Baroque Orchestra

Bluegrass Workshop

Cavalier Marching Band 

Fall 2025: The Cavalier Marching Band welcomes students from ALL majors to audition. Auditions for the CMB are open now and due by July 31st, 2025. All CMB audition information, including audition requirements and upload instructions, is available on the Cavalier Marching Band audition webpage, where you can scroll to find the instructions in your instrument’s drop-down menu. First-year CMB members must complete a virtual audition by July 31, 2025. Email bands@virginia.edu with any questions.

Chamber Ensembles - Brass

Horn Ensemble
Fall 2024: Interested students should contact Cody Halquist (mec8pv@virginia.edu) All French horn players are welcome to participate in the Horn Ensemble. The group receives weekly instruction and will perform once during the semester in a live outdoor setting. Past students have improved both their ensemble and personal performance skills.  For more information about the horn ensemble, click here.

Trombone Ensemble
Fall 2024: Interested students should contact Nathaniel Lee. (nxl4e@virginia.edu)The Trombone Ensemble is comprised of talented musicians from all schools within the University of Virginia. The group meets once a week and performs original works, popular transcriptions, arrangements and student compositions. The Trombone Ensemble will perform one concert per semester and will hold additional optional performances throughout the UVA and Charlottesville community. For more information about this ensemble, click here.

Trumpet Ensemble
There are no auditions for Trumpet Ensemble: Interested students should contact Max McNutt (buj4ha@virginia.edu). The UVA Trumpet Ensemble welcomes students of all levels from all areas of study at the university. The group meets for weekly coaching sessions and presents a performance by the end of each semester. For more information about the ensemble, click here.

Chamber Ensembles - Strings & Piano

Chamber Ensembles - Woodwind

Bassoon Ensemble
Fall 2024: The Rotunda Bassoon Ensemble performs at UVA each year on events such as Making Noise in the Library and Tea Time Recitals.  Additionally, the group performs regularly at places in the community, such as the Crozet Mudhouse, and in area nursing homes through the "Nursing Homes Swing" organization.  This ensemble explores, rehearses, and performs woodwind chamber music, including both standard and more obscure works. Focus is placed on developing chamber music playing skills, learning the tendencies of woodwind instruments, developing musicianship, and enjoying both making and sharing music!  To audition,  students are expected to prepare two minutes of music on repertoire of their choice, best representing their abilities.  Past participants do not need to reaudition.  For more information click here.  Interested students should contact Elizabeth Roberts, (ear4x@virginia.edu) Senior Lecturer in Bassoon at UVA and Principal Bassoon of the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia.

Chamber Flute Ensemble
Chamber Flute Ensemble will be offered again in the Spring 2026 semester.  Students interested in the UVA Flute Ensemble for Fall 2025, click here. Students who have previously participated in UVA flute ensembles do not need to audition. To schedule an audition, contact Kelly Sulick at kas6am@virginia.edu. More about the Chamber Flute Ensemble.

Clarinet Ensemble
Fall 2024: The Clarinet Ensemble is open to all UVA students. The ensemble rehearses once a week, led by Jiyeon Choi, and performs at least once a semester. The ensemble studies various repertoire such as original composition for the clarinet ensemble, transcriptions from the orchestra/wind band/jazz literature. To audition, students should prepare 3 minutes of solo piece of their choosing that best demonstrates their abilities. Students who have previous participated in the ensemble do not need to audition. Interested students should contact Jiyeon Choi (jc8cg@virginia.edu) to set up an audition time.

Double Reed Ensemble
Fall 2024: Double Reed Ensemble provides an opportunity to read and rehearse a variety of double reed chamber pieces. At least one work is selected each semester for in-depth study and performance. The group meets for weekly coaching sessions led by Kelly Peral kpp7g@virginia.edu​. To audition, please choose and prepare two minutes of repertoire to best represent your playing. Interested students should contact Kelly Peral for further information and to set up an audition time. Past participants do not need to reaudition.  More about the Double Reed Ensemble.

Mixed Woodwind Chamber Ensemble
Spring 2024: The Mixed Woodwind Chamber Ensemble performs at UVA each year on events, such as Making Noise in the Library and Tea Time Recitals.  Additionally, the groups perform regularly at places in the community, such as the Crozet Mudhouse, and in area nursing homes through the "Nursing Homes Swing" organization.  These ensembles explore, rehearse, and perform woodwind chamber music, including both standard and more obscure works. Focus is placed on developing chamber music playing skills, learning the tendencies of woodwind instruments, developing musicianship, and enjoying both making and sharing music!  To audition,  students are expected to prepare two minutes of music on repertoire of their choice, best representing their abilities.  Past participants do not need to reaudition.  For more information click here.  Interested students should contact Elizabeth Roberts, (ear4x@virginia.edu) Senior Lecturer in Bassoon at UVA and Principal Bassoon of the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia.

Chamber Singers

Chamber Singers

Auditions for the UVA University Singers & Chamber Singers

Fill out this interest form to receive audition and ensemble updates

Sign up at https://calendly.com/uvauniversitysingers

Fall 2024: Auditions take place the first week of class, from August 26th–Sept. 1st. Audition for UVA's flagship chorus! No prepared piece is required. Auditions are used to determine vocal range and quality, as well as sight-singing ability. Recent highlights include a residency with Ēriks Ešenvalds, tours of Europe, the U.S. and Canada, a performance with the Charlottesville Symphony in front of 20,000 at the UVA Bicentennial Arts Gala, and more than half a million views online. Fill out this interest form to receive audition updates, and sign-ups are available online at: https://calendly.com/uvauniversitysingers

You can also connect with us at: Website / Listen / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

For additional information on choral auditions, contact Ally Harbourt at at bxy9aa@virginia.edu

Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia

Fall 2024: Click on your instrument for excerpt requirements and click on the date to sign up for an audition time.
For audition guidelines please click here. 

Instrument (click to download the excerpt) | Day | Date
(click to sign up) | Time | Room

• Violin | Tuesday | August 27 | 6pm-8pm | B12 OCH
• Violin | Wednesday | August 28 | 6pm-9pm | B12 OCH
• Viola | Monday | August 26 | 6pm-8:20pm | 113 OCH
• Cello | Monday | ​​​​​​​August 26 | 8:20pm-10pm | 113 OCH
• Bass | ​​​​​​​Monday | ​​​​​​​August 26 | 6pm-8:20pm | 113 OCH
• Flute | ​​​​​​​Monday | ​​​​​​​August 26 | 1pm-3pm | 113 OCH
• Oboe & English Horn | ​​​​​​​Tuesday | ​​​​​​​August 27 | ​​​​​​​8pm-9pm | B12 OCH
• Clarinet | ​​​​​​​Monday | ​​​​​​​August 26 | 11am-12pm | 113 OCH
• Bassoon | ​​​​​​​Monday | ​​​​​​​August 26 | 10am-11am | 113 OCH
• Horn | ​​​​​​​Wednesday | ​​​​​​​August 28 | ​​​​​​​5pm-8pm | 107 OCH
• Trumpet | ​​​​​​​Wednesday | August 28 | ​​​​​​​5pm-8pm | 107 OCH
• Trombone | ​​​​​​​Wednesday | ​​​​​​​August 28 | ​​​​​​​5pm-8pm | 107 OCH
• Percussion | ​​​​​​​Wednesday | ​​​​​​​August 28 | ​​​​​​​8pm-10pm | B18 OCH

*Additional audition times may be arranged in case of overflow or unavoidable conflicts.

If you are interested in auditioning for the Charlottesville Symphony in the future, please fill out the audition interest form to receive more information. For more information about this ensemble click here.

UVA Music Concerto Competition:  The Charlottesville Symphony and the UVA Department of Music are pleased to announce the third student Concerto Competition, the winner of which will perform with the Symphony on the February 14th and 15th, 2026 concerts. 

Eligibility: Current UVA students who are taking for-credit private lessons with an instructor in the UVA Music Department and are participating in the symphony. Pianists, non-orchestral instruments, and vocalists are exempt from the latter.  Past winners are not eligible. Complete information and the application form can be found here. The application deadline is Friday, October 24. For questions, contact CS Director Benjamin Rous (bwr5a@virginia.edu) or Director of Performance Kelly Sulick (musicdop@virginia.edu).

Concert Band

Spring 2025:  Enrollment in the Concert Band is open to students of all majors and academic levels. Concert Band meets in the Spring Semester only and performs one concert at the end of the term. An audition is not required for enrollment and directors may hold chair placement hearings to determine appropriate part assignments.

The Concert Band’s membership is composed of students from every division and department within the University. Students appreciate the opportunity to practice and perform repertoire from a variety of genres and time periods as an outlet for creativity and expression. Past music selections have included standard band literature, pop music, and concertos with special guest artists. 

For more information on the Concert Band, please contact director Andrew Koch via email at akoch@virginia.edu.

Flute Ensemble

Students who have previously participated in the ensemble do not need to audition. To schedule an audition, contact Kelly Sulick at kas6am@virginia.edu. More about the Flute Ensemble.

Jazz Ensemble

Thank you for your interest in pursuing Jazz at UVA.

Fall 2024: Auditions for the Jazz Ensemble and for the four jazz small groups take place in the fall on the first Monday of classes (9/2/24) at 7:30 pm, in room B18 of Old Cabell Hall.

Returning Jazz Ensemble members should come to this audition along with students auditioning for the first time. This is true of small group members, as well.

Jazz experience and improvisational skills are not prerequisites for playing jazz at UVA.  The suggested guidelines, below, are there to show some of the skills a progressing jazz student acquires.  But we are open to newbies who can play and want to play, especially classically trained students!

Suggested Guidelines for the progressing jazz student:

Instrument | Audition

Trumpets, Saxophones, Trombones | Play one ballad and one bebop tune of your choice.  If you choose to improvise, find a backing track for a blues or a simple standard like Autumn Leaves and blow.  But, if you’d rather play on Giant Steps or Stablemates, have at it!

Piano | Play one ballad and one bebop tune of your choice.  Include some soloing.  Comp, unaccompanied, on a standard of your choice (swing) and a latin tune of your choice. 

Guitar | Be prepared to comp (with and without backing track) and solo (with backing track) on:

1. Blues (preferably a “jazz” blues in Bb or F)
2. Autumn Leaves (or a similar standard)
3. Blue Bossa (or a similar Latin tune)

​​​​​​​(If you can play the melody to your chosen tunes, please do.) 

Bass

Walk and solo on a blues and on a standard, and play on a latin tune, all of your choice.  Melodies welcome!

Drums

Demonstrate swing, latin, and funk feels.  Solo over a song form of your choice.

Non-Standard Instruments

The jazz program will welcome auditions from instruments not necessarily associated with mainstream jazz: gayageum, strings, hand whistle, pedal steel, oboe, french horn, accordian, etc.  

Jazz Small Groups

Fall 2024: Auditions with Jazz Ensemble on Monday, September 2nd at 7:30pm in B018.  Please see Jazz Ensemble listing for details.  Contact Mike Rosensky at mlr5q@virginia.edu for more information about auditioning for the jazz small groups.

Jazz Improvisation

Percussion Ensemble

Fall 2024 and Spring 2025:  Contact I-Jen Fang if4n@virginia.edu before the first class meeting to schedule an audition. The nature of the audition, types of music to be prepared, time, date, etc. will be discussed via e-mail. For more information about this ensemble click here.

Private Lesson Auditions - All Instruments EXCEPT Piano & Voice

Instructors may require auditions.  All students taking lessons through the Music Department for the first time must enroll for 2000-level lessons, a credit/no-credit (pass/fail) class that carries either 0.5 or 1 credit. Only students who have successfully auditioned for the 3000-level will be allowed to register for 3000-level study, which is a graded course (2.0 credits). If you have taken at least one semester of lessons with the Music Department and wish to audition for the 3000-level, inform your instructor as soon as possible so that an audition can be arranged before the registration period ends.​

Private Lesson registration Information  /  Private Lesson Faculty

Private Lesson Auditions - PIANO

Jazz and Non-Classical Piano
Fall 2024: Contact Calvin Brown. 
In Jazz and Nonclassical Piano, we will: study the masters; learn standard jazz repertoire; learn to play songs by ear; learn about improvisation; and get ideas for playing in group settings.  If you have questions or want more information about Jazz and non-classical piano lessons, please contact Calvin Brown (calvinebrown@gmail.com). More information about Calvin Brown.

Private Lesson Auditions - VOICE

Classical / Musical Theatre Voice
Fall 2025: The University of Virginia Department of Music holds placement auditions for study with members of the Classical / Music Theater Voice faculty. Students may request a specific teacher in the space provided on the audition form. Although we do our best to place as many students as possible, an audition does not guarantee placement into private lessons. Biographical listings for all voice faculty can be found here.

Contact Vocal Coordinator, Pamela Beasley at pbb2c@virginia.edu to secure an audition time. Audition date and times for the Fall 2025 semester will be updated soon. If you are unable to audition on the specified date, a video submission is allowed. Those video recordings will be accepted August 22-28, 2025.  Please e-mail the link to your recent video audition to the address: pbb2c@virginia.edu.

What to sing at auditions:  You should prepare a selection: an art song, aria, music theater selection, folk song, hymn or anything else you are comfortable singing. A pianist will be available for the auditions. Students who wish to use the audition pianist should bring proper printed sheet music to their auditions.  If you have any questions, please contact Pamela Beasley at pbb2c@virginia.edu

Students learn safe vocal technique to open up a natural, powerful voice and to increase breath, range and flexibility from a teacher with 40 years of touring and recording experience all over the world. Vocalists will use the text "You already know how to sing: Voice lessons - Life lessons" (available at the UVA Bookstore or from Stephanie Nakasian's website).  Once a student has selected their songs for their lessons, they have the choice to accompany themselves on guitar or piano, purchase a commercial track, or ask Ms. Nakasian to prepare tracks to accompany them.

Students learn how to go from practice to learning a song to performance. There is an optional voice recital at the end of the semester.

University Singers

Auditions for the UVA University Singers & Chamber Singers

Fill out this interest form to receive audition and ensemble updates

Sign up at https://calendly.com/uvauniversitysingers

Fall 2024: Auditions take place the first week of class, from August 26th–Sept. 1st. Audition for UVA's flagship chorus! No prepared piece is required. Auditions are used to determine vocal range and quality, as well as sight-singing ability. Recent highlights include a residency with Ēriks Ešenvalds, tours of Europe, the U.S. and Canada, a performance with the Charlottesville Symphony in front of 20,000 at the UVA Bicentennial Arts Gala, and more than half a million views online. Fill out this interest form to receive audition updates, and sign-ups are available online at: https://calendly.com/uvauniversitysingers

You can also connect with us at: Website / Listen / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

For additional information on choral auditions, contact Ally Harbourt at at bxy9aa@virginia.edu

For more info, you can also visit our new expanded website: https://usingers.virginia.edu/

Wind Ensemble

The Wind Ensemble is open to all UVA students through an audition process.

New in Fall 2025, students interested in auditioning for Wind Ensemble and Charlottesville Symphony Orchestra will follow their instrument’s CSO audition schedule and will be asked to play one band excerpt as part of their audition. Students only interested in auditioning for Wind Ensemble will use the audition excerpts below and electronically submit their auditions.

A limited amount of merit-based scholarship funding is available. Students who would like to be considered for a Wind Ensemble scholarship will record a solo excerpt from the excerpts below. Scholarship funds are released at the conclusion of each semester. Email bands@virginia.edu for more information.

• Flute
• Oboe
• Clarinet
• Bassoon
• Saxophone
• Trumpet
• Horn
• Trombone
• Euphonium
• Tuba
• Percussion

Electronic auditions are recorded and submitted using the Wind Ensemble Audition Submission Form.  Fall 2025 auditions should be recorded and submitted by 10PM on Wednesday, August 27; Spring 2026 auditions should be recorded and submitted by 10 PM on Wednesday, January 14, 2025. You will receive an email from Dr. Tackitt 48–72 hours after the audition deadline with the results of your audition. Fall Wind Ensemble members have their Spring Wind Ensemble audition requirement waived.

The first Fall 2025 Wind Ensemble rehearsal is Monday, September 1; the first Spring 2026 Wind Ensemble rehearsal is Monday, January 19, 2026. All regular rehearsals are in the Hunter Smith Band Building on Monday evenings from 6:45–9 PM.

Wind Ensemble audition excerpts are selected from upcoming repertoire. Auditionees are encouraged to utilize recordings available on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, etc. to gain a deeper understanding of each excerpt. Email the Director of Bands, Elliott Tackitt (etackitt@virginia.edu), with any questions you may have about the audition process.

Audition Excerpts for Wind Ensemble

• Flute and Piccolo (note: you are not required to audition on piccolo)
• Oboe
• Clarinet (Bb)
• Bb Bass Clarinet
• ​Bassoon
• Alto Saxophone
• Tenor Saxophone
• Baritone Saxophone
• Trumpet (Bb)
• French Horn
• Tenor Trombone
• Bass Trombone
• Euphonium
• Tuba
• Percussion

For more information about this ensemble, click here.

Affiliated Groups

**During auditions please give practice room priority to those students who are preparing for auditions.**