Application Deadline: January 1, 2025, 11:59PM Eastern Time
*For those who with to submit a recorded audition, these are due with the initial application
Application Fee: FREE
Audition Repertoire: link
Click HERE to apply
There is no prescreening for the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra Fellowship Application
Under Music Director Timothy Myers, the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra is one of the finest, most multifaceted, and vital professional opportunities in the US for early-career orchestral musicians. Each year, the group takes on a dynamic new identity as a central feature of diverse offerings in the Festival’s international programming. Through nationwide auditions, an exceptionally talented group of performers is selected to form the ensemble which performs major orchestral concerts, operas, ballets, and with other special projects such as cabarets and popular music acts. Alumni of the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra can be found in almost every professional orchestra in the United States and many abroad as well as many professional chamber music ensembles.
The Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra is presented in Charleston, SC alongside a world-class lineup of artists including classical music, pop music, jazz, theater, dance, and immersive offerings across over 100 events during the 17-day Festival.
Contracts range from 1-3 weeks with some contracts extending up to 4 weeks depending on need during the period of mid-May to mid-June each year.
Auditions occur via recordings and in-person on the following schedule in 2025:
January 13, 2025 – Los Angeles, CA (Colburn Building)
January 15-16, 2025 – New York, NY (Opera America Center) *No percussion/timpani auditions
January 18, 2025 – Boston, MA (New England Conservatory Campus)
February 4, 2025 – Miami, FL (New World Symphony Building)
February 6, 2025 – Houston, TX (Rice Campus)
February 8, 2025 – Ann Arbor, MI (University of Michigan Campus)
February 10, 2025 – Chicago, IL (Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra Space)
February 11, 2025 – Charleston, SC (Spoleto Offices) *No percussion/timpani auditions
*Recorded auditions are due with the initial application
**Note that though we host many auditions on college campuses, applicants do not need to be current students to audition in those locations
Recorded Video Auditions
Recorded auditions are offered for those who are not able to attend an in-person audition for various reasons. Recorded auditions are reviewed at the beginning of January, so if you elect to submit a recorded audition, it is due with your initial application–you will select the “Recorded Audition” option in the application and it will provide space at the end of the form to submit links to your videos.
Please record yourself performing each individual solo/excerpt in a separate video. Each video should comprise one unedited, continuous take, but each requirement may be in a separate video. Please do not add any studio effects such as reverb, pitch correction, etc.
Please note the following guidelines before submitting:
- All videos must be recorded within the past 12 months.
- Videos should be uploaded to a file sharing service of your choice (google drive, YouTube, DropBox, etc.) and a sharing link should be pasted below for each video. Video links must not be password protected or private. Links may be unlisted, but should not require a password. Please verify that videos work and are set to sharing mode before submitting. You can find a guide for sharing settings here. If we are unable to access your files, we may not be able to review your application.
Please check the list below and then direct any unanswered questions to Philip Snyder, Associate Producer, at [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Solo Length: If your solo selection is longer than 2-3 minutes, we recommend that you submit an excerpt of your solo that conforms to the guidelines. You may submit a longer video if you like, but we cannot guarantee that the committee will be able to listen to the full video.
- Continuous Take Clarification: You do not need to record the full list in a continuous take. You will see in this form that there are spaces for you to submit multiple videos: one for each separate requirement. However, each individual video must be its own continuous take. For example, an applicant to Flute and Piccolo would submit a total of 5 videos: 1 for the solo, 1 for Leonore, 1 for Mendelssohn, 1 for Daphnis, and 1 for piccolo. If you happen to record all of your solo and excerpts in a single continuous take, you will need to edit it into separate videos to upload it to this form.
- Late Submissions: We apologize that due to time constraints on the review process, we will not be able to accept late submissions for any reason including technical difficulties. We recommend you start recording early and submit the form as soon as possible. Just like with a live audition, if something comes up for you, we will not be able to reschedule, but we will look forward to hearing your audition in a future year!
- Multiple Lists: For those submitting videos from multiple lists such as oboe and english horn, etc., please utilize the “additional submission” items below to submit all of the videos.
- Recording Quality: While professional studio recordings are neither required nor expected, it is in your best interest to achieve the highest quality possible given the equipment at your disposal. We recommend testing the quality on your recording device and adjusting room placement, distance away from you, proximity to reflective surfaces, etc. before you record. Try to make your recording match your perception of your sound as closely as possible.
Weekly Salary:
- $600 for new fellows.
- $650 for returning fellows from the 2024 season.
Travel Stipend (for those residing outside Charleston, SC):
- $150 for 50–499 miles traveled.
- $250 for 500–999 miles traveled.
- $350 for 1,000+ miles traveled.
Housing Options (for those residing outside Charleston, SC):
- Free dormitory housing at the College of Charleston with shared living spaces, shared bathrooms, and a communal kitchen and social space.
- OR a one-time housing stipend of $40 per workday (must reside outside Charleston, SC and not use Festival-provided housing).
Fellows must:
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- Be able to pass and maintain a clear background check.
- Be available to reside in Charleston and attend rehearsals on a dynamic schedule for the entire period of residency (contract lengths vary, but could start as early as mid-May and end as late as June 8, 2025).
- Be authorized to work in the U.S. either independently (through citizenship status, green card, etc.) or through Student Visa CPT approval from a current school by April 15, 2025.
- Note that OPT approval timelines are often difficult for those graduating in the spring, so consult your school’s international student services officer for feasibility of OPT.
- Note that Spoleto Festival USA is unable to sponsor work visas and is unable to support those without work authorization.
All auditions are heard by Music Director, Timothy Myers and Orchestra Manager Shawn Galvin.
For questions, contact Philip Snyder, Associate Producer at [email protected].
Spoleto Festival USA is an equal opportunity employer and committed to diversity in hiring. Equity is central to our culture, mission, and who we are as an arts organization. Spoleto Festival USA does not discriminate in employment on the basis of an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, hairstyles or hair texture, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, individuals with disabilities, pregnancy, parental status, marital status, military status, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law. Our greatest strength comes from our ability to come together as unique individuals — come as you are and bring the best version of yourself.