Poorly run audition
I recently took an audition where the proctor(s) [librarians] did not adequately move the candidates from the green room to their private warm-up rooms resulting in some candidates having 1-5 minutes of preparation to others having around 45 minutes of time in their private room. I asked for more time than the 3 minutes they provided and they said they cannot give more time. I did not play my absolute best, and did not advance. Can an audition run like this be reported? I don’t have much experience with this, but am looking for answers from those with more experience.
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I’m really sorry this happened to you. That’s an incredibly frustrating situation, and you’re absolutely right to feel upset—unequal warm-up or preparation time can materially affect how someone plays.
Yes, an audition run like this can and should be reported, especially if the audition was under a collective agreement. I would strongly encourage you to document everything as clearly and factually as possible (dates, location, approximate times, what you were told when you asked for more time, and how preparation time differed among candidates) and report it to the union. Stick to observable facts rather than assumptions about intent—this makes your report much stronger.
You may also choose to write to the personnel manager to outline what occurred. A professional, neutral description of the issue is appropriate. There should be no retaliation for raising concerns or for future auditions or hiring. In most orchestras, substitute hiring decisions are made by musicians—typically the principal of the section selects subs for hire and communicates this to the PM, and audition committees determine who is invited and advances at auditions. Administration does not control those artistic decisions.
I would hesitate to call out a specific orchestra publicly (though that choice is yours). Public call-outs often assume malicious intent when, in reality, these situations are frequently the result of administrative errors or poor coordination. The unintended consequence is that it can make the musicians, volunteers, or committee members—who likely had no idea this was happening—look bad as well.
I’m quite certain the musicians behind the screen were unaware of the issue and would be just as livid to learn that candidates were given wildly different preparation times.
Again, I’m really sorry this happened. Unfortunately, I’ve also experienced both very well-run and very poorly run auditions, and the quality of the process doesn’t always correlate with the size of the orchestra or how well the job pays. You’re not wrong to question this, and you’re within your rights to report it.