<p>Here’s a reply to your question from one of our student interns who’s involved with W&M Orchestra</p>
<p>The William and Mary Symphony Orchestra (WMSO) is an amazing group consisting of about 80 students and Williamsburg Community members. Yes, you do have to audition in the fall, with the audition consisting of two pieces of your choice, one slow, one fast, and then a short sight reading section. The only person sitting in the audition is the director of the orchestra, who is currently Akiko Fujimoto, so it is very laid back. As a string player, in all honesty, it is not too hard to get in; however, it is a bit more difficult to get in as a wind or brass player because there are limited spots available (depending on the pieces were are playing that semester). Actually, most of the ensemble is composed on non-music majors, and all students do receive one-credit per semester for this 4 hour-a-week course. The music that we play in most cases are the original scores, so at times it can be challenging, but I believe that with 10 years of experience, especially if you’ve played in an orchestra before, you will be more than fine adapting.</p>