Brief Summary
- Audition for Summer Concert on Sat. July 13, 2024 (penciled)
- How to Apply: audition online
- Audition Application Now Open
- Audition Video Submission Deadlines:
- Deadline for Piano Concerto Competition: Dec. 23
- Deadline for Orchestra | Band | Choir (early): Dec. 23
- Deadline for Orchestra | Band | Choir (regular): March 31
- When to Register: within 30 days if accepted
- When to Rehearse: three intensive rehearsal prior to the concert.
Detailed Information
Audition for the Summer Season Ensembles: perform at Walt Disney Concert Hall as a culminating concert of Summer Season. Audition for one of the following honor groups:
- Summer Season Youth Orchestra (5th-12th school grade)
- Summer Season Youth Band (7th-12th school grade)
- Summer SATB Chamber Singers (5th-12th school grade)
Piano Concerto Competition: perform a piano concerto with the orchestra as a soloist. The winners are invited to perform a concerto with the LAYP Orchestra at either Walt Disney Concert Hall or Thayer Concert Hall on the Colburn School campus..
Audition for Symphony Chorus: college students or adult singers can apply for LAYP Symphony Chorus.
Application for Summer Choir Festival: a local school or children/youth/community choir can be an invited choral ensemble as one of the festival choirs. Sing your own repertoire in an allotted time! The deadlines for this summer choir festival are subject to change. To receive the application form, email us at admin@layouthphilharmonic.com.
How to Apply
Students/Parents: Click here and provide your contact information in order to receive the Audition Application Form & Online Audition Process Guideline. Click Strings, Woodwind/Brass/Percussion, Piano/Organ, or Honor Choir/Voice for our suggested audition repertoires.
Teachers/Nominators/Directors/Educators: How do I nominate my students? The nomination process is simple. Guide your students to click the link above to fill out their basic contact information to receive the Audition Application Form. In this form, students are required to provide their teacher’s contact information as their nominator, so you need to provide your students with your email address and phone number. A recommendation letter or nomination ID is NOT required. If you need more information like Audition Application Form or Audition Process Guideline for students, email us at layouthphil@gmail.com
When to Audition
- Piano Concerto Competition: Nov. 30 – Dec. 23, each year
- Early Audition for Orchestra | Band | Choir: Nov. 30 – Dec. 23, each year
- Regular Audition for Orchestra | Band | Choir: Feb. 1 – March 31, each year
When to Register: All the qualified performers who passed the audition must register to be a registered performer. If a student performer does not register, the opening will be filled by a student performer on the waiting list.
- Registration for Piano Concerto Competition Winners: Jan. 15- Feb. 15, each year
- Registration for Orchestra | Band | Choir: April 15- May 15, each year
When to Rehearse: Three intensive rehearsals take place prior to the concert in-person or online (TBA). Attending all rehearsals is mandatory for accepted student performers to qualify as finalists.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Timeline & Age Requirement
Q: What is the timeline?
A: Here is our normal calendar.
- November 30: audition application opens
- December 23: audition video submission deadline (piano & early)
- January 1 – 15: Piano Concerto Competition/early results notified via email
- March 31: audition video submission deadline for orchestra | band | choir
- April 1 – 15: audition results for orchestra | band | choir notified via email
- May 1 – June 30: music sent to the selected performers
- June – July: the selected performers individually rehearse and prepare
- Three rehearsals prior to concert; in-person or online
Q: What is the age/grade range/audition level?
A: The auditions are open to the students in 5th-12th school grade for orchestra | choir and 7th-12th school grade for band. Younger students who have been playing an instrument or singing in a choir at an earlier age and their playing level is above Level 5 “with distinction” in our syllabus may apply for the audition. Click Strings, Woodwind/Brass/Percussion, Piano/Organ, or Honor Choir/Voice to figure out your current playing level.
| Grade | Age |
| 12 | 17-18 |
| 11 | 16-17 |
| 10 | 15-16 |
| 9 | 14-15 |
| 8 | 13-14 |
| 7 | 12-13 |
| 6 | 11-12 |
| 5 | 10-11 |
| 4 | 9-10 |
| 3 | 8-9 |
| 2 | 7-8 |
| 1 | 6-7 |
| K | 5-6 |
Playing Level
Q: How can I determine my playing level?
A: Here is a guideline for the LAYP Playing Levels.
| LAYP Playing Level | CM Level | RCM Grade | ABRSM Grade |
| 5-6 | 4-5 | 4-5 | 3-4 |
| 7-10 | 6-8 | 6-8 | 5-6 |
| 11-12 | 9-11 | 9-10 | 7-8 |
Our Playing Level 5-6 are similar to RCM Grade 4-5 or ABRSM Grade 3-4
Our Playing Level 7-10 are similar to RCM Grade 6-8 or ABRSM Grade 5-6
Our Playing Level 11-12 are similar to RCM Grade 9-10 or ABRSM Grade 7-8
CM syllabus can be purchased at the MTAC Teacher Portal store.
Click here to see RCM syllabus.
Click here to see ABRSM syllabus
Q: I am participating in another certificate or competition program such as ASTACAP, SYMF, Satori, WMCF etc. How can I determine my playing level in this case?
A: Talk to your private teacher along with this playing level information (above). Your teacher will easily figure out your playing level referring to this chart.
Returning Students
Q: I am a returning student. Do I need to apply for the audition again?
A: Yes, all returning and new students must take an audition every year.
Fee, Ticket Sale, & Donation
Q: What, if any, cost is involved?
A: The audition application fee is $75 (per student; non-refundable); There will be the registration fee ($225) for each qualified student who passes the audition, and this fee for each performer will cover all the rehearsal expenses.
Q: Do you sell concert tickets?
A: The Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office will start selling tickets 4-6 weeks prior to the concert.
Q: Do you accept donations?
A: We welcome donations as the fee and ticket sale do not meet the rehearsal and concert expenses.
Rehearsals
Q: Where will the rehearsal be held?
A: The rehearsals take place at a school or church in Pasadena, Downtown LA, or online.
Q: Do you have any other information regarding the frequency, duration, or schedule of rehearsals?
A: There will be three intensive rehearsals prior to the concerts. Each rehearsal runs about four to eight hours. The drafted rehearsals are three Saturdays 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM for orchestras/band and three Sundays 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM for choirs prior to the concert. The rehearsal schedules will be confirmed in April or May each year.
Performance
Q: When is the concert date?
A: We typically hold concerts in July, but the schedule may be subject to change based on the availability of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The date will be tentatively scheduled in October or November, with confirmation expected in March.
Q: Where does the summer concert take place?
A: Walt Disney Concert Hall (physical address: 111 S Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012)
Q: Can you provide any information as to what/how many pieces each ensemble will be doing?
A: The repertoire will include original concert pieces, concertos, vocal pieces, & arrangements. Each group will have a performance of approximately 20-30 minutes, which includes the stage walk-in/out process.
Miscellaneous Questions
Q: Is it alright if I am also a member of another symphonic/orchestral/choral organization?
A: Yes! It is a summer season program.
Q: Would a classical guitarist be included?
A: The guitar is not included in the orchestra, but we would love to perform a piece for guitar solo and orchestra. Classical guitar students may apply for a potential soloist position. If the repertoire includes an orchestral harp, it may be substituted with a guitar.
Q: Is this audition open to the students living in the LA area? Can students in other states apply for it?
A: It is open to all around the world.
Q: Do you offer housing options for students not in the near vicinity?
A: No. If you travel from another state or country, you need to arrange your travel/stay plan by yourself. You may visit https://www.airbnb.com/, https://www.expedia.com/, https://www.priceline.com/ for travel and hotel information.