AUDITIONS
1. Youth Orchestra Flanders offers a forum to young musicians (ages 15-26) who wish to pursue a professional musical career. The following profiles are eligible to take part in the auditions:
– students from Belgian conservatories
(regardless of nationality or year)
– talented Belgian musicians who are studying elsewhere
(including abroad)
2. The audition programme for all instruments consists of a number of orchestral excerpts (between 5 and 8) selected by the coaches of Youth Orchestra Flanders. Upon application, the candidate will have immediate access to the audition programme for his/her instrument.
3. Candidates are responsible for bringing their parts to the audition. The audition programme (orchestral excerpts) for each instrument is available in the online application module.
4. The jury members (with voting rights) are experienced orchestral musicians who have also undertaken to serve as coaches for the Youth Orchestra Flanders. The jury is responsible for selecting the musicians, and determines which candidate can play which part (according to the instrumentation).
The jury is made up of at least three voting members and a chair.
The following will, in turns, serve as chair of the jury without voting right: the managers of the Brussels Philharmonic, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestra of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. All decisions by the jury are final and cannot be appealed by the candidates. Candidates can, however, request feedback on their audition: info@youthorchestraflanders.be.
5. Participating candidates will be informed of the outcome of the auditions as soon as possible. Successful candidates who have not been assigned a part will be placed on the reserve list.
6. Candidates who register for the audition shall make themselves available for all rehearsals and concerts of the first orchestral project of Youth Orchestra Flanders. The schedule is available on the website https://www.youthorchestraflanders.be.
7. Candidates will bear the costs of their travel to the site of the audition. The auditions will take place at the conservatories of Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven or any other suitable audition space.
PARTICIPATION
1. Musicians who are successful in the audition and are assigned a part (cf. instrumentation) shall make themselves available for all rehearsals and concerts of the symphony orchestral project for which they have been selected. Part-time participation in a project is not possible. The schedule is always available on the website https://www.youthorchestraflanders.be.
2. Unaccompanied young people under the age of 18 must obtain the consent of their parents or guardian to participate.
3. Only the professional staff (coaches, soloists, conductor, management) will be paid for their service and expenses.
4. Musicians can find their parts online in the secure members’ section of the Youth Orchestra Flanders website. Parts are available three months before the start of the orchestral project. Participating musicians are expected to have studied their parts by the first rehearsal.
5. Youth Orchestra Flanders strives to keep the participation fee as low as possible. Often they charge no participation fee at all. For special projects (including foreign tours), Youth Orchestra Flanders may be obliged to charge a registration fee. Youth Orchestra Flanders undertakes to duly inform participating musicians at the time of each registration.
6. Musicians will bear the costs of their travel to the location(s) where the orchestral project is held (rehearsals and concerts).
7. Youth Orchestra Flanders has insurance cover for civil liability for the participating musicians and any volunteers, for the duration of the projects (rehearsals and concerts). Instruments are not insured via Youth Orchestra Flanders.
8. Youth Orchestra Flanders reserves the right to refuse or to terminate participation (for unlawful behaviour, for example).. Any damage caused deliberately shall be charged to the person who caused the damage.
9. All participating musicians will, after the end of an orchestral project, be evaluated individually by the coaches of Youth Orchestra Flanders. A positive evaluation entitles the musician to a privileged position in selection for a subsequent orchestral project. If the student receives credits for his/her participation, points are assigned by the conservatory on the basis of the individual evaluation form. The form is submitted by the coordinators of Youth Orchestra Flanders to the management of the appropriate conservatory.
10. In order to optimise the functioning of the orchestra, all participating musicians are asked at the end of each orchestral project to fill in an evaluation form about the project and to return the form to the coordinators of Youth Orchestra Flanders (info@youthorchestraflanders.be)
11. Each participant acknowledges having read the Privacy statement (GDPR).
ETHICS
Youth Orchestra Flanders facilitates the connection between the world of musical training and the professional field. Participants in the projects of Youth Orchestra Flanders are expected to be respectful towards the staff accompanying the project, the other participants, the partners of Youth Orchestra Flanders and the audience. This is expressed not least in duly following the schedule (punctuality), honest communication and proper preparation for auditions as well as rehearsals.
Any dispute relating to the functioning of the orchestra can be reported to the coordinator (m/f). The coordinator will mediate and propose a solution.
