Current Events > I'm getting paid $5k to play in Sydney Opera House

(+) Yeah! (+)

Basically, Im in the post-finals for a position in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. There were 100 applicants and its down to just 4

Each of the 4 of us gets a trial period, where we play with the orchestra for 2 weeks, and once all of our trials are finished they will decide who gets the spot

But for the trial, they pay for all of my travel, hotels, car rental, visas, etc., and I get paid as an orchestra member for the 2 weeks. So even if I lose I would be pleased with this experience lmao (gonna win though)

/blogfaqs

Holy shit, that is absolutely awesome!

I saw your topic (I think it was) a few days ago about living in Sydney - that's freaking exciting.

What do you play?

The_Creep_2020 posted...

Holy shit, that is absolutely awesome!

I saw your topic (I think it was) a few days ago about living in Sydney - that's freaking exciting.

What do you play?

Thank you!

I play the upright bass. I do a whole bunch of genres, but this is strictly a classical situation, which is where 90% of my efforts have been placed over the past couple years, in hopes of getting an orchestra job like this

Thats an awesome opportunity, congratulations.

Do you know what the repertoire is for your weeks yet/

Nice.

Bananana posted...

Thank you!

I play the upright bass. I do a whole bunch of genres, but this is strictly a classical situation, which is where 90% of my efforts have been placed over the past couple years, in hopes of getting an orchestra job like this

Ooh awesome! Now that's an instrument that needs more love!

I wish you the very best of luck. The SSO is a world class orchestra.

That is incredible! Good luck.

What's your background? Do you have a music performance degree from a consortium?

Youve got this. ^5

that's really cool.

I remember you making a topic about getting your master's in something orchestra related, so it looks like you're already making moves

That's fucking cool

Congrats man. Thats actually incredible.

Anteaterking posted...

Do you know what the repertoire is for your weeks yet/

Not yet; they said in the next week or two they are going to let me know the exact weeks/repertoire once they talk to the personnel manager and figure out when is best for everyone to come for a trial.

IdiotMachine posted...

That is incredible! Good luck.

What's your background? Do you have a music performance degree from a consortium?

Yes. I just finished my Masters in classical performance at a conservatory in NYC

and thanks everyone else for the kind words! Classical music is an absolutely brutal industry to try to get a job in. Probably 1 out of every 100 performance majors lands a job in a major symphony orchestra, if even that, so it is kind of surreal to me that I am on track to doing so

I saw an opera there once. Crowded House was giving some big farewell concert on the patio when we got out of the opera.

that's rad a f good luck have fun

Fuck yeah TC that's incredible. Good luck with everything!

Can you share any of your work here?

Would be neat to give it a listen.

Freaking awesome

Congratulations! What an opportunity!

Steffenfield posted...

Can you share any of your work here?

Would be neat to give it a listen.

These auditions are based off of orchestral excerpts, which are decidedly less exciting to hear cause its just the lone bass part of a piece for entire orchestra lol. I can give you some videos of my Masters recital of solo music, though:

https://youtu.be/dBozwqPcF8c

https://youtu.be/RVnLv9Ewvlk

Bananana posted...

These auditions are based off of orchestral excerpts, which are decidedly less exciting to hear cause its just the lone bass part of a piece for entire orchestra lol. I can give you some videos of my Masters recital of solo music, though:

https://youtu.be/dBozwqPcF8c

https://youtu.be/RVnLv9Ewvlk

In that first video, at around 10 minutes, your hands looks they're in quick motion time lol

emblem boy posted...

In that first video, at around 10 minutes, your hands looks they're in quick motion time lol

lol there are definitely some fast notes in that pieceit was a real pain in the ass to get around this big ass instrument to play them. It was originally composed for violin, where they would be a lot easier

Nice, wish you the very best of luck man.

Thanks for sharing. :)

Thats so cool. Congrats!

Congrats and good luck on the finals! Tagged as Pro musician

Edit: I just realized that if you get 5k for 2 weeks then that's a will be a very good pay when you get fulltime.

samurai bandit posted...

Congrats and good luck on the finals! Tagged as Pro musician

Edit: I just realized that if you get 5k for 2 weeks then that's a will be a very good pay when you get fulltime.

Oh yeah. Salary is $128k for their starting section, tenure-track bass position.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Thanks! I have to say this is one of my favorite classical bass concerti:

https://youtu.be/Cahw_3pFth0

I like plenty of jazz and bluegrass/rockabilly stuff on bass as well. And of course some
great orchestra parts!

What do you play?

MistyFan462 posted...

What do you play?

Post 3 @MistyFan462

Very cool!