Many bassists here in the States are busy preparing for the upcoming audition with the Pittsburgh Symphony. If you’re interested in this position, application details and a repertoire list are available at the bottom of this post (click the ‘read the rest of this entry’ link if you don’t see it).

We had the opportunity to interview Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Bassist Jeff Turner on the Contrabass Conversations podcast in 2007, and folks taking this audition may be interested in hearing Jeff’s preparation and auditioning advice. You can find the complete interview on Jeff’s Contrabass Conversations page, and you can subscribe to the podcast for free (click here to do so in iTunes and here otherwise).

If you’d like to hear advice from a young bassist with a lot of audition success, I’d highly recommend checking out our episodes featuring National Symphony bassist Ira Gold. You can find Ira’s podcast page here.

Finally, if you’re new to these excerpts and would like to hear advice on how to approach many of these specific excerpts from a veteran player and former New World Symphony member, I’d recommend checking out John Grillo’s Orchestra Excerpts Breakdown episode, where you can listen to the entire feature or download specific excerpts (complete with John’s narrative for that particular excerpt).

Here’s the information for the upcoming Pittsburgh Symphony audition:

SECTION DOUBLE BASS MAY 27 – 29, 2008 Finals to be held in the fall of 2008 Employment for position begins at winning candidates’ earliest availability Taped excerpts (AFM list) may be requested at the discretion of the Audition Committee. Repertoire will not be given over the phone. Please email, fax or mail a one-page resume postmarked by April 28, 2008 Please include your email address to facilitate correspondence Audition email: auditions@pittsburghsymphony.org Audition fax: (412) 392 – 4910 Or mail to: Diane Van Aman Assistant to the Orchestra Personnel Manager Attention: Auditions Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra 600 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Section Bass Audition Repertoire List 2007-2008 At the audition you may use your own music or the music provided.

I. Required Solos

• J. S. Bach: Bourees I & II from the 3rd Suite for Cello (use an edition that transposes the original to G Major/Minor, such as the Sterling edition). No repeats.
• A solo piece of your own choice.

II. Orchestral Excerpts

• Beethoven: Symphony # 5 in C minor, Op. 67 · Movement II · Movement III
• Beethoven: Symphony # 9 in D minor, Op. 125 · Movement IV – Recitative and 16 bars of Allegro Assai
• Berlioz: Fantastic Symphony · complete Brahms: Symphony # 2 · complete
• Britten: Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34 · Variation H only
• Dvorak: Symphony # 8 · Movement IV – B-C · Movement IV – O-P
• Mahler: Symphony # 2 in C minor · Movement I – Beginning to #2
• Mozart: Symphony # 39 · complete Mendelssohn: Symphony # 4, “Italian” · Movement I · Movement IV
• Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition · Movement 6 – Samuel Goldenberg & Schmuyle
• Strauss: Ein Heldenleben · #9 ­ 11 · #15 ­ 17 · #27 -29 · #40 ­ 41 · #49 ­ 50 · #51 ­ 66 · #77 – 78
• Wagner: Die Meistersinger · Prelude · J to end