General Discussions

I think most orchestra musicians would agree this is not ideal, obviously it’s better for everyone if the entire orchestra roster is filled before the season actually starts. But things like leaves of absence, retirements, medical leaves etc that are announced at the end of the prior season don’t allow time to fill those chairs before the next season begins.

It’s actually pretty commendable IMO if they hold 1-year audition right at the start of the season. Many groups just make 1-year appointments without auditions at all, because the logistics or finances preclude that option. Other groups will just float the whole season using subs, and not fill the position until they can hold a tenure-track round. This leaves the orchestra short staffed which reduces rotations and relief for the permanent players (while saving the orchestra $ on salary and benefits), so I can guarantee the players aren’t the ones who prefer that solution.

Recommend to send your resume first and see what happens. I wouldn’t mention anything about how “local” you are. If you win the position, that’s their problem to figure out. It sounds like you wouldn’t be expecting additional travel reimbursement if you won and accepted the position, so this opportunity is really more about the experience than the money, no?

If they were to refuse you an audition time because you are outside the 2-hour radius, then you could still try to ‘crash’ it. But be warned that there is no provision, in the AFM Bylaws or elsewhere, that requires an orchestra to hear every candidate that shows up to audition. I think that is a common misconception. They would be within their rights to refuse you an audition and even have you removed from the premises by security if you did not comply. Would a local orchestra, where the candidate pool is extremely limited, really do that to someone? I’d be surprised. But you ‘crash’ it, you have to plan and prepare as if they’ll let you play, while also understanding they might not, and you might make that 6 hour trip in vain.

No orchestra that pays less than mid six figures should be doing this. Separate rounds generally work better for people with jobs, but if you mostly hire students/freelancers, it's incredibly expensive and often financially prohibitive.

An orchestra audition taking place over several days is not uncommon, and is usually due to any number of behind-the-scenes factors that are not always obvious. For example, the music director may only be available on Friday; the hall may only be open on Thursday for a handful of hours; there may already be 2 or more services booked on Wednesday and Tuesday, etc. Any combination of things can add up to an audition taking many days, even if there aren’t many candidates, and even if in theory it could’ve been a 2-3 day audition during a free week.

That said, if you’re traveling from far away or have other scheduling restrictions, it may serve you well to contact the orchestra and ask if they’re able to accommodate specific audition times. For example, if prelims are Mon-Wed, you can ask to be scheduled for a Wednesday time so that you’re not paying for a hotel to do nothing for several days in between rounds. With enough notice, most orchestras are happy to accommodate, but of course could also refuse.

Something else I’ve seen work for a colleague was: for a particular audition, they were unable to attend any of the prelims days, but already held a comparable ICSOM position, and so asked to be auto-advanced to semis. They were approved, but this may only work with orchestras whose CBAs allow for this kind of audition advancement.