Now Accepting New Student Auditions
2025-2026 Season
Fall Semester
General audition guidelines
- Choose audition solos and scales that represent your current level of playing.
- Audition music should be thoroughly prepared and mastered to the best of your ability.
- Students should consult their private teacher or school music teacher for selection and preparation of appropriate audition music.
- You may audition in-person on select dates or submit a video (see below for how to apply)
For more specific audition guidelines for your instrument follow these links:
Requirements to join YOBC
School Music Program Participation Requirement
All students must participate in their school instrumental music program as available.
Private Lesson Requirement
YOBC students must take private lessons. Elementary students who play a band instrument (ie: not a string instrument) are excluded from the private lesson requirement for their first year of membership in YOBC. However, we strongly recommend that all students take private lessons to support their overall musical progress.
Students who are not taking private lessons are allowed to audition for YOBC, however, once accepted those who are required to do so must begin private lessons prior to attending rehearsals in YOBC.
Conduct Requirement
YOBC requires students to treat their conductors, ensemble liaisons, and fellow musicians with respect. Students who repeatedly engage in disruptive or disrespectful behavior may be dismissed and required to forfeit YOBC membership and tuition.
Rehearsals
Core ensembles rehearse weekly on Sunday afternoons during the months of September-November and January-April at the Bucks County Community College, Newtown Campus. Most chamber groups rehearse weekly; string sectionals occur on a rotating basis for some ensembles.
2025-2026 Season Dates
Fall Semester
First Rehearsal: Sunday, September TBD, 2025
Concert date is based on which ensembles you are placed in.
Concerts: Saturday, November TBD, 2025, or Sunday, November TBD, 2025
Spring Semester
First Rehearsal: Sunday, Early January TBD, 2026
Concert date is based on which ensembles you are placed in.
Concerts: Saturday April TBD, 2026, or Sunday, April TBD, 2026
When and how to audition for YOBC
There are two ways to audition for YOBC – by submitting an audition video online or by attending in-person auditions. You can submit a recorded audition video at any time. In-person auditions are held in May for the Fall semester that begins in September.
To Audition Online
With a recorded video audition, you can audition to join YOBC at any time.
To audition online, you will record a video of your audition and then upload it to YouTube or a cloud drive service such as Google Drive, One Drive, or iCloud. You will also need to upload a PDF or JPG of the printed music you auditioned with. Percussionists: please provide the printed music for your snare drum solo. When create the URLs to share the files, remember to set the permission to “anyone with this link can view this file”.
In the audition application you will provide the URLs of the video and printed music that you uploaded.
Please review the requirements of an audition video
Instructions on how to submit your video can be found here.
To be considered for the next Fall Semester, please submit your audition between April 1st and June 1st to be in the first round of ensemble placements or by July 15th for the second round of placements.
Auditions received at other times will be reviewed and given an ensemble placement based on availability. Video auditions received after the 2nd week of a semester are considered for the next semester.
To Audition In-Person
In-person auditions are held on May 17th and 18th, 2025 for the Fall 2025 semester.
Auditions are held at the Music & Multimedia building at the Newtown campus of the Bucks County Community College.
Ready to audition for YOBC?
Click here to complete an audition application
At the end of the application you will indicate if you want to audition in-person or are ready to submit a video audition.
If you are auditioning online you need to have the URLs of your uploaded video and printed music ready to provide.
Questions?
Email office@yobc.org or phone 267-225-1908.