General Audition Information

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in auditioning for Orchestra Seattle or the Seattle Chamber Singers. OSSCS aims to be Seattle’s leading community-based classical music ensemble. OSSCS musicians come from all walks of life and from a variety of backgrounds. Our players and singers work in education, technology, business, law, medicine, the arts and the non-profit sector. Some are students, many are part-time or full-time musicians or music teachers. We all share a commitment to making music together as part of a dedicated artistic community.

OSSCS provides a special environment for making music:

• At our core, we consider ourselves a choral-orchestral performing ensemble. Most regular-season concerts include a major choral-orchestral work, allowing our musicians the opportunity to perform repertoire not easily accessible to other community groups in the region.
• Our orchestra and chorus also perform separately in symphonic and a cappella repertoire each season, providing our musicians a well-rounded musical experience.
• Each season we produce a subscription series of six to eight concerts, plus a three-concert chamber music series. As a result, our rehearsal cycles are shorter than those of most other community music groups, generally consisting of five rehearsals plus one dress rehearsal leading up to each concert. Performing more frequently (and with fewer rehearsals) helps us stay engaged and allows us to experience a broad range of styles and composers within a single season.
• While our performing members are volunteers, we work with professional conductors and soloists.

Our expectations for musicianship and participation are high but reasonable, and we are committed to welcoming and nurturing less experienced musicians when circumstances permit. We expect our musicians to come to rehearsals prepared, and to help create a positive, constructive atmosphere in rehearsals. We expect our members to commit to performing at most concerts each season and to be present at all rehearsals (but are flexible with occasional absences).

We invite anyone who might be interested in performing with us to send us an introductory e-mail message. We would be delighted to host you at a rehearsal and offer a complimentary pair of tickets to one of our concerts so that you can see what how we work together and decide if you would like to schedule an audition.

Seattle Chamber Singers

The Seattle Chamber Singers offers choral singers the unique opportunity to perform several concerts a season in combination with a full orchestra. We perform oratorio repertoire from the Baroque to the present day, as well as a cappella and chamber works, sometimes in collaboration with other musical organizations throughout the Seattle region.

Currently SCS is actively recruiting for all voice parts, especially tenors and basses. The ability to read music is required, and previous choral singing experience (church choir, a cappella group, school ensemble, symphonic chorus) is beneficial.

We’re holding auditions on August 25 (or by appointment for people who can’t make it that day). If you are interested in joining the Seattle Chamber Singers, please send an e-mail to info@osscs.org and we will provide further information about scheduling an audition with our music director. Interested singers are always welcome to observe a rehearsal or a performance (for which we will provide a complimentary pair of tickets.)

SCS rehearsals take place Tuesday evenings from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m at Faith Lutheran Church in Seattle’s Maple Leaf neighborhood.

Orchestra Seattle

Orchestra Seattle offers orchestral musicians the unique opportunity to perform several concerts a season in combination with a full chorus. We perform oratorio repertoire alongside orchestra-only symphonic works, sometimes in collaboration with other musical organizations throughout the Seattle region.

Orchestra Seattle does not currently have any openings for permanent positions, but we welcome inquiries from people interested in being on our substitute list. Our permanent members sometimes need to miss rehearsals or entire concert cycles, and our repertoire often requires additional players, so substitutes are very valuable to us and are sometimes able to join us permanently when openings arise.

If you are interested in joining Orchestra Seattle, please send an e-mail to info@osscs.org and we will provide further information about scheduling an audition with our music director. Interested instrumentalists are always welcome to observe a rehearsal or a performance (for which we will provide a complimentary pair of tickets.)

OS rehearsals take place Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m. at Shorecrest High School in Shoreline.