2025-2026 Season Registration & Audition Information

Auditions will take place on August 22nd and August 23rd at

Peace Presbyterian Church (1777 West Chatham St., Cary)

2025-2026 Triangle Youth Music Registration Now Open!

  • Please review the audition details for your chosen ensemble(s) BEFORE you register for your audition.
  • Contact info@triangleyouthmusic.org with questions.
  • The financial aid form for the audition/registration fee will be available in your confirmation email. Full details at the bottom of this page.
  • Triangle Youth Jazz Lab, Triangle Youth String Orchestra, and Triangle Youth String Sinfonia do not require an audition. To register for these ensembles, click here
  • NOTE: Late audition registrations - those made after August 15th - will be subject to an additional late fee of $25. We encourage musicians to register for their auditions as soon as possible! Also, audition and registration fees are non refundable as this money supports overhead costs like booking the audition space.
  • Financial aid forms for tuition will be made available after auditions.

Full Orchestra Auditions
About Our Full Orchestras

Triangle Youth Music features three levels of full orchestra for string, woodwind, brass, and percussion musicians in grades 4 – 12. Participation is by annual audition in late summer. All three full orchestras perform in Meymandi Concert Hall at least twice a year.

  • Triangle Youth Philharmonic, our most advanced ensemble, has been the official youth orchestra of the North Carolina Symphony since 1993 and performs full-length concerts of professional level repertoire. TYP rehearses 2 hours weekly on Tuesdays at Athens Drive High School, starting at 6:30 PM.
  • Triangle Youth Symphony annually performs two concerts of individual symphonic movements and other advanced-intermediate repertoire. TYS rehearses 2 hours weekly on Mondays at Athens Drive High School, starting at 6:30 PM.
  • Triangle Youth Orchestra performs intermediate level arrangements of well-known classical pieces as well as original works composed for educational purposes. TYO rehearses for one hour and 45 minutes weekly on Mondays at Leesville Road High School, starting at 6:00 PM. All three full orchestras receive sectional coaching from professional area musicians including members of the North Carolina Symphony whenever possible.


Important:

Please see audition requirements below for each orchestra. Musicians may audition for two orchestras. You will be required to fill out one audition form and pay a registration fee for each audition separately. Musicians will be placed in the highest level orchestra that their score allows. Forfeiture of assigned placement will result in revocation of future participation in any Triangle Youth Music ensemble.


  • Triangle Youth Orchestra Audition Materials

    You may audition for up to two orchestras. The requirements for the TYO audition are:

    • A 2 or 3 octave scale of your choice
    • The excerpts labeled below
    • Sightread a short piece presented to you in the audition room

    Please download and print the excerpts (click on the name of your instrument) to prepare for your full orchestra audition.


    *String players, the printed bowings are merely editorial suggestions.*


  • Triangle Youth Symphony Audition Materials

    You may audition for up to two orchestras. The requirements for the TYS audition are:

    • A 2 or 3 octave scale of your choice
    • The excerpts labeled below
    • Sightread a short piece presented to you in the audition room

    Please download and print the excerpts (click on the name of your instrument) to prepare for your full orchestra audition.


    *String players, the printed bowings are merely editorial suggestions.*


  • Triangle Youth Philharmonic Audition Materials

    You may audition for up to two orchestras. The requirements for the TYP audition are:

    • A 2 or 3 octave scale of your choice
    • The excerpts labeled below
    • Sightread a short piece presented to you in the audition room

    Please download and print the excerpts (click on the name of your instrument) to prepare for your full orchestra audition.


    *String players, the printed bowings are merely editorial suggestions.*


Jazz Auditions

About Our Jazz Ensembles

There are three levels of auditioned jazz ensembles available through Triangle Youth Music during the school term:

  • The Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble is an award-winning advanced group for high school players. The ensemble often participates in the national Essentially Ellington Competition & Festival through Jazz at Lincoln Center,  the regional EE festival at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as many local performances. TYJE will rehearse 3 hours weekly, on Sunday afternoons at NC State University.
  • The Triangle Youth Jazz Orchestra is also for predominantly high school players and often participates in the regional Essentially Ellington festival at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as several local performances. TYJO will rehearse 3 hours weekly, on Sunday afternoons at NC State University.
  • The Triangle Youth Jazz Band is for middle school and high school students with some jazz experience. TYJB will rehearse for 2 hours weekly, on Sunday afternoons at NC State University.


Important:

Students may select either a Basic Audition or an Advanced Audition. A Basic Audition qualifies a musician for TYJB only. The Advanced Audition qualifies a musician for TYJB, TYJO, or TYJE. Students will be placed in the highest level band that their scores will allow. Forfeiture of assigned placement will result in revocation of future participation in any Triangle Youth Music ensemble.


Please read through the "Jazz Auditions Overview" to get an idea of what to expect during your audition. If you are completing a Basic Audition, you will only need to prepare the materials for your instrument under the "Basic" section. If completing an Advanced Audition, students must prepare the "Basic" AND  "Advanced" requirements.  Basic Auditions are $25, if doing an Advanced Audition, there is an additional $25 fee (for a total of $50).


PLEASE NOTE: All rhythm section musicians will be auditioned on a call-back system. The top scoring musicians for each instrument will be invited to attend the first jazz rehearsal, where final seating will be assigned.


Also, we will divide audition dates based on your musician's instrument. Rhythm section (drums, string bass, piano, guitar), and vocals will audition on Friday, August 22nd ONLY. Brass and saxophone players will audition on Saturday, August 23rd. Please keep these details in mind as you are making summer plans!


  • Jazz Auditions Overview

    A) Scales: Musicians should prepare scales based on their instrument's instruction document, linked in the basic and advanced sections below.


    B) Excerpts:  All musicians should prepare the basic excerpts. If you would like to complete an advanced audition, you must also prepare the advanced excerpts for your instrument


    C) Improvisation: Jazz musicians are expected to improvise. The audition materials below will provide instructions for the improvisation portion of the audition. For the audition, the student will play along with the backing track, if required, through a speaker which will be provided.


    D) Sight-reading: There will be a short sight-reading piece for all applicants, provided during their audition.

  • Basic Audition Information: Required for ALL

    Please download the audition packet for your instrument by clicking the name of your instrument. This packet includes instructions, excerpts, reference materials, and any additional information you may need for your audition.


    Note: The improv backing track is the same for all saxes and brass instruments.

    Vocals: Vocal auditions are not available at the basic level. Please see the advanced tab for vocal audition instructions.


  • Advanced Audition Information : Required for TYJE and TYJO

    Please download the audition packet for your instrument by clicking the name of your instrument. This packet includes instructions, excerpts, reference materials, and any additional information you may need for your audition.



    Doubling: If you are a saxophone player who would like to double during your audition, please also prepare a 20 second excerpt of your choice.


    Vocals –During their assigned time, students will perform a jazz standard that they have selected and prepared. If possible, students should use a background track (YouTube is fine; please contact the directors if you need assistance finding a track in the right key/tempo). Then, please prepare "Take the A Train", using the materials below. Vocalists will also be asked to sight-sing during their audition.


    Take the A Train - Charts (High & Low) ; Practice Track (High & Low) ;  Accompaniment (High & Low) ; M6-8 Slow (High & Low)

String Orchestra Registration

About Our String Orchestras


Triangle Youth Music offers two levels of string orchestra for violin, viola, cello and bass musicians. The String Orchestra provides an encouraging atmosphere for young string players. Triangle Youth String Orchestra (TYSO) is for 4th-7th graders, and Triangle Youth String Sinfonia (TYSS) is for 8th-12th graders. Both string ensembles rehearse for 90 minutes weekly. TYSO rehearses at the Cary Arts Center on Tuesdays at 6:30 PM and Sinfonia rehearses at Reedy Creek Middle School on Tuesdays at 6:30. Click here to read more about our non-auditioned ensembles.


Triangle Youth String Orchestra and Triangle Youth String Sinfonia DO NOT require an audition. To register for these ensembles, click the buttons below:

Register for Triangle Youth String Orchestra Register for Triangle Youth String Sinfonia

Jazz Lab Registration

About our Jazz Lab


The Triangle Youth Jazz Lab provides beginning jazz ensemble training for musicians 4th grade and above with the goal of eventual transition to the Triangle Youth Jazz Band or Triangle Youth Jazz Orchestra. This ensemble is non-auditioned. TYJL will rehearse for 1-1.5 hours weekly, on Sunday afternoons at NC State University. Click here to read more about our non-auditioned ensembles.


Triangle Youth Jazz Lab DOES NOT require an audition. To register for this ensemble, click the button below:


Register for Triangle Youth Jazz Lab

Audition/Registration Fees

Audition/Registration fees must be paid at the time of registration. Audition fees are non-refundable as they are used support overhead costs like booking the audition space. We offer financial aid to families who may need help to pay this fee. If you need financial assistance for the audition/registration fee, you will need to complete an additional financial aid form, which will be linked in your confirmation email. This form must be filled out prior to auditions in order to receive aid for the fee.


Note: the financial aid application for yearly tuition is different, and will be provided once audition results are available.


Late audition registrations - those made after August 15th - will be subject to an additional late fee of $25. We encourage musicians to register for their auditions as soon as possible!


If you would prefer to pay your audition/registration fee via check, you will have the option to select "check" on the registration form. Checks can then be mailed to the address below.


Audition fees should be mailed to:
Auditions Coordinator
Triangle Youth Music
P. O. Box 782
Cary, North Carolina 27512-0782


You will receive additional information regarding your audition date and time 7-10 days prior to your audition. Placement into one of the Triangle Youth Music ensembles is at the discretion of the adjudicators. Their decisions are final and are not open for review.