Southwest Region

Festival Materials

Participation forms, seating, and music will be posted here.

2026 Regional and 2027 All-State Orchestra Strings audition requirements

• All students (after announcing name and instrument) will record the 2 scales and technical etude
• If a student is only auditioning for Regional orchestra, they will record the Regional orchestral excerpt only. The regional audition is now complete.
• If a student is auditioning for All-State orchestra, they will record BOTH the regional and All-state orchestral excerpts. Should the student be accepted to All-State, they are still required to participate in Regional orchestra. 

Violin

• Scales: 3 octave Ab major scale, 2 octave E major scale
• Etude: Kruetzer #12, beginning through measure 18
• Regional Orchestral excerpt: Mozart, Overture to the Magic Flute, Measures 103 through 126
  • Suggested tempo range: half note=80-88
• All-State Orchestral excerpt: Tchaikovsky, Nutcracker Overture, letter C to letter D
  • Suggested tempo range: quarter note=112-120

Viola

• Scales: 3 octave D major scale, 2 octave Ab Major scale
• Etude: Mazas #45, beginning to downbeat of 1st ending
• Regional Orchestral excerpt: Bach, Brandenburg no. 6, beginning to downbeat of measure 17.
  • Suggested tempo range: quarter note=84-92
• All-State Orchestral excerpt: Mendelssohn, Scherzo from Midsummer Night’s Dream, pickups to 10th bar of letter H to downbeat of 8 before letter L
  • Suggested tempo range: dotted quarter note=80-88

Cello

• Scales: 3 octave D major scale, 2 octave Bb Major scale
• Etude: Popper no. 6, beginning to downbeat of measure 15
• Regional Orchestral excerpt: Schubert, Symphony No. 9, Scherzo, beginning to downbeat of measure 56
  • Suggested tempo range: dotted half=78-86
• All-State Orchestral excerpt: Brahms, Variation on a themes by Haydn, variation V, m. 206 to downbeat of measure 238
  • Suggested tempo range: dotted quarter=124-132

Bass

• Scales: 2 octave A major scale, 2 octave Eb Major scale
• Etude: Simendl Etude no. 10, beginning to downbeat of m. 17 
• Regional Orchestral excerpt: Bach Suite no. 2, Badinerie, beginning to m. 40, no repeats
  • Suggested tempo range: quarter=116-124
• All-State Orchestral excerpt: Mendelssohn, Symphony No. 4, movement 4, m. 34 through 52
  • Suggested Tempo range: half note=84-92

Harp

• Etude: Bach-Grandjany Etude No. 4, entire etude, take 2nd endings
• All-State Orchestral excerpt: Bruch, Scottish Fantasy for Violin, pickups to letter E to downbeat of letter F