DATES:
Preliminary & Semifinal Rounds: Saturday, May 16, 2026
Final Rounds: Sunday, May 17, 2026
PLACE: Tates Creek High School - 1111 Centre Pkwy, Lexington, KY 40517
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, March 23, 2026

HOW TO APPLY:
- Applicants wishing to audition must apply by 11:59pm (EST) on March 23, 2026.
- Applications will be reviewed after March 23, 2026. Some applicants may be asked to submit a short video recording of excerpts (audio only will be reviewed). If requested, recordings are due April 12, 2026.
- Invitations to the audition will be sent on or before April 20, 2026
- Invited applicants will be asked to email acceptance and send a $50.00 deposit check to confirm their participation. Both the email and deposit check must be received on or before May 4, 2026. The check should be made payable to the Lexington Philharmonic and include ‘Concertmaster Audition’ along with your name in the check’s memo.
Checks should be mailed to:
Lexington Philharmonic
Attn: Sarah Thrall
161 N. Mill St.
Lexington, KY 40507
Deposit checks will be returned to applicants at the audition. Checks will not be returned to applicants who withdraw after May 6, 2026.
- Winning applicant(s) from the audition will be asked to play a trial week with the Lexington Philharmonic.

COMPENSATION: The Lexington Philharmonic is a per-service orchestra. The Concertmaster position has a starting rate of $260 per service, with final compensation details to be confirmed with the winning candidate.

TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT: Partial travel/housing reimbursements are given to musicians living outside of Lexington, KY. We reimburse $0.35 per mile driven, for up to 220 miles (round trip). We also provide a $70 stipend for overnight accommodations in Lexington. Subsequent rates will be determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

CONCERT CYCLE SCHEDULE: A typical concert cycle includes four evening rehearsals (Tuesday–Friday, 7:30–10:00 pm) and a Saturday concert at 7:30 pm.

If you have any questions, reach out to Sarah Thrall, Director of Artistic Operations (sarah@lexphil.org)