSO performs five Classical Concert pairs and five additional programs per season. Contracted players are given hiring preference for these concerts. In addition to the services listed above, audition winners may be notified of additional opportunities to perform throughout the season. Per Diem Zones are calculated using the average mileage from the musician’s permanent residence to a rehearsal location in Frederick and the Maryland Theatre in Hagerstown. The maximum zone payout ranges from $0 – $36.00.
* Additional per diem is offered based on travel distance.
** Number of services varies.
For questions or inquiries regarding upcoming auditions, please contact Operations Manager, Kyle Graham at kgraham@marylandsymphony.org
SECTION HORN REPERTOIRE LIST
Solo Repertoire:
Exposition of Mozart Horn Concerto of your choice. (Please bring copies of your concerto with you for the committee).
Excerpts
Be prepared to play the following excerpts:
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE HORN EXCERPTS
Horn 1 Excerpts:
- BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7
- I: Measure 84 through 110
- BRAHMS Symphony No. 1
- II: Pickups to E until 1 bar after F
Horn 2 Excerpts
- BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3
- Scherzo – m. 158 through the downbeat of measure 205
- SCHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5
- II: 2 m. after 17 through first m. of 21
- TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5
- IV: 9 measures after A until 5 measures before C
Horn 3 Excerpts
- BERLIOZ Queen Mab Scherzo (“Fairy of the Dreams”) from Roméo and Juliette
- Scherzo: 58 through 15 bars after 59
- DVORAK Symphony No. 9
- III: 6 measures before C through 4 measures before D
- IV: Measures 8 though 25
- IV: 13 measures after D through 9 measures before E
- MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 3
- II: 19 bars before B through 1st bar after B
- III: Measures 74-95
- Saint-Saëns – Symphony No. 3 (Organ)
- I: Q through 2 measures after S
- STRAUSS, R. Ein Heldenleben
- 1 m. before 78 through 2 m. before 80
- STRAUSS, R. Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche
- 13 measures before 29 through 4 measures before 38
Horn 4 Excerpts
- BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9
- III. mm. 82 – 123
- BRAHMS Symphony No. 4
- I. mm. 50 – 79
- II. mm. 1 – 5
- DVORAK Symphony No. 9
- I. m. 16 – Reh B
- III. 6 m. before Reh C – Reh D
- STRAUSS Ein Heldenleben
- 3 m. after Reh 3 – 7 m. before Reh 13
- 2 m. after Reh 94 – Reh 98
- WEBER Overture to Der Freischutz
- mm. 10 – 25
PRINCIPAL PERCUSSION REPERTOIRE LIST
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PERCUSSION EXCERPTS
Solo repertoire (both required)
- Bach, J.S. – Four-Mallet Marimba solo of your choice (Please provide a copy)
- Delecluse – 12 Studies for Snare Drum, No. 11
Excerpts
Snare Drum
- Prokofiev – Lt. Kije
- a. Mvt I: rehearsal [1] – rehearsal [3]
- b. Mvt I: rehearsal [13] – end
- Rimsky-Korsakov – Capriccio Espagñol
- a. Mvt. III (complete)
- b. Mvt. IV: beginning – 10 mm. after rehearsal [L]
- Rimsky-Korsakov – Scheherazade
- a. Mvt. III (complete)
- b. Mvt. IV (complete)
- Shostakovich – Symphony No. 10
- Mvt. II: rehearsal [98] – end
- Suppé – Pique Dame Overture:
- 4 mm. before rehearsal [C] – 9 mm. before rehearsal [D]
Xylophone
- Copland – Appalachian Spring Suite for Full Orchestra
- 5 mm. after rehearsal [48] – 4 mm. after rehearsal [49]
- Gershwin – An American in Paris
- a. rehearsal [4] – rehearsal [7]
- b. 6 mm. after rehearsal [20] – downbeat of rehearsal [21]
- c. rehearsal [32] – rehearsal [37]
- Kabalevsky – Colas Breugnon Overture
- a. rehearsal [9] – downbeat of rehearsal [12]
- b. pick-up to rehearsal [36] – rehearsal [37]
- c. rehearsal [57] – end
- W. Schuman – Symphony No. 3, “Toccata”
- mm. 230 – 244
- Stravinsky – Firebird Ballet (1910)
- a. 1 m. before rehearsal [47] – rehearsal [48]
- b. rehearsal [127] – rehearsal [133]
Glockenspiel
- Debussy – La Mer
- a. Mvt. II (complete)
- b. Mvt. III (complete)
- Dukas – Sorcerer’s Apprentice (complete)
- Respighi – Pines of Rome Mvt. I (complete)
- Tchaikovsky – Sleeping Beauty Suite, Op. 66a
- Mvt. V (Waltz): pick-up to rehearsal [G] – rehearsal [I]
Vibraphone
- Bernstein – Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
- a. mm. 567 – 577
- b. mm. 581 – 607
- c. mm. 620 – 630
Tambourine
- Bizet – Carmen Suite No. 1: No. 1a Aragonaise:
- beginning – 8 mm. before rehearsal [A]
- Bizet – Carmen Suite No. 2: No.11 Danse Boheme
- a. 3 mm. before rehearsal [D] – 3 mm. after rehearsal [E]
- b. 2 mm. after rehearsal [L] – 4 mm. after rehearsal [M]
- Chabrier – España
- rehearsal [L] – end
- Dvořák – Carnival Overture
- a. beginning – rehearsal [C]
- b. 8 mm. before rehearsal [U] – end
Cymbals
- Dvořák – Scherzo Capriccioso
- 1 mm. after Q – end
- Mussorgsky – A Night on Bald Mountain
- rehearsal [S] – 9 mm. before [T]
- Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 2
- Mvt. III: rehearsal [32] – rehearsal [33]
- Tchaikovsky – Danse des Mirlitons from Nutcracker Suite:
- rehearsal [C] – 10 mm. after rehearsal [D]
- Tchaikovsky – Romeo and Juliet Overture:
- 2 mm. before rehearsal [O] – 8 mm. before rehearsal [P]
- Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 4
- Mvt. IV: 16 mm. after rehearsal [H] – end
Bass Drum
- Britten – Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
- a. Variation E (complete)
- b. Variation M (complete)
- Stravinsky – Rite of Spring (Rev. 1947)
- rehearsal [72] – 2 mm. after rehearsal [75]
Triangle
- Berlioz – Roman Carnival Overture
- 9 mm. after rehearsal [9] – 2 mm. after rehearsal [14]
- Bizet – Carmen Suite No. 2: No. 11 Danse Boheme
- rehearsal [H] – 2 mm. after rehearsal [I]
- Dvořák – Slavonic Dances, Op. 72 No. 2 (complete)
About the Maryland Symphony Orchestra
The Maryland Symphony Orchestra is Western Maryland’s premier professional orchestra serving audiences from the Quad-state region. The MSO attracts the finest musical talents from the Baltimore and Washington metro area. Under the baton of Music Director Elizabeth Schulze—whom the Washington Post calls “a superb conductor”—the MSO has become a first-class orchestra of exceptional artistic quality.
The Maryland Symphony Orchestra performs five Classical Concert pairs and five special concerts per season. Contracted players are given hiring preference for these concerts. In addition to the services listed above, audition winners may be notified of additional opportunities to perform throughout the season.
