Principal Harp Audition 2023

Established in 1981, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe is the youngest orchestra in our list. It was formed by former members of the European Community Youth Orchestra, who had surpassed the ECYO’s age limit but wanted to continue playing together.

Founded by the Pittsburgh Arts Society in 1895, the PSO had a notable early influx of players from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, under early conductor Frederick Archer. Today’s PSO is going great guns under Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck. Pittsburgh and Honeck have together produced some beautifully played and tremendously exciting recordings of (among other things) Tchaikovsky, Mahler and Dvořák symphonies.The latter achieved, among other things, a wonderful cycle of the symphonies of the great 20th-century Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů – as well as, of course, some brilliant Dvořák recordings.Today, however, the gender balance within is happier, and the orchestra plays with the same polish and sheen that has been the bedrock of its reputation over the years. On the surface, the VPO sounds different from most orchestras simply because it uses a higher-pitch tuning and different instruments.

Oliver Condy is the former Editor of BBC Music Magazine, a post he held for 17 years. His debut book, Symphonies of the Soul: Classical Music to Cure Any Ailment, will be released in November 2021 with Octopus Books. He is also a semi-professional organist, having previously given recitals in Bach’s churches across Germany.

The SSO has already made a healthy number of recordings with labels including BIS Records. Its catalogue includes the first recording of the complete cycle of Alexander Tcherepnin’s six piano concertos and four symphonies on BIS. There was also a much-praised 2007 recording of Debussy’s La Mer. Here’s our guide to Debussy’s La Mer.

Claudio Abbado carved a new identity for the orchestra during the 1990s, with a greater amount of opera and modern music. Next, Simon Rattle brought the orchestra screaming into the 21st century (he was appointed in 1999) with a still wider gamut and an engagement with the broader Berlin community. Politically, the Berlin Phil has been slow to catch up – it wasn’t until 1982 that the it appointed its first female player – clarinettist Sabine Meyer.

Since Mendelssohn, the likes of Arthur Nikisch, Wilhelm Furtwängler and Bruno Walter have led the Gewandhaus Orchestra. However, its golden era was under Kurt Masur who stayed over 25 years, between 1970 and 1996.

Like Cleveland under Szell and Chicago under Solti, the Philadelphia Orchestra is another top-drawer unit whose rise to success can be attributed at least in part to one great conductor. In this case, it’s the great Eugene Ormandy (interestingly, like Szell, Solti and many other great conductors, of Hungarian parentage).The BFO has break-out groups specialising in period instruments, contemporary music and Balkan folk which gives his players musical freedoms that in turn feeds back into the main ensemble. It also regularly invites orchestra members to programme concerts and compete with each other for concerto slots. The players seem to respond, with playing of warmth and sharpness of ensemble.

When Szell arrived in Cleveland, the orchestra was well respected but small in size and – like so many others – struggling to find its feet after World War II.The Budapest Festival Orchestra has, under its director of music Iván Fischer, become one of Europe’s most important ensembles. In fact, it was Fischer who co-founded the ensemble almost 40 years ago with Zoltan Kocsis. Since then, the orchestra has become renowned for its stunning surround-sound recordings of Mahler. Fischer is a dynamic leader and refuses to play by the book – which is why he gets the results he does.

During the 2018/19 season, over 60 living composers wrote works for the orchestra. Underneath its ambitious exterior lies an orchestra with a solid history – its previous conductors have included Zubin Mehta (1962-78), Carlo Maria Giulini (1978-84). Next up was André Previn, who remained with the orchestra for four years between 1985 and 1989 before moving to London to continue with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Barbirolli did his best until 1970, recording some of the finest performances of Mahler and Elgar on record, but years of mismanagement blighted the tenures of Stanisław Skrowaczewski and Kent Nagano, the latter of whom aimed high in his repertoire ambitions, and was criticised for it. Currently under the directorship of Gustavo ‘the dude’ Dudamel, the century-old LA Phil divides its time between the extraordinary Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Hall and, in the summer months, the Hollywood Bowl. It prides itself on championing new music, a direction instigated by its previous incumbent, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and its engagements with the community, new commissions and tours have been nothing short of ambitious. Under its current conductor Antonio Pappano (appointed in 2005), the Santa Cecilia orchestra, based in Rome, has flourished. Pappano has taken the orchestra across the world to the greatest festivals, and has made a mark with blistering recordings of Verdi, Respighi, Britten, Rossini and more. There’s a freshness and vitality to this ensemble that few can match.The Cezch Phil has long been loved for, apart from many other virtues, the distinctive quality of its woodwinds, which have always had a prominent, Central European tang to them.

Plenty of orchestras have rich and storied histories: however, the Dresden Staatskapelle fares better than most here. Founded in 1548, it is one of the world’s oldest and most highly regarded orchestras. Its precursor ensemble was Die Kurfürstlich-Sächsische und Königlich-Polnische Kapelle (The Electoral Saxon and Royal Polish Orchestra). The orchestra is the musical body of the Staatsoper Dresden (Dresden State Opera).Under Ormandy’s extraordinary 44-year tenure from 1936 to 1980, the Philadelphians earned a reputation for an incredible smoothness of tone. Theirs was a plush, well-upholstered sound that’s heard to great effect in landmark recording achievements such as their Tchaikovsky symphony cycle, for many the best such cycle on offer. In particular, the luscious string tone coming out of ‘Philly’ was often singled out for praise.We’ve picked out some of those top orchestras – the ones you should always make an effort to see if they’re touring or you happen to be passing through their home country. In the meantime, we’ve also suggested a few recommended recordings so you can have a flavour of the ensembles performing at their best.

Originally the orchestra of the Prague National Theatre, the Cezch Phil played its first concert under its current name on January 4, 1896. The great composer Antonín Dvořák conducted his own compositions that evening. A little later, in 1908, Gustav Mahler conducted the world premiere of his Symphony No. 7.

Over its 40-year history to date, the COE has forged links with a variety of illustrious conductors and performers, including Claudio Abbado and Nikolaus Harnoncourt. With the latter, the orchestra recorded a groundbreaking cycle of the Beethoven symphonies.Later still, the Staatskapelle became known for its characterful brass sound, heard to great effect in the Bruckner symphonies cycle recorded in the 1970s under conductor Eugen Jochum.

Riccardo Chailly’s tenure, between 2005 and 2016, was marked with many acclaimed Decca recordings – his recordings of Brahms’s complete symphonies and serenades is arguably the finest ever made. Andris Nelsons is just two years into his conductorship – the Leipzig Gewandhaus sounds as refined and majestic as ever.America’s oldest orchestra, the New York Phil remains one of its most prestigious and revered ensembles. The roll call of past NY music directors is hugely impressive, including Gustav Mahler, Willem Mengelberg, Arturo Toscanini, Bruno Walter, Pierre Boulez and – perhaps most famously – the great Leonard Bernstein.Over its 140-year history, the Berlin Philharmonic has been a consistent powerhouse, attracting the very best players and performing with a perfection of which most orchestras can only dream. Founded in 1882, the BPO has been steered by the likes Otto Klemperer, Wilhelm Furtwängler… and Herbert von Karajan, whose nose for commercial opportunities and love of new tech saw the orchestra dominate the classical recording industry in the 1980s.Based in Amsterdam, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra came of age under the baton of conducting god Bernard Haitink, who stayed with the orchestra for over 25 years until 1988. His tenure wasn’t without controversy, however, and in the face of cuts in government financial support, Haitink threatened to resign.

Under the current leadership of Mark Elder, however, the Hallé has risen to new heights, and is arguably the finest interpreter of English music of any ensemble. Their recordings of Wagner operas, too, have received particular acclaim.Formed in 1967, Paris’s major orchestra may be one of the youngest on our list, but it lacks for nothing in terms of pedigree and expertise. Of course, the French capital had an orchestra long before the late Sixties. The OdP’s predecessor was the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, founded in 1828. During its 140-year span, this orchestra saw tenures from music directors including Charles Munch and André Cluytens, and gave premieres to such major works as Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto No. 1, and Franck’s Symphony in D minor. Over the next 24 years, the no-nonsense Szell transformed the Cleveland band into perhaps the world’s best-disciplined orchestra. A later music director, Christoph von Dohnanyi, continued to maintain Szell’s high standards. Under Solti’s tenure and that of his successor Daniel Barenboim, the Chicago Symphony produced some much-admired recordings, including authoritative cycles of the symphonies of Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner and Mahler.The Cleveland Orchestra really hit its stride under the famously exacting conductor George Szell, who served as the orchestra’s music director for nearly a quarter of a century from 1946 to 1970.

However, those playing at the top of their game will usually maintain a sense of consistency; an immutable, familiar tone and sound that is merely enhanced and shaped by the maestro on the podium.Riccardo Chailly took over from Haitink, continuing the orchestra’s rule in Mahler, Brahms and 20-century repertoire including Shostakovich and Stravinsky. The RCO’s fortunes continued with Mariss Jansons in post from 2004 who released spectacular recordings of Mahler, Bruckner, Shostakovich and much else.

Rafael Kubelík, Colin Davis (who introduced them to more regular English fare) and Lorin Maazel have all made their mark but, yet again, it’s been Mariss Jansons who has pushed the orchestra into the limelight of late. Their performances and recordings, on the recently launched BR-Klassik label, are impeccably wrought, finely detailed affairs.Daniele Gatti took over from Jansons in 2016, but was forced to stand down two years later following investigations into complaints of alleged inappropriate behaviour. The RCO is one of the most distinctive orchestras in the world – its smooth sound has no doubt been helped by the exceptional acoustics of the Concertgebouw main hall itself. Steve has been an avid listener of classical music since childhood, and now contributes a variety of features to BBC Music’s magazine and website. He started writing about music as Arts Editor of an Oxford University student newspaper and has continued ever since, serving as Arts Editor on various magazines. ‘Of the generalisations trotted out about Japanese playing, those about fine-tuning and focus turn out to be absolutely true; the one about lack of emotion completely false.’ Read our review here. Founded in 1881, the Boston Symphony is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the ‘Big Five’ (the others, in case you’re wondering, being New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Cleveland). Since 1857, Manchester’s Hallé Orchestra has had its triumphant ups and devastating downs, to be sure. Despite some notable musical successes – including the premiere performance of Elgar’s Symphony No. 1 – decades of financial trouble dogged it up until 1943 when the sure hand of John Barbirolli led it to international stardom.The Dresden band has been closely associated with several major composers. In the nineteenth century, Carl Maria von Weber and Richard Wagner both served as its chief conductor, or Hofkapellmeister. Then, in the 1900s, Richard Strauss served as both conductor of and composer for the Staatskapelle, with several of his works getting premieres in Dresden.

Václav Talich was the orchestra’s first great principal conductor, leading the Czech Phil to great exploits from 1919 to 1931, and again from 1933 to 1941. The subsequent rollcall of chief conductors is illustrious (and decidedly Czech), including Rafael Kubelík (1942-1948), Karel Ančerl (1950-1968), Václav Neumann (1968-1989), and Jiří Bělohlávek (1990-1992).The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra lays claim to a 500-year history. But its modern incarnation is somewhat different to its ancestral ensemble of pipers… In the (relatively) modern era, its most famous conductor has been the composer Felix Mendelssohn, who lived in Leipzig and who premiered many of his own works with the orchestra. Indeed, Bernstein and the ’60s NY Phil can take much of the credit for the vast surge of interest in the great, but previously little performed composer. Comprising a list of the best orchestras in the world was no easy feat, with dozens – if not hundreds – of leading modern orchestras and period bands around the world, all making waves in their respective countries and bringing music to the masses. Orchestras will be constantly in flux, with changes made to line-ups, conductors, repertoire and funding.North America’s largest classical music organisation, the New York-based Metropolitan Opera (0r ‘Met’) comprises a symphony orchestra, a chorus, children’s choir, and many supporting and leading solo singers. The Met’s repertoire ranges widely, from 18th-century Baroque and 19th-century bel canto to modern works. The Met’s own in-house orchestra is a huge part of the opera house’s global renown: a world-class ensemble with its own concert series at Carnegie Hall.

Conductors to have held roles at the NHK Orchestra in the past include Vladimir Ashkenazy, Charles Dutoit, Wolfgang Sawallisch (an honorary conductor from 1967 to 1994), and Herbert Blomstedt, who has served as honorary conductor since 1986. The orchestra’s current chief conductor is Fabio Luisi.The latter include its clarinets (German Öhler system), a special ‘Wiener’ oboe and the ‘Vienna’ horn. But these aside, the VPO is still a crack orchestra, admired across the world. The orchestra performs its world-famous Johann Strauss-themed Vienna New Year’s Day Concerts each year, broadcast to millions across the world.

The Nihon Hōsō Kyōkai (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) Symphony Orchestra, to give it its full name, is approaching its first centenary, having started life as the New Symphony Orchestra on October 5, 1926. Japan’s first professional symphony orchestra, it later became the Japan Symphony Orchestra and then took its current name in 1951, after the nation’s broadcaster stepped in to provide financial support.

Performers to have recorded with the COE include Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Emanuel Ax, Lisa Batiashvili, Joshua Bell, brothers Renaud and Gautier Capuçon, Radu Lupu, Maria João Pires and Sir András Schiff.The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra is based in Munich and is a crack broadcasting ensemble that has emerged in recent decades to challenge the world’s best (although Leonard Bernstein knew its quality, and regularly collaborated with the BRSO for several years).

With Masur, the orchestra made many acclaimed discs for the Philips and EMI labels, including a now legendary recording of Strauss’s Four Last Songs with soprano Jessye Norman, the Bruch and Mendelssohn Violin Concertos with Maxim Vengerov and symphony cycles of Mendelssohn and Beethoven.The Orchestre de Paris, for its part, plays a huge part in the cultural life of its nation. Herbert von Karajan was its interim music advisor from 1969 to 1971, after which the likes of Sir Georg Solti, Daniel Barenboim, and Semyon Bychkov have headed up the French ensemble.

Most classical guitar players use the five finger playing style. Although its a little more challenging from a technical standpoint, this helps build finger endurance and fine motor skills. The acoustic guitar is a great instrument to try as a first instrument. I’m specifically referring to the classical guitar which focuses more on single note playing than just strumming chords (although there’s nothing wrong with that!). Maintenance of the harmonica is pretty straight forward. There are special cleaning kits like this one to help remove debris and sludge. Harmonicas also come with pre-tuned reed plates, so all you have to worry about is playing.Not all drumsets are created equal, however, there are some really good inexpensive options out there. There are also sets designed in size for kids and adults.An often overlooked musical instrument is the recorder. These can typically be found in dollar stores, however, a quality recorder costs just a bit more.While the organ requires a bit more coordination, it’s the perfect instrument for an adult who wants to play Blues music and experiment with different harmonies and tones. I recommend checking out the Nord C2D if you’re serious about organ playing.

One of the often overlooked reasons for a piano being the easiest of the instruments to learn is the availability of piano lessons. The piano is the most widely taught instrument, and finding a quality piano teacher is quite easy. Most piano lessons are relatively inexpensive, especially for a beginner.

While a majority of piano music is written in the classical style, there is plenty of Jazz, Pop, and Contemporary compositions available. For a beginner, I recommend starting with very easy Classical music arrangements before venturing into other styles. What makes the drumset easy really depends on how it’s customized. The amount of instrument included in the drumset really depends on you. If you wanted to start off simple then you could just start off with a snare, hi-hat and kick drum. As your playing becomes more advanced, you can add in more toms and additional cymbals. In general, most bass guitar music is simple in nature because of its role within an ensemble. The bass guitar is responsible for the rhythmic pulse and harmonic progression. Often times, bass guitar music won’t feature much more than quarter notes, half notes, eight-notes, and the occasionally dotted rhythms.Overall, I find that the fingering combinations of the clarinet are a bit easier to understand than the alto saxophone. The instrument is also more narrow, and easier for a young musician to grip.It’s a small instrument that can be held in the palm of a child’s hand. The most popular of the harmonicas are the 10-note diatonic version. Each hole represents a pitch when blown through, and another pitch when drawn.

Acoustic pianos are also an option, however, the costs can be high. Upright pianos are the cheapest investment for those wanting an acoustic instrument. Grand pianos are the next step up, but cost much more and can take up a lot of space.Choosing the right musical instrument can be confusing, especially if you’re looking for easy instruments to learn. In reality, the difficulty of instruments varies widely. Knowing which instruments are easier to learn can make a huge difference; especially for beginners.

The organ differs from the piano in that the notes remain sustained for as long as you depress the key. Only when the key is lifted does the sound cut off. There is also a main swell pedal which helps control the volume of the organ as well as activate other musical effects.

The organ finds it’s way onto this list because of how similar it is to the piano. The layout of the organ is basically the same, although there are a few key differences.Ukelele is another easy instrument that anyone can learn as an introduction to the guitar. A typical ukelele features four nylon strings. Like the violin, each string is tuned to a certain pitch. Ukeleles are widely tuned to A E C and G.

Many online piano training programs like this one teach beginners to learn through chord progressions and lead sheets. Others use color-coded systems or traditional means of training.

The harmonica is another beginner instrument that requires little investment and effort. Harmonica is an instrument that is often associated with Jazz, RnB and folk music. There is also an extensive library of Classical music available for those who play this instrument.What makes the trumpet a simple instrument to play is the number of keys. The trumpet operates by using pistons, and there are only 3 of them to deal with. Those 3 pistons can produce all of the standard musical notes.

The maintenance of an acoustic piano is also a valid concern. Piano tuning can be quite expensive, but it’s easy to shop around. Usually, a piano only needs to be tuned 1 to 2 times per year.The type of harmonica has a large effect on the learning curve. For example, bass harmonicas require a bit more air support to produce a good tone. Then there are octave harmonicas, diatonic, and those made just for orchestral playing.

If you’re just getting started with the piano I highly recommend a good digital piano like this one. Digital pianos are cost-effective, use up less room, and have a lot of self-teaching features to help accelerate the pace of learning.

Violins are a great first instrument for children especially. Thankfully, they make pupil sized violins for really small children that really want to learn. I highly recommend checking out the Bunnel Premier student violin.To help make the learning curve less steep with the trumpet, I recommend getting a solid method book like Arbans method. This book amongst others contains breathing exercises and technical exercises to help make playing the instrument easy. It’s not often that musicians will find bass guitarists trying to play sixteenth notes or anything that’s heavy in melodic nature. For that reason, it’s an easy instrument to learn, especially if you have a good grip on the chord progressions of the entire piece. On the other hand, most beginner trumpet repertoire is written within a reasonable pitch range. The highest notes found in beginner band music is all within the staff; occasionally reaching higher.The higher the number, the stiffer the reed is. This means producing a tone takes a stronger embouchure. The higher level reeds produce a darker, more whole sounding tone than the lower numbers. One of the things that makes the violin easy to learn is the overall size of the instrument. Unlike a piano, the violin does not have 88 keys. Instead, it features four strings, each which need to be tuned prior to playing. Hello & thanks for stopping by! I’m a professional concert pianist and piano instructor. In the United States, I’ve given successful performances in several places including New York, Florida, Connecticut, & New Jersey, I have also performed internationally in Italy and made my Carnegie Hall debut in 2014. I enjoy blogging about the piano, the art of performance, general music, current events and the latest in music production. However, the trumpet does not require nearly as much air to play as a Tuba or Trombone would. Finding the notes is also much easier to do on a trumpet than on a trombone which features over 7 different positions. For a young child, drumset is a great instrument to introduce them to music making. There’s not a huge learning curve, and it’s also a fun instrument that they can engage with immediately.

Learning a musical instrument is one of the most important things anyone can do. Not only does it help with developing key cognitive and social skills, but it’s also something that’s just fun to do.A full-size piano is made up of 88 black and white keys. Each of those keys represents a note, and it uses the same standard musical alphabet that spans from A to G. The most difficult thing about playing the piano is coordinating the hands to work in concert with one another. Most piano compositions feature a clear accompaniment and a clear melody. Unlike other instruments, the piano allows you to train each hand separately until they are ready to be put together. A woodwind instrument that’s great for middle school age musician is the clarinet. Producing notes on the clarinet is a little easier to do than the saxophone.

Bass guitars are primarily electric, so you’ll want a quality bass amp to produce sound. I recommend something like the Donner bass amp. It’s a compact 15W amp that can give good tone to any bass guitar without breaking the bank.The bass guitar can be played by plucking, strumming, and even slapping the body of the instrument. In some ways that makes it a percussive instrument as well.

The best way to make the piano an easy learning experience for you is to use the right method books. I detailed some of the best piano lesson books for beginners in this post.

The recorder is a vertical pipe-shaped instrument. On the surface, it has several holes, each of those used to produce a pitch. More elaborate recorders like the Yamaha YRS-23Y feature double holes to allow players to play half steps.The violin has the ability to produce single notes or harmonies. Violinists can also pluck out tones without the use of the bow. For a new student, plucking out tones is a great way to build their confidence early on.

If there is one clear difficulty the violin presents, it’s the aspect of posture. The violin needs to be held correctly on the shoulders and beneath the chin.

Each of those drums is tuned through the use of a foot pedal. Timpani players will click the foot pedal until the tone of the drum matches the desired pitch in the sheet music.

Through foot pedals, laptops, and other gadgets, you can completely transform the sound of the electric guitar. In some cases, electric guitars can completely mimic other instruments through the use of sound samples.

Producing a tone on the alto sax really requires working in the reed. New reeds produce a harsher tone initially. Generally, new players should start with 2 1/2 size reeds. As you become more advanced at the alto saxophone, then it makes sense to graduate to either a size 3 or size 4 reed.

There’s tons of island music available for it, and it follows standard musical notation. Musicians only need to worry about reading the treble staff. It’s up to the player which hand they’ll use to play which note. The steelpan is organized in a way that the most logical notes are on the right side, and the others on the left side for the left hand.

The alto saxophone has many similarities to a clarinet. The fingering is a little more complex, however, the same sort of coordination applies. While alto saxophones are heavier to carry, most players use a neck strap to help support the weight of the instrument.Those looking for a bit more excitement in their first musical instrument will want to take a look at the electric guitar. There’s a bit more investment required, but electric guitars expand greatly on what an acoustic guitar can do.Generally speaking, electric guitars a little easier to play than acoustic guitars and easier to tune. The grip of the strings is easier on the hands as well, meaning new players won’t get tired as quickly on an electric guitar.

The difficult part about the trumpet is actually producing those notes through buzzing the lips. Buzzing out the higher pitches are particularly challenging which is why this instrument is further down the list. When it comes to rhythmic exploration, the drumset might be the easiest instrument to take on. It’s actually a combination of various instruments. A typical drumset will feature the kick drum, hi-hat, crash or ride cymbals, snare drum and toms. The good news, however, is that most musical instruments are very easy to learn with the right training and mindset. In this article, I’ll share with you which musical instrument is easiest to learn. I’ll talk about the pros and cons of each musical instrument as well as the best equipment to buy if you’re looking to get started right away.

Many of the popular songs to play on the Ukelele have a tropical island style to them. Even if you don’t know the melody of a song completely, you can always figure out the harmonies supporting it. It’s very common for ukelele players to strum simple chords while singing.

Jazz and Gospel organs like the Hammond B3 are the most popular for beginners to start with. The other difference with the organ is that there are foot pedals that represent pitches as well.Reading the sheet music for recorder is quite easy as well. A typical chart will show notation on the treble staff. Sometimes the music will show color-coded circles that correspond to the recorder. This way you know which hole to cover for that note.

Overall reading drumset sheet music is much easier than standard musical notation. Instead of seeing pitches, drummers will look for cymbals representing certain motions. For example, if a note is to be rolled on the snare drum, then they’ll see a special cymbal for that.