Wonder if anyone has some information on the most cost effective way to get a live recording played for composition major. For solo to quartets it is possible to find local musicians but what do you do for a full orchestration. The one company we found that looked promising, 99dollarorchestra, won’t have their next sessions completed in time for the prescreen deadline.
The other companies we found cost thousands of dollars. Any help would be appreciated.
I think it is really important to get pieces played well. As you may have found out, some musicians will volunteer or perform a high school composer’s work for very little. They can do readings for less, as opposed to performances.
Otherwise, conservatory prep, summer programs, and competitions are the best ways to get works played. It may be too late to enter competitions though.
Another option of course is to submit the orchestral pieces as a MIDI: the admissions faculty can use the score mainly. As long as the other pieces submitted are performed by instrumentalists and/or vocalists.
And an orchestral piece is not necessary (though Curtis loves applicants to have one as I remember)
Do not try to get an orchestra to record your child’s piece. It isn’t worth the expense. Just get good computer generated Instruments like Garritan or the equivalent and make Midi recording. The schools will expect that for the portfolio - if the piece has not been performed in concert. I agree with @compmom about everything she says above - just make sure the other submissions in the portfolio, smaller chamber pieces, are recorded live. There is no expectation that a high school age composer will have had an orchestral work performed. My own son, who actually had a number of orchestra pieces performed before he applied, submitted a midi recording because it was a more representative recent work.
Just want to say again that faculty will use the score.
However, for solos and ensemble pieces, try to get the best possible musicians available to you. Many will do readings at an affordable price and some may help you out.
We tried hiring musicians from a regional orchestra and it was a disaster. Total waste of money. It may depend on the music itself (such orchestras are used to playing the classics). I don’t know if you are near a university or conservatory but they can be a resource. You can post on a conservatory “gig board” via physical bulletin board or perhaps through the whatever office handles gigs.
Thanks for the information I will share it with my daughter. Her band director just offered to put a piece in our top Wind Ensemble’s fall concert in November and have it recorded. It won’t be professional quality but I thought it was a very kind and generous offer.
Maybe it will be fine! Quality varies so much from school to school 
To Pohsmom. Here are a couple of options, both midi and live, for getting professional representations of your compositions.
For live recording: http://www.fames-project.com
For midi mockups: http://www.ravel-vs.com
I hope this helps.
As said above, you do not need an orchestral recording. Bubbabuddha, not sure the Fames Project has small ensembles available. Do you know? There are professional musicians and ensembles who will do a reading affordably. The gig office at a conservatory will also have resources.
Thank you. Hopefully the high school recording will be acceptable. For her other pieces with 4 or less musicians we will contact our local colleges and hopefully find students able to play. For midi recordings she has an excellent sound library that she needed to buy for a Berklee online Orchestration class but a few schools really want a live recording if possible. I appreciate all the help.
If you are near a college with a good music school or department, music students can be pretty cheap. But use this only for smaller works (i.e. few instruments). The more instrumentalists you add, the more its like herding cats with their different schedules.