<p>Anyone know anything about the NY String Orchestra Seminar? </p>
<p>How hard is it to get in? What are the auditions like? etc.</p>
<p>It's extremely competitive, you're competing against some exceptionally talented players. My son auditioned once, (2003 or '04 maybe) and made the alternate list, but didn't get to attend. He can't remember anything specific about the audition experience, so my guess it was therefore a "standard" audition in terms of organization, availabilty of practice rooms, and timeliness. Nothing either positive or negative was significant enough to stay in memory.</p>
<p>They want live auditions only.</p>
<p>They tend to be slow in posting the audition rep and application info, audition dates to the website. I'd check beginning late August based on our experience.</p>
<p>It is a full scholarship, highly intensive orchestral experience with some very well known names in the alumni list. </p>
<p>One major drawback is the timing... it tends to run the third and fourth week in December and usually includes December 25th. Not all college have finished finals prior to the start, and some people have issues with the over Christmas timing.</p>
<p>Their Christmas Eve concert is becoming a New York city tradition.</p>
<p>Here's the link from '06:<a href="http://mysite.verizon.net/vze4jqwh/index2.htm%5B/url%5D">http://mysite.verizon.net/vze4jqwh/index2.htm</a></p>
<p>I have never heard any tales of a poor experience musically with the program.</p>
<p>Hey CCers! Wanted to let you know that I was just accepted to the 2007 New York String Seminar! </p>
<p>I'm super excited about it. Two concerts in Carnegie Hall - One with Andre Watts and the other with Yefim Bronfman. It's gonna be a blast!!</p>
<p>This is a major coup. It's one of the great fellowship programs. The alumni list <a href="http://www.newschool.edu/concerts/PDF/AlumniList.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.newschool.edu/concerts/PDF/AlumniList.pdf</a> rivals any of the other major programs, and reads like a who's who of the performing world.</p>
<p>You get to work with great faculty and artists, plus you can say you've played in Carnegie. </p>
<p>Enjoy the experience. Great job.</p>
<p>Congrats Cosmos!!
That's great news, and how fun for you-getting to play in an amazing orchestra during your first school vacation. I think all our kids would LOVE to have that opportunity! </p>
<p>And welcome back to NY...It's gonna feel great to be back!</p>
<p>Thanks! Yes, I'm REALLY looking forward to the orchestra. It's going to be an incredible experience.</p>
<p>Cosmos, just curious as to your experience and impressions on NYSOS.</p>
<p>BEST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE. </p>
<p>it was absolutely phenomenal.</p>
<p>Glad to hear it.</p>
<p>To elaborate a bit -- Here's what the typical schedule is like: </p>
<p>7:30-8:30am - Breakfast is available for free at a diner near the hotel. You get meal tickets at the start of the program so you don't have to pay. </p>
<p>9am - Bus to rehearsal at MSM, or walk to rehearsal at Carnegie or Alvin Ailey Studios </p>
<p>10am - Rehearsal starts </p>
<p>1pm - Lunch is provided at the rehearsal site </p>
<p>2pm - Second rehearsal starts </p>
<p>5pm - Dinner is provided at the rehearsal site, or at a nearby restaurant</p>
<p>6:30pm - Chamber music rehearsal </p>
<p>7:30pm - Chamber rehearsal or coaching </p>
<p>8:30pm - Chamber rehearsal or coaching </p>
<p>9:30pm - Possibly a sectional or more chamber rehearsing/coaching </p>
<p>10:30pm - Back to the hotel</p>
<hr>
<p>The chamber coachings were some of the best experiences I had. My group had Sylvia Rosenberg (a violin teacher at Juilliard), Michael Tree (the violist for the Guarneri Quartet), Peter Lloyd (principal bass of the Minnesota Orchestra), Pamela Frank (super famous violinist), Hiroko Yajima (another famous violinist) and Tim Cobb (principal bass of the Met Opera, and my former teacher). </p>
<p>The program mandates A LOT of rehearsing - We did around 9 hours per day between orchestra and chamber music. It was all a lot of fun because the orchestra is AMAZING, but also very exhausting. The conductor, Jaime Laredo, is fantastic and rehearses very well. It was also a lot of fun working with Yefim Bronfman and Andre Watts who were our soloists this year. </p>
<p>I'm really hoping to do this again next year, and I recommend trying out to anyone who might be interested! If you want to hear how good the orchestra is, you can listen to the concerts online at New</a> York String Orchestra Seminar - InstantEncore</p>
<p>Cosmos, you must be quite an accomplished bassist. How does UChicago work out for you? Do you have enough musical stimulation? And practice time?</p>
<p>Hey, </p>
<p>UChicago is really great for musicians. The music department (for theory, music history, ethnomusicology, and composition) is one of the best in the country and, even though the performance department isn't stellar, the orchestra is fine and there's a lot of support in the music department for performers. For instance, they really try to get chamber groups for you, find opportunities for you to play in the city, help you find instructors, etc. </p>
<p>For me, they organize masterclasses on campus with top bassists - Edgar Meyer is coming next year and he may be able to give me a lesson. Chicago is also a great city for classical music. I'm trying out for the Civic Orchestra of Chicago this year, and that's a great orchestral experience for any musician. </p>
<p>Practice time is tough to come by, but if you schedule your work right, you can find it.</p>
<p>Civic Orchestra of Chicago is another wonderful opportunity should you make it. Good luck.</p>
<p>Agreed. I'm going to start working hard for that audition once I get my mountain of summer festival CDs out of the way.</p>
<p>Cosmos, what did they ask for at the audition? What types of passages did you play? Did they listen to Bach or solo?</p>
<p>mss-
On CC with old threads like this, they usually encourage people to start a new thread:).</p>
<p>In any event, the website, [Mannes</a> :: News and Events :: New York String Orchestra Seminar :: Application Information](<a href=“http://www.newschool.edu/mannes/subpage.aspx?id=30443]Mannes”>Application Information | New York String Orchestra Seminar | Mannes School of Music) has the requirements for the pre screen recording. With the live audition, they send you what they want, which if I remember correctly, were orchestra excerpts mostly (and possibly a concerto movement for violin, I don’t recall that clearly) and I assume it is the same for other string instruments as well. It is tough to get into, but it is interesting being in NYC during the holidays, and they definitely keep the kids busy, and you meet kids from all over the country from different backgrounds. My impression was they also strive not to have the ‘typical’ music student only, that it is filled with talented musicians who might be a bit different than you would expect from a typical high level music program (ymmv), though to get in you have to be playing at a high level.</p>
<p>Cosmos posted that in 2008. Last we heard she was in England doing her doctorate. In physics, I believe… In fact, we miss her! Cosmos, if you hear us, please come home.</p>