<p>You don’t need a degree to audition for orchestral positions. You need the talent to get through those auditions. Have you considered a Performance Certificate program? They are very much performance oriented…not very many classes at all. You would have to apply and audition and get accepted. I’m not even sure if you could do this with a degree in some other field, but it’s worth checking (and someone else here might know).</p>
<p>And you can take lessons, practice, practice, practice, and take some orchestral auditions even for regional orchestras where you might either get a position or become a substitute and get called at least periodically.</p>