NCO auditions tour begins this weekend!

We are overwhelmed by the 1,131 audition applications that we have received this year from young musicians hoping for a place in NCO’s 2018 orchestras.

The annual auditions tour will begin on Sunday 1 October at St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh, from here our dedicated teams of adjudicators and stewards will visit over 30 venues in the UK and could be auditioning up to 28 children per day!

All applicants have been asked to prepare two pieces of music in advance which they will play during the auditions to demonstrate their ability. They will also perform two pieces of sight reading – one prepared and one unprepared – an important skill for orchestra members to develop.

If you will be auditioning this year, we advise that you are completely sure of what you need to do. Previous applicants say that the more prepared they are, the more relaxed they can be in the audition which is great news for everyone! You can find more information about the audition process here or by contacting the office and speaking to a member of staff.

Catherine Arlidge, Artistic & Educational Director said: "As our audition season opens, we are thrilled that we have had a record number of applications for our orchestras. We are very much looking forward to meeting you all and wish you all the very best of luck.

If we could give one tiny piece of advice it would be to say that the most important thing for us to see is how much you love making music - share your enthusiasm, because we love it too! We can’t wait to hear you.”

Good luck everyone!