Tips for Your NYO Audition
Young musicians interested in applying for Carnegie Hall’s national youth ensembles—the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), NYO2, and NYO Jazz—must submit an audition video as part of their application. The video is a key piece of the application process, requiring applicants to perform specific excerpts, play a solo piece of their choosing (if auditioning for one of the orchestras), and answer a few questions on camera.
Clarinetist David Valbuena of the New York Youth Symphony created the sample audition video, answered some questions about the audition process, and provided tips for other aspiring players.
How did you decide which clarinet solo to play?
I decided to play the third movement of the Poulenc Clarinet Sonata for a few reasons. First of all, it is a piece that I studied a lot this past year, and I felt very comfortable with it. Also, I feel like this piece comes very naturally to me and lets me show off the stronger parts of my playing. The most important reason is that it is one of my favorite pieces in the clarinet repertoire, and I love performing it.
What did you do to prepare each excerpt?
I practiced. Listening to professional recordings helped a lot.
How did you get into the mood of each excerpt while recording?
I imagined what the orchestra sounded like before I started to play. It helped to understand what my tempo would be and how the excerpt would sound in context. I tried to make sure both the listener and I could hear the orchestra in our minds as I played the excerpt.
How did you handle your nerves during the recording process?
I just smiled. (Not too much, though.) Also, I like to make sure that I can feel my feet on the ground before I play. It’s a little quirk I have that reminds me where I am and what I’m doing; it helps me to stay focused and not freak out.
What did you do to prepare for the spoken portions of your audition?
Not much. I just thought about it on my way to the recording session. I wanted to leave it up to the moment. It feels kind of awkward to recite a predetermined answer to a question in front of a camera—but that’s just me. Everyone is different.
Do you have any other tips for audition success?
Practice = confidence = a higher possibility for success.
Photography: NYO-USA by Chris Lee.