Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras

Thank you for your interest in applying for the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras 2024/25 season! We welcome students of all ability levels to find a home in one of our six orchestra ensembles where they will feel comfortably challenged. Whether you have never touched an instrument before, are of a pre-professional level, or anywhere in between, the JSYO is excited to be a part of your musical journey!

The Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras hold competitive auditions each spring to form its membership for the following school year.

Interested in auditioning? There is still time!

We will accept late online auditions for the following instruments: All strings, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, percussion or harp.

Leadership positions at the start of the 2024-25 season such as concertmaster or principal will only be awarded to students who submitted their Solo and Excerpt videos by June 1st.


A brief overview of our ensemble offerings:

Jump Start Strings: A beginning level string orchestra for musicians with one year of string instruction or less, including students seeking to pick up their first string instrument.

Foundation Strings: A string orchestra for advancing beginner musicians recent to orchestral playing.

Encore Strings: A string orchestra for intermediate-level musicians. Musicians in this ensemble are several years into study on a string instrument and are familiar with ensemble playing.

Premier Strings: A string orchestra for players at an intermediate and advancing level. This ensemble performs a combination of original music and arrangements of standard orchestral repertoire.

Repertory Orchestra: A full symphonic orchestra for intermediate and advanced musicians including string, woodwind, and brass players. This full orchestra performs arrangements of standard works from the orchestral literature.

Philharmonic: A full symphonic orchestra consisting of some of the most advanced and pre-professional musicians in Northeast Florida including string, woodwind, brass, percussion, piano, and harp players. This orchestra performs challenging works in the standard orchestral literature.

Instructions for application and video submission:

1. Download the Placement Guide, Audition Instructions and Guidelines, Excerpts, and Scale Sheets HERE 
2. After reading the Audition Instructions and Guidelines thoroughly, click “APPLICATION” HERE  
3. Create a Get Acceptd account for each student applicant by selecting your program under “Start an Application."
4. Follow the prompts to upload and submit a video of your solo piece and required excerpts. This may be one combined video or separate videos.
5. After you have submitted your solo piece and excerpt requirement video(s), you will receive an email notification and instructions to complete the scales and sight-reading portion of the audition.
6. Upload and submit a video of your scales and sight-reading within 24 hours of receiving the email notification and instructions in step 6. This can be one combined video or separate videos. 

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact JSYO@jaxsymphony.org 

There is a $20.00 application fee. If you need to apply for a Financial Fee Waiver or if you have technical questions about Acceptd, please visit the Acceptd Help Desk.