Instrumental Ensembles Auditions

Wind Symphony
Symphony Orchestra
Jazz Ensemble

We are proud of our instrumental ensembles and eager to work with you as we prepare another great season of music. We welcome all new student musicians as well as our returning musicians!

We invite all students at Gettysburg College to audition for instrumental ensembles. You do not have to be a music major or minor to join, and all of our ensembles have students who represent a variety of majors and minors across campus.

Audition Information

Students audition for all ensembles once in the same time block each semester.
These auditions include woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings, piano, and harp.
Jazz Ensemble:
- Wind performers (saxophone, trumpet, trombone) interested in jazz ensemble prepare separate jazz excerpts and perform them during the same audition as Symphony Orchestra and Wind Symphony.
- Jazz rhythm section performers and vocalists should see the separate Jazz Ensemble rhythm section audition page.
A sign-up sheet with audition times and locations will be posted in the Schmucker Hall Second Floor Lobby the weekend before classes start. Students auditioning should sign up for an audition time.
Auditions for woodwinds, brass, percussion, piano, and harp will be held Monday, August 24, 2026 from 4:00pm - 6:00pm. We may begin earlier; check the times on the sign-up sheets for the final schedule.
Auditions for strings (violin, viola, cello, bass) will be held Tuesday, August 25, 2026 from 7:30pm – 9:30pm.

Course Information

All ensembles at Gettysburg College, including Wind Symphony, Jazz Ensemble, and Symphony Orchestra, are courses for which students earn grades and credit.

Students cannot pre-register for these courses as they are audition-dependent. All ensemble members will be registered administratively after auditions and during the first week of classes. Do not worry about signing up in advance. We'll take care of it for you!
Even though you cannot sign up in advance, you should still hold space in your schedule for ensemble rehearsals/meetings.

Wind Symphony meets on Mon/Wed 4:00 - 6:00pm. The first Wind Symphony meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 26th from 4:00pm - 6:00pm.
Symphony Orchestra meets Tues/Thurs 7:30 - 9:30pm. The first Symphony Orchestra meeting will take place on Thursday, August 27th from 7:30 - 9:30pm.
Jazz Ensemble meets Wednesdays 7:30 - 9:30pm. The first Jazz Ensemble meeting (and rhythm section auditions) will take place on Wednesday, August 26th from 7:30 - 9:30pm.
Music majors, music minors, and students on a music scholarship whose principal instrument is a woodwind, brass or percussion instrument should hold all times until auditions are complete and placements are made.

All Students can fulfill the Multiple Inquiries-Arts/Modes of Inquiry-Arts requirement of the Gettysburg Curriculum through performance in ensembles for four semesters.
Ensembles are listed as 0.25 courses. They do not count toward your regular course enrollment toward full-time status of three or four courses. They also do not count against your regular course enrollment, so if you are registered for four or even five regular courses you can still participate in ensembles.
After your first four semesters - when each 0.25 adds to a full (1) course for MI-Arts - ensemble credits will continue to accrue above the 32 required courses for graduation.
Grades earned in ensembles are factored into your GPA, both during your first four semesters and beyond.
The Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education degrees are 36-course programs. Ensembles for these students continue to count toward the 36 courses for graduation up through 36. Ensemble courses beyond the 36 will accrue above the 36 required.

Audition Preparation

Everyone who auditions will be asked to perform short excerpts or etudes for their instrument. Some areas may ask for scales.

Auditionees are encouraged to consult recordings and excerpt guides when preparing excerpts and audition music. Many free recordings and resources can be found online. The Gettysburg College library is a great place to start, and has subscriptions (free for you) to several online music sites including Naxos music online and the Classical Music Library. You can also often find great recordings on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and many other streaming services. For all excerpts, we have attempted to include the title, movement, and composer of the piece from which it was drawn. This should be helpful as you search for recordings.

Using recordings to aid in your preparation helps you to understand how to play the excerpt, including the tempo, style and phrasing of the piece and how your part fits into the whole. It is not cheating to listen, it is the appropriate professional practice.

Audition Preparation: Music Majors and Music Minors

All music majors/minors auditioning on their principal instrument should contact their applied teacher and ask for audition materials and excerpts. These excerpts are specific to each performance area and change most semesters. See the bottom of this page for a list of applied faculty.

Alternately, if you have already begun preparing one of the excerpts below, continue on that path.

If you are auditioning for jazz ensemble (saxophone, trumpet, trombone), be sure to prepare the jazz portion of your audition materials as well.
Rhythm section members (guitar, piano, bass, drums/percussion), see the separate Jazz Ensemble rhythm section audition page.

Music majors, music minors, and students on a music scholarship, please review the ensemble participation policy in the Sunderman Conservatory Student Handbook.

Audition Preparation: Students who are not music major or minors or students auditioning on secondary instruments

We would like to hear you play some music on your instrument. Ideally you might play two different pieces that contrast (for example, one faster/more technical, one slower and more lyrical). Auditions are only 5 minutes long, so you only need about 2 - 3 minutes of music. Two 16-measure sections or short etudes are also great ideas.

If you have music already prepared or something you'd like to play, play that! If not, we have some suggested excerpts for each performance area below.

For most excerpts, instructions regarding what to prepare are included in the file.
- In cases where there are only two excerpts, prepare both.
- In cases where multiple excerpts are given, choose two unless instructed otherwise in the contents of the file.
- Try to choose contrasting excerpts.
If you are auditioning for jazz ensemble as well (saxophone, trumpet, trombone), be sure to prepare the jazz portion of your audition materials as well. Rhythm section members (guitar, piano, bass, drums/percussion), see the separate Jazz Ensemble rhythm section audition page.

List of Performance Excerpts

Note: The excerpts below may be noted as fall 2024, and that's ok.

All excerpts linked below are in PDF format, ready to download. If you require audition materials in a different format for accessibility, please contact bands@gettysburg.edu. We are committed to ensuring all students are welcome in our ensembles.