Preparing a National Youth Orchestra audition: violinist Sakura Fish

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My name is Sakura Fish, and I am a violinist from a small town called Bishops Stortford in Hertfordshire, England. I joined The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (NYO) from the NYO Inspire programme in 2020, and this was my third – and sadly final – year in the first violin section of the orchestra. 

Audition Preparation

When selecting your pieces for an audition, choose those that highlight various orchestral techniques, giving you the opportunity to demonstrate a range of technical skills and to showcase your strengths to the panel. It is also important to play something you feel completely comfortable and confident performing, and that you enjoy – it can really come through in your playing! In my most recent audition for NYO, I played an excerpt from Vitali’s Chaconne and a traditional Japanese folk song called Sakura arranged by violinist Maria Kaneko Millar. I absolutely loved playing both pieces, especially Sakura because it has a personal connection to my name as well as my Japanese heritage, and I have fond memories of playing it at the Royal Festival Hall as part of the NYO Hope Exchange project. A personal connection to a piece, such as this, is a bonus and not a must. However, understanding the wider context of the piece and composer and forming an emotional connection with the repertoire is important. Being able to communicate that emotion to the panel will make the audition so much more enjoyable to you, as well as to the panel listening! 

Play something you feel completely comfortable and confident performing, and that you enjoy – it can really come through in your playing!

The orchestral excerpts are the most important part of the preparation for an audition. I do a lot of work away from the violin first, researching the pieces and composers, as well as listening to different recordings of the pieces. I find it useful to read programme notes that professional orchestras have written, as it gives me a sense of what the key ideas and emotions are that they communicate through their playing. Once I have done this research, and when I can play through the excerpts at a speed close to the original, I play alongside my favourite recordings. What matters to me most when doing this is not if I can play everything perfectly with the recording, but instead feeling how my part fits in with the other parts, and the interpretation of the phrasing and tempo changes. This is my favourite part of the preparation process.

On the day of the audition, I try and stick to my usual morning routine in order to keep my nerves under control. I make sure to get everything I need for the audition day ready the night before, leaving time in the morning to do a light warm up, usually consisting of playing some scales slowly and working through a tricky passage of one of the excerpts off-speed. Whilst travelling, I try to listen to my excerpts along with the score, although sometimes this is not possible, so instead I try to visualise the perfect performance of my excerpts and pieces. Once I have done this, I try to focus on something completely different for a while, which in my case is reading a science book, as it helps me to be in a calmer mindset for the audition.

NYO Assessment Days

At NYO, the Final Assessment day is a unique day of music making with creative and technical workshops, and discussion sessions, in addition to the individual audition. As with any music audition, regardless of the result, it is an opportunity where you can play to music professionals and gain valuable experience of performing and receiving feedback. It also offers the opportunity to showcase your individual talents, whether it be improvising, creative devising, leadership, or debating your ideas. The people you meet and play alongside on the audition day can become close friends, and the whole atmosphere in the NYO community is welcoming.

NYO Inspire

The journey to joining The National Youth Orchestra does not have to start at the audition day, as there are many ways to get involved. For example, the NYO Inspire programme, where you can take your playing to the whole new level and gain valuable experience of playing orchestral music with other young people. There are no auditions and it’s completely free. I started my NYO journey with NYO Inspire, and when I applied for the Orchestra I found it much easier to be able to walk into the audition and play to familiar faces.

NYO Inspire is a musical adventure for teenagers who want music to be a bigger part of their lives but face barriers and lack opportunities to progress. Applications are welcome from musicians aged 13–18 years, playing orchestral instruments at a minimum grade 6 level or equivalent. Find out more and apply here: https://www.nyo.org.uk/get-involved/nyo-inspire

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